The chemistry between the young players must develop quickly
All eyes will be on Cade Cunningham to see if he has fully recovered from the injury he suffered. This is a huge season in terms of team and individual development and it will be important for him to develop chemistry with his teammates as he prepares to take the next step in becoming the leader of this team.
Defenses will have to account for both Cunningham and Ivey in the backcourt as they could be a tough duo to slow down. Cunningham is more of a smooth and controlled operator who knows when to attack, he knows how to create off the dribble, he can use his strength to get where he wants to on the floor, and if he has gotten stronger during the offseason, he could very well bully smaller defenders in his path.
Ivey uses his speed and ball handling to his advantage and is always a threat to score in transition. He also has a very quick first step and his straight-line speed to the rim will allow him to score a lot of points in the paint. As far as who will actually run the Pistons’ offense remains to be determined.
Traditional roles should not apply to players of their ilk as both Cunningham and Ivey are amazing facilitators and both of them can get a basket whenever needed. One positive that did come from Cunningham’s injury is that Ivey got to prove that he has the ability to be an effective lead guard and will most likely exclusively run the offense whenever Cunningham goes to the bench.
Williams will find a way to utilize both of these players’ skill sets. Cunningham, Ivey, and Jalen Duren have all been spotted participating in the famed Rico Hines private runs and the chemistry is already developing between Cunningham and Duren especially running the pick and roll.
Early reports are saying that they were almost unstoppable and it’s a good thing that these young players are taking the initiative to improve and get better.