Cade Cunningham didn’t play in the second preseason game, so the Detroit Pistons got an early look at what the non-Cade minutes will look like this season.
Detroit would love to decrease Cade’s workload some, especially in the regular season, so they need to be able to survive when he is on the bench. The results in game two weren’t great, as the team struggled to score overall without Cunningham in the lineup, but there were also positive signs.
The Pistons pressed without Cade Cunningham in the lineup
With Cade out, everyone’s job changes slightly and gets more difficult, and these struggles were obvious as the Pistons went down by 20 points in the first quarter.
It’s the preseason, so all disclaimers apply, but the Pistons struggled to get good looks at times and had a couple of players who were pressing. Isaiah Joe, John Collins and Paul Reed accounted for seven turnovers combined, most of which were the result of them doing things they likely wouldn’t be doing if Cade were in the game.
All three guys tried to put the ball on the floor and create off the bounce, as everyone tried to do more without the engine of the offense. The Pistons shot just 37 percent overall and 25 percent from the 3-point line, so it’s hard to say they thrived without Cunningham, but they also just missed a ton of open shots.
Detroit used their depth to battle back into the game and got it close even though they were abysmal offensively, which is a positive takeaway, and they also got production from their two backup point guards, which is a good sign.
Daniss Jenkins and Ebuka Okorie
The Pistons were relying on Daniss Jenkins to run the offense, and he did a decent job of it. The Pistons did get some good looks that they just didn’t complete, and I was impressed at times with both their ball and player movement.
Jenkins has clearly been looking to set up teammates more, which he did for four assists to just one turnover and he also added 12 points on efficient shooting numbers. If he does this on a regular basis when Cunningham is in the lineup, the Pistons will be in good shape, as they need Jenkins to be a facilitator as well as a scoring threat.
Rookie Ebuka Okorie will play more of an “instant offense” role if he can crack the rotation, and he showed how even though he didn’t shoot the ball well in game two, mostly from behind the arc, where he missed all four attempts.
He was good around the rim again and also set up teammates for six assists, though he did cough it up three times, which is something he can’t do if he wants to get minutes.
Both the backup point guards looked solid for most of the game, which is the good news. The bad news is that their teammates couldn’t hit a shot, and the offense sputtered overall without Cade Cunningham in the game.
This will be a work in progress, but it’s an area the Pistons have to improve if they want to maximize the time when Cunningham isn't on the floor.
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