The Pistons don’t have a Cade Cunningham problem so much as they have a “what happens when Cade sits?” problem.
That question haunted them last season, and it showed up most painfully in the playoffs. When Cunningham needed a breather, JB Bickerstaff could barely afford to give it to him. Detroit just didn’t have enough reliable ball handlers to keep the offense afloat.
Jaden Ivey’s flameout made the situation even thinner. From there, the Pistons were leaning on two-way guard Daniss Jenkins as the backup point guard and hoping Caris LeVert and Kevin Huerter could help patch the gaps.
It didn’t really work. When Cunningham went to the bench, the offense lost its structure, and Detroit paid for it.
Now the same issue is hanging over next season, because the Pistons are mostly bringing back the same group and expecting different results.
For Jenkins, the opportunity is real - and so is the pressure.
He was one of last season’s better stories, but if he’s going to be more than that, he has to lock down the backup point guard job and handle it full time. Last year, his role was murky.
He didn’t play every night, and he wasn’t always asked to run the offense when Cunningham was off the floor. That should change, because Detroit still needs help behind its star.
The problem is that Jenkins hasn’t exactly been a clean operator. His turnover rate last season was 15 percent, which was actually worse than Cunningham’s.
And that’s not a small red flag - it’s a glaring one, especially for a player who’s going to be asked to steady the offense. He did contribute as a passer, averaging just under four assists per game, but the Pistons need more creation and fewer giveaways.
Jenkins looks like a floor general in mindset, but he has to become more of a steady hand. The hope is that improved shooting around him gives him more room to work and keeps him from driving into traffic as often, which is where some of those turnovers pile up.
Then there’s Ebuka Okorie, who could matter sooner than expected.
He’s not a classic point guard either, just like Jenkins, and he’s another player who wants to look for his own shot. Still, there’s a path to minutes if he protects the ball. Detroit can’t keep gifting possessions away.
So while the Pistons do have some internal options, the setup is still uneasy. They’re counting on a player who was on a two-way deal last season and maybe a rookie behind him, and that’s why it’s fair to wonder why they didn’t bring in a veteran to balance things out.
For now, Detroit is betting on internal fixes. But the question that kept biting them last season is still there, waiting for next year: what happens when Cade Cunningham is off the floor?
In Other News...
Taurean Prince Could Quietly Be A Big Piece For Detroit
Taurean Prince arrived in Detroit as one of those summer additions that can slide under the radar, but the Pistons have reason to think he can matter. He brings a long track record as a reliable shooter and the kind of veteran forward depth the roster could use, especially in a frontcourt that still needs spacing and steady minutes around its younger core.
Prince is not being asked to solve everything, and his value may come less from spotlight moments than from the way he fits alongside other pieces. If he gives Detroit the kind of floor-stretching presence the team got from Javonte Green last season, he can help open driving lanes and keep the offense moving, even if his defensive limitations shape how often he is on the floor. [Read more 🡒]