The Peculiar Case of Cade

Hey who doesn't think a sure fire number 1 pick falling is your lap is a good thing. I mean the Pistons were gifted by the Basketball overlords or maybe they just got lucky who knows but Cade Cunningham has showed he can be a top Guard in the league. With the way he took the team by storm last season and cemented the scouts ratings. But, here is the part that really matters that season doesn't matter at all. The Pistons weren't winning anything they weren't even in the playoff talk they made it clear they were going to take their sweet time. But that wasn't the headline coming into this year now was it? This team had a lot of hype deservedly so and they were primed to have a huge year compared too the last few. 

Yet here we are almost on too december and its already mock draft season. I wrote about how this trend could be broken if they came together on a big road swing. That almost happened... Almost and that may actually be a problem. Listen they were 3 wins in without a couple bigs and a veteran 3 point shooter sitting out, only 1 starter though. But no excuses right, Cade drops out of the lineup Stewart and Bey go down then next thing we know the whole original starting 5 out. Yet they win two games almost matching the previous total, if I just took a blank team, like the first page of the create a team mode on the old 2k. Built it up told you yeah we can make the playoffs look at this starting 5 and then they all go down you would laugh me out of this planet for saying they can still win as many games. Even if it is only for a week or two. That just should not happen yes they had guys out before but its was one starter and a key bench guy not your whole starting 5. So that doesn't sound good or look good nothing about that situation is good for any team. Cade is so good has a basketball player we have seen it, he can be a all-star in this league year after year. So is it a bad thing this team is winning at the same pace without him and his fellow starters, this is the peculiar case of Cade.

This team needs him desperately to get healthy before we can jump in too deep on his future, which is with the Pistons. The team cant afford to have any of their young guys missing time so they can develop up and really build through the draft, So what do you do if that is delayed. We saw it with Killian Hayes, who is playing on fire lately, got hurt covid you know made last year another rebuilding one.  Yuck, We really are just letting this fanbase suffer another year to maybe get Wemby. What happens then when Cade is back with all them and again someone goes down and were right back there next here looking at mock drafts around the holidays. What if this team decides that's not good enough and just goes on a tear without him, please do. But, then when he comes back they have to be even better he really has too elevate their game. Surgery or no surgery his injury and this team winning just as much without him is a problem. Mix in the generational talent in the coming draft and it leaves us with a lot of questions. To make it even more interesting the trade deadline is coming up fast so it may be better to let everyone else flourish and get some pieces back. But then again what happens when Cade comes back what if they don't get better when he comes back? They really really cant afford any more delays in this rebuild. Their has been one after another and we all just keep being okay with it. ITS NOT OKAY! The Pistons have always been a winning culture and they really have put themselves in a pickle with their fanbase. Who is so desperately in need of a winning season and a reason to love their best players. Not despise them or call them out like we have been seeing. Playoffs or a number one pick, doesn't matter this team winning more without Cade does. Right now and in the future, especially if they cant win more when he is back we will really be hurting for more then just wins. This is not where this team should be heading into the holidays.

Let me know what you think in the comments!!