The Detroit Pistons lost their opening night matchup to the Indiana Pacers, but we saw many things we needed to see.
The Pistons played competitive defense, especially in the first half. The second half was a different story, as they didn’t dig in when they needed to get stops and allowed the Pacers to shoot over 60 percent.
It was a mixed performance on the defensive end but at the very least the Pistons looked more organized, communicated more effectively, played hard and held last year’s top scoring team to 115 points. The Pacers just executed better when it mattered, something that will hopefully improve as the season goes on and the Pistons build more chemistry.
The offense was very much a work in progress, though the Pistons moved the ball more effectively in the first half than the second. Cade Cunningham was smothered early, but did rack up six first-half assists as his new teammates did most of the scoring.
Things changed in the second when Cunningham went off, but the problem was the rest of the Pistons’ offense was then caught watching.
Cade Cunningham: Knowing when to take over
Cunningham was stellar in the third quarter, pouring in 18 points and looking unstoppable in the paint and mid-range.
His team was struggling to score and Cunningham rightfully took over, got the lead back and flipped the momentum of the game heading into the 4th quarter.
The offense lagged with him on the bench, so Cade once again went into Teen Wolf mode when he returned, but this time, the Pacers were ready and did a much better job of making it difficult for Cade to get to his spots.
The offense became predictable, much as it was last season when Cade was often carrying it on his own. He has better teammates this year, guys like Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley who were really non-factors offensively in the second half.
Harris didn’t score in the 2nd and didn’t get any good looks until later in the 4th quarter, when he was out of rhythm and missed two crucial corner 3-point shots.
Cunningham has to continue to find that balance between taking over games and keeping his teammates involved, as the offense was more effective overall when the ball was moving more in the first half even though Cade himself wasn’t scoring. He can be a ballstopper at times when he is only looking for his own shot, a tendency he has to leave behind.
It’s a tough transition, as Cunningham has never had competent veteran teammates to lean on or trust.
Overall, it was a very good game for Cade and a promising one for the Pistons, whose offense is going to have some challenges early on as the young players adjust to their new teammates.