The Detroit Pistons had one of NBA history’s most magical runs in the regular season, more than tripling their win total from one season to the next. That’s over. Today, the playoffs begin, and the Pistons are about to learn that this is a different game.
The question, ultimately, is, are they ready? There are two possibilities. One, they do what they did all year in the regular season and they rise to the occasion. They might fall behind, get caught on the back foot as the young team is rudely introduced to playoff basketball, they get their bearings, and they fight back.
The other possibility is that a team that has relied on hustle, hard-nosed defense, and wanting it more than their opponent on a nightly basis will see all of those advantages disappear.
I’m hopeful that we will see the former, but I’m terrified that we will see the latter. Playoff basketball is just different. The New York Knicks will have days between games to meticulously study every move the Pistons will want to make. They will create a game plan around trapping Cade Cunningham and forcing him into costly turnovers.
Young Pistons like Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson have survived and even thrived this year despite not having a jump shot to speak of. They have done it by finding every open seam and taking advantage of every opportunity to drive to the rim and finish strong.
They are, to be clear, extremely good finishers, especially considering their age, experience, and the muscle they have yet to pack onto their 6-foot-8 frames.
But those driving lanes might disappear. Suddenly, two of Detroit’s top defenders could struggle to find roles on the offense. You can’t play 4-on-5 basketball in the playoffs. But I’m not sure the Pistons can beat the Knicks if they can’t find a way to have one of their young defenders on the floor for long stretches of the game.
Conversely, the Pistons will need to find ways to maximize the offensive potential of veteran shooters Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. without allowing the Knicks to hunt either of them on defense.
So, what is the answer to all of this? Stop me if you’ve heard this one — it’s Cade Cunningham.
Cade torched the Knicks this year in pretty ruthless fashion. We can’t expect that high level of performance, but Cunningham will need to play a great brand of basketball on both ends to give the Pistons a chance.
Cunningham has to withstand pressure from Knicks’ guards and wings without getting in foul trouble. He’ll need to fight through screens and use his size advantage against Jalen Brunson while the latter will be expertly trying to get himself to the free-throw line.
On offense, he has to be that heliocentric force that forces New York’s defenders to react. He needs to get into the lane and score in an effort to draw more defenders as the game goes on, and he needs his jump shot working so that his defender can’t play off of him.
If he’s able to get into his full bag, he will find the narrowest of windows to deliver the ball to not just big man Jalen Duren, but to wings like Thompson and Holland. He can force attention onto himself and drive and kick to Beasley and Thompson. And score. Cade will need to score.
One of the appeals of a Cade Cunningham was that if he was to reach his potential, he is the kind of player whose game is built for playoff basketball. He has craft, pace, and a will to overpower you. He wants the smoke, but he’s not selfish. He wants the ball in his hand so he can make the right play.
We will need a lot of right plays from Cunningham in an intense playoff setting. We need a Cade who can quickly understand what playoff basketball is all about and respond accordingly.
