Cade Cunningham has historically thrived with a very ball-dominant playstyle, but the Pistons are now giving him a chance to showcase his other strengths. On Sunday night, we saw more off-ball scoring from Cade as he was joined in the starting lineup by Daniss Jenkins. Having another confident ball-handler in the lineup allowed Cade to get some easier looks and show how elite he can be as a pure shooter.
The Pistons can get another Cade evolution
Jenkins was great in his own right, breaking down the 76ers defense and making plays for his teammates, including Cade. But perhaps the bigger story for the Pistons’ long-term outlook is Cade’s skill operating off the ball. He buried multiple catch-and-shoot threes and also found success attacking in the post or off the catch.
If Cade gets more comfortable operating in this way for extended stretches, it can help his teammates get into a better rhythm hunting their own shot and make the Pistons a deadlier playoff offense. Cade himself doesn’t need too much to find his rhythm, since he’s such a talented scorer with a diverse shot diet. But his teammates don’t have the same luxury.
Cade has always been great at setting up his teammates with the ball in his hands, whether it’s on a pick-and-roll lob or a kick-out to an open shooter. By playing off the ball, he’ll be able to give his teammates more space and opportunity in a less demanding and more selfless way. Perhaps the best way to alleviate the Pistons’ potential creation problems is to develop other players in those spots throughout the season while keeping Cade as an off-ball release valve.
Detroit needs to put the right ball-handling next to Cade
It’s important to remember that Cade shouldn’t feel comfortable being off the ball unless he’s confident his teammates can handle the on-ball responsibilities. He’s always shown promising off-ball excellence in the past, but only been able to do so in limited spurts because of the team needs.
Jenkins has the confidence as a point guard to take on the duties of running plays and distributing himself. Typically, he’ll be on the bench to start the game and Ausar Thompson will be in his spot. Thompson is a developing ball-handler and might get to the point of earning more on-ball duties by the playoffs, but he’s not there yet.
So the biggest task for the Pistons this season will be to develop confidence in their secondary ball-handlers. That strategy won’t always lead to the best regular season results, but it will set Cade and the offense up for more varied looks in the playoffs. Cade is ready to play the off-ball role more for the team’s sake; it’s up to his teammates and coaches to join him.
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