After selecting Cade Cunningham No. 1 overall, the Detroit Pistons now have hope for the future.
The Detroit Pistons selected Cade Cunningham from Oklahoma State with the 1st overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft with the hopes that he can become the next face of their franchise while hopefully becoming the type of player they envisioned leading them into the future.
Cunningham joins Jimmy Walker and Bob Lanier as players taken 1st overall by the Pistons. There hasn’t been this much excitement about a player in the Motor City since the Pistons drafted Grant Hill back in the 1994 NBA Draft as Cunningham will be added to an already young roster with a talented core of players.
Cade Cunningham is a complete prospect
Cunningham is viewed as a surefire prospect with loads of promise and potential and should be able to have an immediate impact. Cunningham can play either the guard or the forward spot, possesses the vision of a point guard, is capable of scoring at three levels, and is a spectacular playmaker on the open floor in transition.
The past two seasons have been anything but spectacular for the Pistons as they went a combined 40-98 and finished this season with the second-worst record in the league. The Pistons already have young talent on the team but they have to develop and grow together in order to find success. Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart both earned All-Rookie honors and will join Cunningham as the building blocks to move this franchise in the right direction.
The Pistons also have last season’s first-round selection point guard Killian Hayes who had a very disappointing rookie campaign as he struggled with injuries playing in only 26 games and averaged a dismal 6.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
While the Pistons don’t appear to give up on Hayes just yet, a starting backcourt of Cunningham and Hayes could be intriguing if Hayes can stay healthy and have a bounce-back season and show that he was worthy of a lottery pick.
Cunningham brings something to the Motor City that they haven’t had in quite some time and that’s hope. Hope of improving this team and elevating them among the NBA’s elite once again. Hope of getting back to the postseason on a regular basis. The hope of one day raising a championship banner and adding to the three titles they already won.
Cunningham is expected to do great things as a member of the Pistons but with great expectations comes great responsibility. Cunningham appears to be up to the challenge as he should blossom into the next great superstar in the NBA. He possesses all the intangibles, tools, and character to be successful. Hopefully, Cunningham can bring back memories of the Detroit Bad Boys as he prepares to embark on his NBA career.