By this point in his career, point guard Cade Cunningham has well established himself as the driving force behind the Detroit Pistons offense. Through his ability to create his own shot, knock down jumpers and distribute the ball to his teammates, Cunningham offers a versatile puzzle that is difficult for defenders to completely solve. Last year, Cunningham averaged 26.1 points and 9.1 assists per game en route to landing on the All-NBA Third Team as a result.

With those kind of numbers, it is fairly evident that Cunningham is the first scoring option for the Pistons. Through the first third of the 2024=25 season, guard Jaden Ivey appeared primed to take the mantle as Detroit's clear No. 2 option with 17 points per game of his own, but the explosive Purdue product unfortunately suffered a broken leg after logging 30 starts to his credit.

From that point, Malik Beasley slotted into the lineup and helped replace some of Ivey's scoring, but Beaskey is no longer with the organization, and Ivey is set to return from his injury this fall. Personally, I think the smart money is on Ivey to regain his spot as a more-than-serviceable compliment to Cunningham's offensive abilities. 

However, others could emerge as potential darkhorse candidates to fill that role. Tobias Harris is an accomplished shooter who can help the squad space the floor, so he has the potential to rise ot the occasion. Duncan Robinson is another lethal long-range specialist who could seemingly provide a similar offensive output or role to what Beasley did a year ago. Then there's Caris LeVert, an experienced veteran who can handle the ball or find his own shot when need be.

Who do you think is going to wind up as Detroit's second-leading scorer this coming season? Let us know!