Pistons not paying attention to any of the warning signs

The Detroit Pistons were supposed to fall apart when Cade Cunningham went out, but they just keep ignoring the disaster warnings and winning games. 

Detroit is now 7-2 without Cunningham in this stretch and 11-4 without him for the season, as their backups continue to step up even while the national media writes them off. 

The Pistons were getting the disaster warnings even before Cade went out: They don’t have shooting! They don’t have a second star!  

The Pistons have been ignoring the talk all season and are hitting their stride just as their critics’ doubt is the highest. 

Pistons are stepping up all over the court 

The people predicting the imminent downfall of Detroit’s season haven’t been paying attention because their other players have stepped up in the absence of Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart. 

Jalen Duren has been the 20 points scorer the Pistons have supposedly lacked all season, morphing into a number one option without Cade. 

Daniss Jenkins found his legs and is back to the spark plug that earned himself a full-time contract. His play off the ball is especially encouraging, as he can add an element of 3-point shooting and secondary creation the Pistons have lacked. 

Ausar Thompson has been outstanding, and the Pistons have a 99 defensive rating with him on the floor since Cade has been out. He earned his second Defensive Player of the Month award for March and is a lock for the first team All-Defense. 

But he showed last night that he is more than just the league’s best perimeter defender, as he racked up nine assists (a career high) to just one turnover. He and Jenkins combined for 17 assists to two turnovers. 

The Pistons have actually had more assists per game without Cade than with him and are sharing the ball in ways that will help them in the playoffs when defenses decide to trap Cunningham. 

That’s going to be more difficult to do with both Jenkins and Thompson creating with the ball, not to mention Kevin Huerter, who has shot over 40 percent from 3-point range over his last seven games, starting to look like the guy from his days with the Hawks. 

The role players continue to do their thing without complaint, as we see written-off journeymen Paul Reed and Javonte Green contributing winning plays every night. 

The Pistons have been in first place for the entire season, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a number one seed headed towards 60 wins that people believed in less, which is strange considering how they haven’t missed a beat without two of their best players. 

Disaster signs and predictions have been there all season, but the Pistons just keep ignoring them and proving everyone wrong.