Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is developing a well-earned reputation for his clutch gene and it came through again on Tuesday. In the season opener against the Celtics, Cade got plenty of help from his supporting cast throughout the game, but put things away himself in the fourth quarter. He had 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in the final frame to guide the Pistons towards an 8-point win.
Cade is a beast in crunchtime
As he's developed into an All-NBA talent, Cade has been consistently great in the clutch because of his playstyle. He plays a very controlled game at his own tempo, so he's always ready to hit tough shots over defenders regardless of the situation. In many instances, he actually gets better as a game goes along and he adapts to the defense.
Tuesday was more of the same, as he only shot 5-of-13 through the first three quarters for 14 points, but improved in the fourth. He hit 3-of-5 shots in the final quarter, mainly using this midrange pullup to dash the Celtics' hopes. He also got some clutch help from unexpected sources, as Ausar Thompson hit a final dagger shot. Ausar's offensive development could make Cade even better in the clutch, as he won't have to carry such a heavy load all by himself.
Last season, Cade finished top-10 in the entire league when it came to clutch scoring. At the beginning of the season, he could've been a contender for Clutch Player of the Year. This season, the Pistons hope for that to continue - and carry over into the playoffs.
Cade's clutch play will prepare him for the playoffs
Hopefully the Pistons learned their lessons from a brutal playoff loss in Game 7 against the Cavaliers last season. For Cade, his biggest playoff weakness was arguably his inconsistent clutch play. He turned the ball over too often in the biggest moments, leading to some bad losses.
Cade made it a point during the offseason to work on his conditioning so that his fourth-quarter play could be even better. That should also lead to his regular-season clutch heroics translating better into the playoffs too.
Another step for the Pistons to improve as a whole in the clutch would be developing other options to take pressure off Cade. Thompson and Jalen Duren are the primary candidates now, but neither has a go-to clutch scoring package just yet. Detroit should be looking to develop those during the regular season and get them up to speed just like Cade.
In game 1 of the new season, Cade was able to take the Pistons home in the clutch. He shouldn't have to do that too often, but hopefully he remains ready whenever the time calls.
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