Cade Cunningham had a prolific fourth quarter with 19 points to lead the Pistons over the Grizzlies, and reasserted his clutch gene. After an up-and-down start to the season, Cade has been dominant as of late. His tendency to show out in the fourth quarter this season could be a promising sign for the Pistons' future, especially in the playoffs.
Cade can't be stopped after he figures out a defense
Improving over the course of a game is very hard to do as a scorer. Typically, defenses are able to hone in on dominant scorers better as the game progresses and they see the player's tendencies up close. But Cade has contradicted conventional wisdom this season. He's up to 11 points per fourth quarter on solid shooting, especially from three. At this rate, he will have a great chance to win the Clutch Player of the Year award.
Although it would be nice to see Cade start the game with more scoring, his late-game heroics are more valuable. Not only are they securing close wins in the regular season, they are also good practice for the playoffs. Every element of one clutch game in the regular season is amplified tenfold in the postseason.
Opposing teams have more time to scout stars like Cade, and they can implement tweaks to improve their defense over a full best-of-seven series. Cade saw this last season when the Knicks limited him with more pressure and double teams. Fortunately, he's getting more support from his teammates this season to address those concerns.
And that leaves Cade to attack the defense with more freedom. He's skilled enough to beat just about any defender 1-on-1 in crunchtime, and has shown it time and time again this season. He entered the fourth quarter against Memphis with 14 points as he took a step back to set up his teammates more in the first three frames. But he absolutely took over when it mattered most.
Cade put together a scoring clinic to put the game away, including 9 straight for the Pistons in the last two minutes. He showed off his entire scoring arsenal, sprinkling in threes and midrange fadeaways with rim finishes. When he's got it going, Cade's versatility can elevate him to one of the league's best clutch stars. No matter what the defense throws at him, they won't be able to throw him off because he can score in every way or make the right pass if doubled.
Maintaining his poise under pressure and rising to the occasion is exactly what the Pistons will need from Cade in the playoffs. If he can get even better as the playoffs progress, the Pistons will be a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference.