For years, Damian Lillard sloughed away in Portland carrying the Blazers to great regular seasons and mediocre playoff success while his front office failed to put the right pieces around him. Cade Cunningham is still very early in his career and has a very different skillset than Dame, but he could wind up in a similar position if the Pistons don’t find ways to improve in the games that matter most.
Cade needs more help
All throughout the offseason, Pistons fans were calling for their team to make a big trade and land a proper co-star for Cade. However, Detroit sat pat (possibly after some failed attempts at trades) and is now relying on the existing pieces to make superstar leaps. That reality could come true, if young stars Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson take another step forward.
But neither of those players has shown consistent offense in the playoffs yet. It'll be hard to gauge if they are enough to help Cade contend for a title until we see some competitive basketball. The Pistons should have a chance to make a bigger move at the trade deadline, depending on their existing core's growth this season. However, we've heard this story before and seen inaction in the past.
If the Pistons don't make a midseason move, they'll probably be asking too much from Cade in the playoffs once again. Last season, he had to carry the team's offense as most of his teammates fell off in their scoring and efficiency - with the exception of now-departed veteran Tobias Harris. Without other reliable scorers, or even ball-handlers, Cade had to increase his scoring on an incredibly difficult shot diet full of tough isolation buckets.
The Pistons are putting Cade in a tough spot
Cade is a great all-around player, with strengths as a scorer, playmaker and defender. However, when he gets too much put on his plate, his rare weaknesses start to pop up late in games. Turnovers are the most notable issue, and they got him in trouble last season against the Cavaliers a couple times.
But Detroit is doing him no favors by forcing him to initiate the offense practically every time down the court. The high demand on Cade over the whole game not only wears him down physically, but can also be mentally draining and lead to crunchtime lapses. Other times, that fatigue manifests not in straight-up turnovers but rather in settling for low-efficiency shots.
With the right help to take offensive pressure off him, Cade can undoubtedly lead a fierce championship contender. He's already a top-10 player in the world and only getting better. But no star can do it all alone these days, and the Pistons need to realize that before it's too late.
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