Cade Cunningham is asked to do a lot on offense, and that’s usually the right decision for the Detroit Pistons. He is clearly the best player and consistently makes the right decisions, whether it’s scoring himself or creating looks for teammates. But the next evolution for the team’s offense might involve taking the ball out of his hands.
Cade Cunningham playing off the ball for the Detroit Pistons
Last season, Cade’s usage rate was top six in the NBA among qualified players. As a former #1 overall draft pick, he’s shouldered a similar burden for almost his entire pro career. But recent playoff results have shown us how hard it is to win with this style.
Even the best players in the league, who can find success with such a heliocentric playstyle, haven’t been able to reach the championship pinnacle without significant supporting cast help. Ask reigning league MVP and finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been individually dominant for years but needed Jalen Williams to reach All-NBA level in order to win a title.
Of course, the Pistons can’t just move Cade off the ball without a good reason. Other players will need to emerge as good ball-handlers and decision makers to make the juice worth the squeeze. Primary candidates in that regard are Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson.
Ivey emerged last year as an elite off-ball player by improving his jump shot to the tune of over 40 percent from three-point range. Combine that with his elite first step and you’ve got a guy who’s a huge threat off the catch. This season, he might take another step on the ball as well.
Jaden Ivey has had success running the pick and roll with Jalen Duren in the past, although he is not as good of a passer or decision maker as Cade. But some improvement from Ivey there can definitely unlock another part of Cade’s game.
Last season, Cade shot a blistering 39 percent from three on catch-and-shoot attempts. His 34 percent shooting on pull-up threes drags down his overall percentage and hides what an elite shooter he actually is. Allowing Cade to operate more often as an off-ball shooter can elevate his teammates’ games and weaponize his shooting prowess in a clever way.
Another option for getting Cade involved off the ball is using him as a screener. It’s tempting to imagine Cade running an inverted pick-and-roll with Ausar Thompson as a way for Ausar to attack weak defenders or get Cade a switch against them. It would completely transform Ausar’s role in the offense, but his ball handling needs to be more consistent first.
Perhaps most importantly, playing Cade more off ball will fatigue him less. Last season, we saw Cade’s legs give out in the playoffs and his shooting dropped in the series against the Knicks. Decreasing his usage throughout the season can keep him fresher for the playoffs and also the fourth quarter of games, which could have benefits for the Pistons’ clutch performance.