Detroit is revved-up for the Pistons, and Cade Cunningham is raring to go. A summer of gains in the rearview, the season can't come soon enough.
"Been working really hard in the weight room," Cunningham said Monday.
The makeover is real. Dwane Casey said he "didn't recognize" Cunningham this summer after the Pistons franchise player had spent a few weeks in the gym. Isaiah Livers barely recognized him when they banged bodies during a workout. Cunningham's opponents might not recognize him this season: the former first overall pick is ready to re-introduce himself to the NBA after adding more than 20 pounds of muscle to his 6'6 frame.
"Cade can be a little bit tougher now," said Casey, "hitting people first and not getting hit second."
"He went out West somewhere and was working out," said Livers. "Once he came back and put his body on me, we were playing one-on-one and I'm like, 'Dang, OK.' He went from like 205 to 220 real quick."
Livers is selling Cunningham short. He's closer to 230 as he enters his second season in Detroit, determined to start fast and stay healthy throughout the year. There were times this summer that Cunningham barely recognized himself, a car with a souped-up engine, a Cade with a new motor.
"I felt a lot stronger on the court and I feel like it's helped me get to my spots a little bit easier," he said. "Just making me feel a little bit more free on the court, like I can get wherever I want. I think that will help with my whole mindset around the game, and my confidence."
Cunningham missed the start of last season with an ankle injury. He didn't find his stride in the NBA until the second half of the year. And even when he did, he felt the toll that it took on his body. He's not a point guard who wants to live on the perimeter. Cunningham often scores the hard way, which is part of what makes him so good – "I'm sure he has a lot of bruises from battling with the big fellas," said Cory Joseph – and part of why bulking up this summer was so important.
"It will show up in all areas," said Casey. "Rebounding. Defensive physicality. Just overall taking the punishment. They're going to put their best defender on Cade to try to beat him up, and that's going to help him take those bumps and bangs and still have balance and power to finish the play."
Cunningham, who just turned 21, said he feels great in his new body. Beyond enhancing his game, he expects the extra strength to improve his durability, no small thing for the face of a franchise who missed almost 20 games as a rookie.
"Having a stronger body," he said, "it's a lot harder to get hurt."
On the floor, Cunningham still has tons of room to grow. As good as he was last season – one of only a dozen NBA players with the likes of Giannis, Luka and Jokic who averaged at least 17 points, five rebounds and five assists – he wasn't all that efficient. While he led all rookies in scoring, he ranked 17th in shooting percentage. While he ranked second among rookies in assists, he ranked first in turnovers.
"His biggest issue, and we've talked about it, is making sure he takes care of the ball," said Casey. "Because with his usage rate, he's going to have the ball in his hands a lot."
To that end, Cunningham has started tracking and charting his own turnovers, even in practice. He said "being conscience about it is the first step" toward correcting it. He knows "valuing each possession will help us win games." He wants every edge he can find, the leader of a young team trying to chase down the league.
Cunningham's cerebral approach is one of the things Pistons GM Troy Weaver loved about him in the draft. His maturity is one of the reasons Weaver picked him where he did. He knew Cunningham's Bird brain – Larry, that is – would translate to the NBA. Now he has some brawn to go with it.
In Cunningham's second season, Weaver will be looking for growth in two areas: "Leadership and efficiency."
"He's demonstrated that he can be a big-time player in spots. We need him to be consistent," Weaver said. "You gotta be really good before you can be great and we don't want him skipping any steps trying to be great."
Cunningham will face an array of challenges in year two, not least maintaining his new body. The tank won't fuel itself. He smiled and said he's focused on eating: "More calories, need that." The Pistons need more Cade, whether the NBA is ready for it or not.
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