The Detroit Pistons kick off their season on Wednesday at home against the Orlando Magic. The Pistons are still one of the youngest teams in the league, but they are expected to improve on their 23 wins from last year. The Pistons return much of their central core, but added reinforcements in additional young talent and established veterans. In the youth department, top picks, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren inject the roster with much-needed athleticism. To complement the youngsters, Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks are knockdown shooters who should free up space for everyone. With all these additions, here is our prediction: Detroit Pistons’ player roles and impact.
What role and impact will each player have this season?
In only his second year, Cade Cunningham will be handed the keys to the offense. He will be relied on to create offense for himself and others. If the Pistons want a competent offense, Cunningham needs to carry the offense for stretches, especially down the stretch of close games. That is a lot of pressure for a 21-year-old, but Cunningham has shown he can deliver in these scenarios.
Cunningham will face even stingier defense this season as he will be #1 on opposing teams scouting reports. However, Cunningham has incredible vision and basketball IQ to manipulate defenses and create separation for himself or others. The one thing he will need to focus on is the turnovers. It is normal for young guards to struggle with turnovers, but as the season progresses, Cade will need to limit turnovers to be effective as a lead guard. If he can do that, Cunningham should improve on last year’s stats and could be in the discussion for an All-Star selection.
