You rarely hear Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green mentioned in this town, but you will soon.
Cunningham is a 6-foot-8 guard for Oklahoma State. Although a true freshman, he was named to the first-team preseason All American squad by the Associated Press.
Cunningham is averaging 18.3 points per game. He has a variety of moves to the basket with either hand, can stick the three and features an exceptional handle, along with a natural feel for the game. He has a similar skill set as rising Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic.
Cunningham is the consensus choice to be the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
He would look great in a Pistons uniform as a prototypical big guard. He is as comfortable on the point as the wing.
Green, who opted for the G League and its instant cash, is not nearly as refined as Cunningham. Yet, he has an extremely quick first step and is an explosive athlete. If Green tightens up his handle and consistency in shooting, he will develop into a generational player.
So how does first-year Pistons’ general manager Troy Weaver get there?
The Pistons need to get into the NBA Draft lottery and have luck for a change. Also, the more the Pistons lose this season, the better, potentially, the luck. Therein lies the rub.
If Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose are healthy, and it appears they are, the Pistons are going to win some games. It unlikely will be enough to reach the playoffs, but would keep the Pistons from the very bottom of the standings.
It was terrific what Weaver did on NBA Draft night. It’s possible first-round draft choices Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey will join 2019 first-round pick Sekou Doumbouya to form a young nucleus that will grow up together.
Weaver’s offseason was panned recently as the worst in the NBA by ESPN because of veteran free agent signings that went against the grain of roster-clearing moves for potential generational talent.
Jerami Grant is young enough to be a part of the rebuild, but he will help the Pistons win games this season and next. And where does Mason Plumlee fit in other than as a backup center?
I get it. This town is tired of tanking. The Pistons have joined the Red Wings in never getting a break in the lottery.
Getting early NBA lottery picks has guaranteed far less team success the last decade or so than in the past.
But it’s an ever-changing landscape about to shift again.
As such, the Pistons need to move Griffin and Rose and avoid short-term veteran fixes to their roster.
Because if the Pistons take their lumps organically now by playing their younger players, the pay-off in the not-too-distant future could be extraordinary.
