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The duo that will carry the Detroit Pistons next season

By Aaron Kellerstrass

Oct 30, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Livers (12), forward Saddiq Bey (41), center Jalen Duren (0) and guard Cade Cunningham (2) walk up court after a play stoppage during the in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Livers (12), forward Saddiq Bey (41), center Jalen Duren (0) and guard Cade Cunningham (2) walk up court after a play stoppage during the in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Pistons, Cade Cunningham
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) is tripped up in front of Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren on defense

We don’t have much to go by when it comes to numbers for Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren as a duo, as they only played nine games together this season, logging 79 minutes on the floor, so this is more theory than quantifiable data.

You can really throw the numbers out the window, as the sample size is so small, but the two did have a 105 defensive rating together in the first 41 minutes they played, which is one reason Cade was lobbying for more time with the rookie early in the season.

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Cade is currently the Pistons’ best wing defender, so having him out there should reduce the number of times Detroit gets blown by on the perimeter and he also gives the team another weak side shot blocker.

Cade is also a smart team defender who will help Duren’s positioning and hopefully allow him to thrive more as a rim protector. Currently, Duren is often getting forced out of position to play help defense when the perimeter defenders get burned.

The Detroit Pistons need to improve their defense on the perimeter, which will help their bigs, and Cade Cunningham should be a big part of that next season.

The defensive fit is more difficult to see right away, but the really exciting part of this tandem is what they can do together on offense.

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