Cade Cunningham has been the Pistons’ point guard for five seasons, and the front office has to be asking themselves if he will get them a title. Detroit has been doing better in recent years, but they need more from their top star if they’re going to make that final step to being legit contenders. As the Milwaukee Bucks found out with Giannis Antetokounmpo, waiting too long for things to hopefully work out can do a lot more harm than good.
Is It Time For The Pistons To Call Off Their Cade Cunningham Experiment?
Trying to rate the top point guards in the modern NBA is a fluid conversation, to say the least. It keeps changing depending on what’s happening in the league. Even a couple of months ago, a lot of sports talking heads would have left Jalen Brunson off that list. It’s amazing how winning an NBA Championship will change people’s perspectives.
In addition to Brunson, names like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Stephen Curry are high up on that list. The 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey has been steadily climbing the mountain. When Tyrese Haliburton returns next season, he’ll be right alongside Maxey. The reality is that there is no shortage of competition in this league for the crown of top point guard in the NBA. That also includes Cunningham, who has been improving with the Pistons year after year.
Some lists put Cunningham in the top five active point guards, with most having him at least in the top ten. That’s more than fair, given the raw talent and athleticism he has consistently put on display. Now with back-to-back playoff and All-Star game appearances under his belt, denying Cunningham’s elite status has become increasingly difficult.
The Pistons-Cunningham Conundrum
At the same time, Detroit has to be wary about ending up in an Antetokounmpo situation as the Bucks did. Antetokounmpo is an NBA Champion, an NBA Cup champion, a two-time NBA MVP, a ten-time All-Star, a seven-time All-NBA First Team member, an NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a four-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member. Yes, he did all of this and more during his epic 13-season run in Milwaukee. When his career is over, the Bucks will retire his number to the rafters of Fiserv Forum.
There was another side to this run. The Bucks were unable to maintain a championship team around Antetokounmpo. As his tenure with Milwaukee got longer and his list of achievements grew, so did his salary and personal demands. Ultimately, the wheels came off their championship roster quite quickly. The Bucks haven’t made even the Conference Finals since.
Obviously, the relationship between Cunningham and the Pistons is a long way from where Antetokounmpo and the Bucks ended up. If Detroit follows Milwaukee’s arc, they should end up with another championship banner to hang in Little Caesars Arena. But it also took the Bucks eight seasons to build to a championship around Antetokounmpo, only to watch what should have been a longer run fall apart almost immediately. The question remains whether the Bucks held on to him too long before trading Antetokounmpo, and if the Pistons need to be wary of making the same mistake.
Cunningham’s Time in Detroit Isn’t Over Yet
If the Pistons are considering letting Cunningham go, and they most likely aren’t, it’s not the time for that. Cunningham is still early in his genesis with the team. Detroit’s front office continues to work on building a team around him and will hopefully find Cunningham a co-star in the offseason. He definitely needs someone.
At the same time, the front office also has to be thinking five years down the road. That means getting more young stars in development for the Pistons while building a strong bench to back Cunningham. Not only will that lead them to a championship in the next three years, but it will prepare them for the inevitable post-Cunningham era that is coming up a lot quicker than some people might think. If he doesn’t produce a title in that time frame, the Pistons will have to pull the plug on him and walk away.
It sounds heartless, but the NBA is moving faster than ever. The way the salary cap is constructed, the lifespan of a championship roster is two to three seasons at the most. After that, the whole thing starts getting taken apart to avoid penalties. And Cunningham’s contract is already pricey enough to cause issues with roster development.
Featured Image: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
