The Pistons have drafted two gems in Cunningham and Ivey. Their backcourt partnership gives a young generation of fans something to get excited about.

By Noah Cahill

The Detroit Pistons, a storied franchise with three NBA championships, have been one of the worst teams in the league over the past decade. Only two teams, the Sacramento Kings and Orlando Magic, have won fewer games during that stretch, making for a depressing time for Pistons fans.

Their struggles have hit younger fans particularly hard. With nothing to celebrate, many have lost interest in the team, bringing up the team only in the butt of a joke about the terrible state of Detroit sports.

Take Foster Smith, a senior at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. When it comes to being a Pistons fan, “it’s hard to be one sometimes,” he says.

And there are legions of young fans around Detroit like Foster. I have been an ardent supporter for most of my life, only to be disappointed when the team continues to lose games. Call us the lost generation of Pistons fans.

But this state of the team could be changing. The 2021 NBA Draft, when the Pistons had the first overall pick, was, in the eyes of many fans, a turning point. The Pistons selected Cade Cunningham, who went on to a great rookie season and has left fans dreaming about his potential superstardom. Even Foster has started to pay attention. He says he did not watch any games in the 2020-21 season when the Pistons went a dreary 20-52. Then, last season, with the arrival of Cunningham, Foster says he watched 15 to 20 games because “seeing a new player like Cade made me want to watch more games.”

With Cunningham, the team gained a direction that past teams lacked. When the 2022 NBA Draft came around, the Pistons were once again major winners. They made some wise choices with lower picks, but the biggest win was the No. 5 overall pick, Jaden Ivey, a player whose skill set complements Cunningham’s perfectly.

There is hope in Detroit.

Consider Cunningham’s rookie year. He entered the league as the clear best in the draft class after a standout freshman year at Oklahoma State. But because of an ankle injury, Cunningham missed the Pistons’ preseason and started slowly. As he grew into his role as a point guard, he hit his stride after the All-Star break. In March, he averaged 22.9 points, 7 assists and 5.9 rebounds. Those were the best numbers for a rookie in one month of play since Michael Jordan’s rookie season.

Cunningham went on to finish the season strong, averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds on 50.4% true shooting, an advanced stat that measures a player’s shooting efficiency. He led all rookies in scoring while earning a spot on the All-Rookie first team. He finished 3rd in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year, receiving nine first-place votes. But his impact went beyond the numbers. He did almost everything for the Pistons’ offense while holding up well on the defensive end.

James Edwards III, a Pistons beat writer for The Athletic, sees a bright future for Cunningham. “There is a world where Cade is a top 15, top 10 player in this league,” he says.

Every team is looking for a player that can be the best on a championship team. The Pistons now have that coveted piece and will look to build around him on the path to a championship.

The next step in that journey is finding a complementary star, a player who can be an all-star and fit well with Cunningham.

Ivey can become that player. He will enter the league as one of its best athletes with his quick first step and explosiveness. He is an elite finisher and shot 68% at the rim in his sophomore year at Purdue. In his second year in college, he made significant leaps in every aspect of his game. He improved from averaging 11.1 points, 1.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds a game to 17.4 points, 3.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds. He also shot 35.8% from 3-point range, a 10 percentage point increase from his freshman year. His ability to accelerate past defenders and put pressure on the rim are some of Cunningham’s weaknesses, which is why they could fit so well.

Omari Sankofa II, a Pistons beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, sees the potential in Ivey. “I see his ceiling being like a Donovan Mitchell, extremely athletic, a go-to scorer,” Sankofa says. “You put the ball in his hands, and you feel pretty good about being able to create for others.”

Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit on July 14, 2022. Photo by Coaching Detroit Forward photography camp student Brianna Hernandez

Besides excelling on the court, Cunningham and Ivey have endeared themselves to a fan base that has grown accustomed to being let down. On draft day, Cunningham told Detroit he was all in before putting on Cartier buffs, a staple fashion item in the city. He has since made an effort to show his love for Detroit, a feeling that fans have reciprocated. Ivey displayed interest in Detroit in the pre-draft process as a result of living in the city at a young age. When he was chosen, he broke down in tears and made public comments about his excitement to be in the city.

Much is riding on Cunningham’s and Ivey’s success, especially for General Manager Troy Weaver and the Pistons’ management. Rarely do teams have the chance to draft top-five players in back-to-back years, and the cost of getting it wrong could set back the franchise for another decade.

Sankofa mentions how the Pistons “haven’t had the success of the draft that you need to rebuild properly when you’re a small market.” However, since taking over in June 2020, Weaver has made a multitude of good decisions while striking gold at the top of the draft. He has pointed the team on a path to winning games, and, in the process, attracting fans.

Edwards says the “biggest impact that this team is gonna have on the city of Detroit is that it’s gonna make people pay attention.” He relates to the “kids who weren’t even born and are about to drive a car” and how “they have never seen the Pistons be good. They grow up basketball fans, and they probably root for another team, they probably root for another player.”

I am one of these fans. And as excited as I am about the team’s new hope, my enthusiasm is tempered by a realization that rebuilding can take some time.

So while the team may not win many games, for now, the Pistons will be a highlight machine with Ivey’s dunking ability and will become a formidable contender in the East as Cunningham keeps developing.

These players are beacons of hope in Detroit and should recapture the eyes of young fans, eyes that have been turned elsewhere for too long.