Cade Cunningham has been carrying the kind of workload that usually leaves a star hunting for any break he can get. On Monday night, he found one the old-fashioned way: by helping the Pistons turn the game into a rout.
In Detroit’s blowout win over the Thunder, Cunningham put up 33 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals in only 27 minutes. It was the kind of night where the scoreboard did the heavy lifting, and Cunningham got to cash in on the side benefit - a lighter minutes load.
That’s become a theme in the last two games. Cunningham has now played under 30 minutes in back-to-back outings, after logging 28 in the previous game against the Nets.
That one was a blowout too, with Detroit leading by 30 in the fourth quarter. Against Charlotte, the Pistons won by 33 and the fourth quarter never turned into a real contest, which opened the door for more developmental minutes and less unnecessary wear on Cunningham.
The immediate payoff is obvious. Blowouts let Detroit spread the floor time around, give younger players more reps and avoid grinding Cunningham into the ground for no reason.
The longer-term upside matters even more. If the Pistons can keep building wins like this, they can keep Cunningham fresher for the biggest games and the playoffs.
It doesn’t promise perfect health, but it does cut down the chances of him taking on extra injury risk.
What’s encouraging for Detroit is that the offense is starting to feel less dependent on Cunningham alone. In past seasons, the Pistons leaned heavily on him to create just about everything. Jalen Duren gave them another scoring option last season, though he didn’t do much as a creator, and he’s injured right now.
This year, though, there are signs of a more sustainable setup. The most interesting growth has come from Ausar Thompson and Duncan Robinson, two players who weren’t direct creators last season but are taking on bigger roles now.
Thompson has picked up more ball-handling responsibility and is showing real playmaking ability. He isn’t always looking to force his own shot, but he’s already doing a strong job of setting up teammates.
Robinson brings a different kind of pressure. The veteran shooter has become even more aggressive, and defenses have to treat him like a real problem.
He’s been willing to fire away on lightly contested threes and knock them down, which stretches the floor and creates gravity. If defenses overcommit to taking him away, he can also make some plays for others, even if that’s not his first instinct.
In Other News...
Pistons Keep Getting Validation For Letting Isaiah Stewart Go
Isaiah Stewarts move out of Detroit has only added another layer to one of the more quietly important decisions the Pistons made. Since landing in Memphis, Stewart has been putting up career-best production and turning in some eye-catching performances, a reminder of the talent Detroit was willing to part with when it reshaped its frontcourt. Even so, the early returns in Detroit suggest the Pistons did not just give up a useful piece for nothing.
Paul Reed has settled into a bigger role and has actually looked like the better fit for what the Pistons need right now, especially on a team that has started the season with a strong defensive identity. The trade also gave Detroit some financial flexibility, and so far it has not come at the expense of the energy or toughness that has defined the group. For a franchise trying to build with purpose, that kind of validation matters just as much as Stewarts success elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Had A Cade Cunningham Scare They Really Could Not Afford
Cade Cunningham took an unexpected shot to the groin during the Pistons game against the 76ers, a moment that briefly had Detroit holding its breath. The play came on an accidental strike from Joel Embiid, but Cunningham stayed in the game and did not appear to show any lingering effects as the first half went on.
That was a relief for a Pistons team already dealing with another key injury, because Cunninghams availability matters even more when the margin for error is so thin. He had produced nine points, five rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes by halftime, but Detroit still went to the break trailing Philadelphia by double digits with plenty to sort out beyond just the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Already Face A Big Julius Randle Decision
Julius Randles arrival in Brooklyn came with the kind of buzz that usually follows a major multi-team deal, especially one that also pulled in the Bulls and Timberwolves. For a stretch, it looked like the Nets had landed a veteran frontcourt piece who could help shape their next phase, but the early conversation around the move has shifted quickly as the team weighs where it is headed and how much flexibility it wants to preserve.
The complication is Randles player option, which gives Brooklyn an immediate financial and roster-building question to sort through. Around the league, that has already opened the door to trade speculation, with the Pistons and Hornets among the teams floated as possible fits in different scenarios, though nothing has been finalized. For Detroit, it is the kind of name that naturally enters the conversation whenever a talented veteran becomes available, even if the path from rumor to reality is still very much unsettled. [Read more 🡒]