Cade Cunningham and the Pistons are primed for a big season after breaking out onto the scene last year. The Pistons have maintained a patient approach to the offseason and focused on adding reliable veterans around their youngsters. But Cade believes the team is ready to win now and refuses to put limits on this season.
There is no ceiling to the Pistons’ success
Despite some media and fan skepticism about how far the Pistons can go this season without trading for another star, Cade doesn’t see the need. He expressed his confidence in his team and stated that they are ready to win now.
And looking at the team’s capacity for improvement, it’s not hard to see why. They have many young players who are still rapidly getting better, and some are finally healthy after the long offseason.
The Pistons played most of last season without Jaden Ivey after a devastating injury on January 1st. His return can mark the emergence of a second offensive star to take some pressure off of Cade. Even if Ivey’s not at his best to start the season right away, he can add a lot of offensive firepower once he ramps up in health.
Ausar Thompson is also coming off his first healthy NBA offseason and ready to take some big leaps. Head coach JB Bickerstaff seemed excited by the prospect of having Ausar handle the ball more, which will help Cade even more on offense. And there really is no ceiling on Ausar’s defensive impact, regardless of who he’s shutting down.
Ron Holland also showed some big strides in Summer League, especially an improved jump shot. Holland had a solid rookie season a year ago, but can take things to another level in a key bench role for the Pistons this season. His improvements can give the Pistons important depth to win in both the regular season and playoffs.
The Pistons have gone to great lengths to make this offseason worth it. The team’s chemistry seems to be better than ever, and many players remarked on the universal participation in joint workouts. The new veteran additions to the team also fit perfectly, and will play their roles to complement the young stars well.
Last season, the Pistons already pushed the Knicks to the brink in an extremely tight six-game series. Now, the Knicks are being labeled as one of the favorites in a weakened Eastern Conference and the Pistons are improved. It’s not hard to see why Cade Cunningham thinks the team can go far already, despite still being such a young team.
As Cade said, you can’t keep getting caught up in a team’s potential. At some point, you need to actually show the results on the court and in the playoffs. And now is the perfect time for the Pistons to do just that.