From one Pistons great to another, Isiah Thomas spoke of the parallels between himself and Cade Cunningham
Earlier this year, the Detroit Pistons compiled a 13-game winning streak that tied a franchise record previously set in each of the 1989-90 and 2003-04 seasons. Now, the current version of the Pistons were already drawing comparisons to previous iterations of Detroit basketball squads, such as the Goin’ To Work Pistons or the Bad Boys of the late 1980s.
And in truth, those squads have a remarkable number of parallels. In each instance, the Pistons took pride in a tough, physical squad that was not just defensively sound but punishing as well. That mentality guarding the hoop helped spark fast break buckets, and Detroit has always found glamour in the gritty plays that others shy away from.
From Dennis Rodman to Ben Wallace to Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons have never been short on defensive-minded aces that can disrupt an opposing rotation single-handedly. But to make those squads really tick, the Pistons needed a facilitator who was capable of hitting big shots in the clutch.
The Bad Boys had Isiah Thomas for that role. The Goin’ To Work Pistons leaned on Chauncey “Big Shot” Billups in the clutch. This year, Detroit knows that they can trust star point guard Cade Cunningham when the game is on the line. With Cunningham expertly closing games, the Pistons have the most single-digit wins in the NBA this season, and Cade ranks second in the league for fourth-quarter scoring.
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During the Pistons’ recent victory at home over the Portland Trail Blazers, Pistons Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas stopped by the commentators desk to speak with George Blaha and Greg Kelser. All three men have witnessed thousands of Pistons games in their time, so they are uniquely qualified to analyze the product on the court.
As Kelser and Blaha spoke with Thomas about the current Pistons and their first place position in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit legend began to compare and contrast himself to Cunningham. Clearly, both players have a penchant for scoring and are crafty, adept passers who operate with a team-first mindset. But according to Thomas, he had a bit of an easier transition to superstardom considering the supporting cast that he had around him on the Pistons in the early 1980s.
“The one benefit I had, Greg, is that I had great mentors and teachers around me,” Thomas said on the broadcast. “What I don’t see Cade having right now is someone in his corner as a mentor or teacher. So, I just wonder who’s going to help Cade mature and get to that next level?”
This offseason, the Pistons brought in Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and Javonte Green to provide some depth off the bench along with a dose of veteran leadership and experience. So, the current Pistons do have some vets on the squad, but Cade has already spent four years in Detroit and he’s already entering superstardom as a mature player.
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“I had great mentors coming up and trying to win,” Thomas said. “I had great teachers. I don’t see Cade having that same advantage of people around him who can say, ‘Hey, you might want to look at it this way.’”
By now, Cunningham has been around the block a time or two. He was present when the Pistons lost 28 consecutive games a couple seasons ago, then Cade was still standing tall as he helped push Detroit back into the postseason last year, ending a five-year playoff absence. Now, Cunningham has the Pistons in first place in the Eastern Conference, and he’s ready to take Detroit deep into the postseason this year.
“And that’s the beauty of Cade — he’s been able to do everything he’s done so far on his own,” Thomas said.
A self-made star, Cunningham is the type of player that elevates a franchise on his own, and with Detroit’s stellar start to the season, it’s difficult to argue with the results.
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