Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons are hoping to become the next team to make the leap from the cellar into playoff contention.
And now is a great time to do it, as the NBA is as wide open as it has ever been, and will see it’s 5th new champion in as many years:
We’re going to see a different NBA champion for the fifth straight year since the Hamptons Five era. pic.twitter.com/e1PJDEiT8O
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 15, 2022
Not only that, but we’re seeing a changing of the guard in the NBA, as Finals regulars LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been replaced by the next generation of MVPs and superstars in guys like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum.
The Golden State Warriors are somehow the last of the old school still standing, as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green make a push for another title, but that window will be closed soon.
You have Jimmy Butler leading the Heat, who are buoyed by two younger players in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
The Mavericks are led by the next face of the NBA, Luka Doncic, who is a guy Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons can definitely learn from.
Then you have the Celtics, with a balanced roster led by Jayson Tatum, one of the best under-25 players in the league.
Times are changing and that is good for the Detroit Pistons.
More parity in the NBA is a good thing for the Detroit Pistons
I recently wrote about the NBA’s 11 untouchable players, and Cade Cunningham made my list as a future superstar who is still on a rookie deal.
You can certainly argue that other guys should be included, but what I found interesting is that only four of them were older than 25 and only three players from the list made their conference finals (Tatum, Doncic, Curry).
This not only shows that the league has an abundance of talent, but that the next generation of players are taking over.
The other great thing is that all of these teams (even the Warriors) were built through the draft while the “super” teams watch from home.
This bodes well for the Detroit Pistons, who are trying to build their team organically through the draft and have never been a team that draws big-name free agents.
Teams like Dallas, Boston, Miami and Golden State are showing what you can do when you make the right pick at the top of the draft and then build around him.
Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons hope to do the same, and to be competing with these teams in the playoffs soon.