After starting the season with four defeats, the Pistons have just won four of their last six games. And the latest victory to date, against the Hawks, is still stamped with the seal of Cade Cunningham.
The playmaker did well in his duel against Trae Young with a third triple-double in three games: 22 points 8/17 shooting, 13 assists and 11 rebounds. Certainly, he still lost a lot of balls (7) against the pressure of Dyson Daniels but he very often drove his Australian guard dog crazy, on pick-and-roll or low post.
Above all, he signed the two key actions of the meeting. With 12.5 seconds left, he took responsibility to score a complicated shot against Dyson Daniels and the help of Jalen Johnson, with the board. Enough to allow the Pistons to get back in front (122-121). And in Atlanta's last action, it was he who came to counter Onyeka Okongwu, well served by Trae Young inside the racket…
The potential of a superstar… finally exploited?
“He has the ability to be the leader of a very high level team” explains his new coachJB Bickerstaff. “He’s still learning and he’s going to improve, but he has the potential to be a superstar.”
This is also why he was chosen in first position in the 2021 Draft. Unfortunately, at 23 years old, if he showed in sequences that he indeed had the potential of a superstar of the league , which has led to him being often compared to Luka Doncic, this has so far not allowed the Pistons to escape from the depths of the East…
Is this finally the year for that? In any case, Cade Cunningham's decisive sequences were necessary to avoid a disappointment for the Pistons, who led the entire match before being caught up at the end.
“The way we played… We were incredible” rejoices JB Bickerstaff. “At other times, it was the complete opposite. But hey, we managed to do one more action than them. » Two even, signed Cade Cunningham.
