The Detroit Pistons got their first real glimpse at life without Cade Cunningham in the second preseason game, and the picture was messy.
With Cunningham sitting out, Detroit had to see whether its offense could function when the ball wasn’t running through its best player. The answer, at least on this night, was no clean and easy yes. The Pistons fell behind by 20 in the first quarter and spent the rest of the game trying to patch things together.
A lot of the damage came from pressing. Isaiah Joe, John Collins and Paul Reed combined for seven turnovers, and most of them came when those players tried to do a little too much off the dribble.
That made sense in the moment. Without Cunningham, everybody had to stretch beyond their usual job description.
The problem was that the extra responsibility didn’t lead to enough quality offense.
Detroit shot 37 percent overall and just 25 percent from three, numbers that tell the story pretty clearly. The Pistons did miss a lot of open looks, though, and that matters when judging how much of the rough night was structural and how much was just cold shooting.
There was at least one encouraging wrinkle: Detroit’s depth helped it fight back and make things competitive again, even with the offense stuck in the mud. And the two backup point guards gave the team something to work with.
Daniss Jenkins handled the lead-guard duties and gave the Pistons a steady enough hand. He finished with four assists and just one turnover, and he added 12 points on efficient shooting. He also showed a willingness to get teammates involved, which is exactly what Detroit needs if he’s going to be part of the answer when Cunningham is on the bench.
Rookie Ebuka Okorie brought a different kind of look. His role, if he earns one, figures to be more of an “instant offense” one, and he flashed that profile even in a game where the jumper wasn’t falling.
He missed all four of his 3-point attempts, but he was effective around the rim and finished with six assists. The one issue was the three turnovers, which will need to come down if he wants to stay in the mix.
So the early non-Cade minutes were ugly, but not empty. Detroit saw enough from Jenkins and Okorie to believe there’s something to build on. At the same time, the broader offense clearly needs work if the Pistons want to survive those stretches when Cunningham is off the floor.
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Daniss Jenkins stepped into a bigger role, while rookie Ebuka Okorie also got another chance to make his case after his strong preseason opener against Phoenix. For a team that wants more flexibility and a deeper supporting cast once the games count, these minutes matter, because the Pistons need more than Cunninghams brilliance to carry them through the regular season. [Read more 🡒]
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Even so, the roster picture does not feel finished. Detroit has been mentioned in speculation tied to a possible wing upgrade, and the teams front office has made it clear enough in recent years that it will keep looking for ways to speed up the rebuild. Whether that means standing pat with the group it has or finding another move to balance the rotation, the Pistons still have a few decisions to make before the roster feels fully set. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Face A Tough Trade-Off In Reported RJ Barrett Interest
A reported Detroit-Toronto framework has put RJ Barrett on the Pistons radar, and on paper it is the kind of swing that says plenty about where the franchise thinks it is headed. Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz floated a speculative deal that would bring Barrett to Detroit, giving the Pistons an established scorer who could help accelerate the offense while adding more certainty to a roster still trying to sort out its long-term core.
The catch is the cost, and that is where the debate starts for Detroit. A move like this would ask the Pistons to weigh immediate production against the value of keeping a young developmental piece in the pipeline, while also committing meaningful assets to a player whose contract structure adds another layer to the decision. For a team trying to climb without losing its flexibility, it is the sort of trade-off that can define the next step in the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]