Owen McCarthy, 22’ Editor-In-Chief
In the midst of a Detroit sports lull, many fans thought the Pistons were the one glimmer of hope heading into this season. However, with seven games under their belt as of Nov. 2, things are not looking promising for the 1-6 Pistons.
Expectations were higher this season largely due to the Pistons drafting of No.1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. Cunningham, who was a five-star recruit and named the Big 12’s player of the year while playing at Oklahoma State, was the obvious pick. Standing at 6 feet 8 inches, he offers a dynamic skill set comprised of shooting ability, scoring prowess, and defensive relentlessness. He averaged an impressive 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in his one and only season in the NCAA.
However, Cunningham’s playing time thus far has been sparse due to an ankle injury which occurred at the beginning of pre-season competition. Cunningham made his professional debut for Detroit during their fifth regular season game on Oct. 30, coming off the bench to score a mere two points—the lowest scoring debut of a number one pick since Anthony Bennet in 2013.
The Pistons have a reputation for making questionable decisions at the draft, once passing on the likes of NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade for Darko Milicic, a player who will go down in NBA history as one of the biggest ‘busts’ of all time. Despite this, fans are hopeful that Cunningham will be a pivotal piece of the Pistons’ rebuild. Senior Basketball Player Logan Doty said “I think Cade Cunningham was definitely a good pick. I do not feel like he’s gonna be a bust this year. I think once he gets into the [swing] of things in the NBA, and gets used to the competition, he’s gonna pull off some big numbers for us and help us win some games.”
Lyon Life 