It’s been a quiet summer in Detroit, but it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. As the East has gotten stronger, with teams like the 76ers, Heat, and Raptors taking big steps up, the stage is set for the most competitive Eastern Conference we’ve seen in years, and the Pistons know they are falling behind.
That’s why, according to the latest reporting from ESPN, their star point guard Cade Cunningham was involved in personally recruiting the summer’s top free agents. After striking out on all of them, they are resorting back to their previous strategy of relying on internal development.
“Banking on internal improvement has been the thought going into last summer when they didn’t make a big move,” said ESPN’s Vince Goodwill on NBA Today. “Going into this season, they wanted to see how Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Ron Holland would play together, and it led to 60 wins. Now you’re thinking Detroit was going to make a big move this past offseason. Cade Cunningham was very involved in the potential recruitment of Austin Reaves, but he re-signed with the Lakers. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving were all names the Pistons were interested in, but no moves materialized, and now they are going to bank on the restricted free agency of Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson’s extension.”
Complacency rarely pays off in the NBA, but the Pistons don’t have much choice but to run it back. Despite their efforts to acquire a big-name star, most of the best free agents are already off the board, leaving Detroit with nowhere to look but internally.
To the Pistons’ credit, it was mostly natural development that led to their rise last season, when they finished first in the East at 60-22. Cade Cunningham led the way with averages of 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game last season on 46.1% shooting and 34.2% shooting from three, but he had help from Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Jalen Duren, who played their roles optimally.
Without Harris (who signed with the Spurs), you could argue that the Pistons got worse on paper, while many of their competitors got better. Nonetheless, there is still a path to prosperity if they play their cards right.
At 23, Ausar Thompson has emerged as a major piece to this team, and they have faith that he can elevate his game to make an even bigger impact going forward. Similarly, Daniss Jenkins has earned the Pistons’ trust, and he’s showing signs of taking another leap this upcoming season. There’s also John Collins, the Pistons’ only notable new addition. He adds size and versatility to the frontcourt, filling the hole at power forward.
Between those factors and the unwavering leadership of Cunningham, the Pistons are not going to panic after losing out on all the best targets. After all, this team has already shown what they can do together, and exercising patience now could put them in a position to make a big splash later. Of course, what happens next is directly tied to the ongoing Jalen Duren negotiations. If they can’t agree on a deal soon, it will amount to a loss that not even they can recover from.
