Detroit Pistons: Scrutiny on Cade Cunningham helps Jalen Green

This is a week many fans of the Detroit Pistons have had circled on their calendars, as it is the first regular-season matchup between Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green.

Green did not take kindly to being the number two pick and has talked non-stop about it, disrespecting the city of Detroit and earning the ire of fans and even one Red Wings enforcer.

I actually like Green’s swagger and think this kind of harmless trash talk is good for the NBA, as it stokes rivalries that have been missing from the modern game.

Cade Cunningham has gotten off to a slow start, and has made some bad history shooting the ball, something that national media has endlessly gloated about.

He has been under intense scrutiny, which is 100 percent part of being the number one pick, a responsibility and burden that Cunningham is more than willing to accept.

Cade Cunningham’s struggles have been amplified by the fact that the Detroit Pistons have been terrible to start the season as a team and there are some fools out there calling Cade a bust after just a few games.

I doubt there is anyone happier about this than Jalen Green, whose own poor start has been overlooked because of the scrutiny on Cade Cunningham.

Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham’s struggles have overshadowed Jalen Green’s

You can’t sugarcoat Cunningham’s shooting start, as it has been horrible. He is shooting just 23 percent overall and 14.3 percent from long range, so it has been rough.

I will point out that he is coming off an ankle injury, is still trying to work into game shape (especially his legs) and has looked better every time he has stepped on the floor. It is a work in progress but there have been signs and he will get there soon.

Cunningham is also helping in other ways, making some nice hustle plays and grabbing 5.8 rebounds per game for the Detroit Pistons, whose 1-8 record is the worst in the Eastern Conference, though their schedule has been brutal so far.

Don’t look now, but the Rockets are even worse, with a 1-9 record that is tied for the worst in the NBA.

Green has started the season cold as well, shooting just 35 percent overall and hitting 28 percent of his 3-point shots, which looks pretty good compared to Cunningham.

But it’s still horrible and Green is not overcoming an injury. Instead of focusing on Green’s struggles, we’ve seen highlights of his one big game on a loop as if he is tearing up the league and the Rockets are overachieving.

All of this is silly, as both guys have only played handful of games and both are amazing talents who are going to be on multiple All-Star teams, but if Green had been the number one pick, it’d be him being called a bust right now instead of Cunningham.

In the end, I like watching both of these young guys play and it’s great for the Detroit Pistons to have a rival, but Green should be sending Cade a thank-you basket for keeping the scrutiny off of his slow start.