Cade Cunningham and Pistons aiming to take next step, advancing in playoffs for 1st time since 2008

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons took a big step last season.

Cunningham went from having an injury-stunted start of his NBA career after being the No. 1 pick in 2021 to being voted a third-team, all-league player and an All-Star for the first time.

He led one of the best turnarounds in league history, helping Detroit become the first team to triple its number of victories from the previous year in an 82-game season.

The point guard lifted the Pistons to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. He helped the franchise end an NBA-record, 15-game postseason losing streak with its first of two wins against the New York Knicks in a closely contested first-round series.

Cunningham and the Pistons, however, failed to take advantage of opportunities to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

The first-round exit motivated Cunningham and the team to make this season even better.

“We had an offseason of feeling that loss in the playoffs, so we’re all hungry,” Cunningham said Monday at his team’s media day. “We all have a chip on our shoulder.”

As impressive as Cunningham was in the regular season, he had uneven performances in the playoffs and was not at his best on both ends of the court late in games against the Knicks.

“It was an amazing year for us,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all want a championship. That was a great steppingstone for that. We have no chance to get to a championship without a year like last year, but there’s more step to be taken.

“Our mind is on the next step.”

To prepare himself better for the next opportunity, Cunningham dedicated his offseason to improving his conditioning — incorporating martial arts into his routine — and analyzing his play to make better decisions.

“I think I’ve put myself in a great position,” he said.

The Pistons intentionally had a quiet offseason, choosing not to attempt to sign or keep high-priced free agents or to acquire expensive veterans in trades because they don’t know if Cunningham’s surrounding cast will be part of the team’s long-term future.

It’s a big year for center Jalen Duren and guard Jaden Ivey because they’re eligible for contract extensions, entering their fourth season, and for the Pistons, who want to find out if the lottery picks are worth major investments.

Duren slipped statistically last season with 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Ivey looked like the player the Pistons projected him to be as the No. 5 pick in 2022 last season when he averaged 17.6 points a game until he broke his left leg in January, and missed the rest of the year.

Detroit also wants to find out if first-round picks Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser are perimeter players who fit with Cunningham for years to come.

The Pistons lost guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroder in free agency, and Malik Beasley’s status in the league is uncertain due to a gambling probe. They took a low-risk shot at replacing them by signing Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert.

Detroit’s breakout season followed consecutive years with the league’s worst record, which included the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history during the 2023-24 season.

A year go, only the Pistons thought they would make the playoffs.

This season, they have the fifth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

“We’re in a different place right now than a year ago in terms of internal and external expectations,” general manager Trajan Langdon said, entering his second season. “The hope and the goal for this team is to have a chance to make the playoffs, and to do something there. Anything less than that would be a disappointment.”

___

Follow Larry Lage on X.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA