NEW YORK — Waiting is almost always hard to do.
It’s especially hard for the Pistons and their fan base, who have struggled through more than a decade without a win in the playoffs.
Times are changing.
General manager Troy Weaver kick-started his roster restoration with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, selecting Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham on Thursday night.
The crowd at Barclays Center cheered as Cunningham, donning an all-black suit, black shirt and black tie, strode to the stage to shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
The Pistons were focused on Cunningham, an uber-talented 6-foot-8 wing, since they won the draft lottery last month. With the pick now official, Cunningham, 19, will fit into their rebuild nicely, alongside last year’s first-round picks, guard Killian Hayes, wing Saddiq Bey and center Isaiah Stewart, as well as forward Jerami Grant.
The pick ends weeks of speculation that the Pistons were considering trading the top selection to acquire more future assets to help in Weaver’s roster rebuild. The Pistons also were interested in G League guard Jalen Green — the No. 2 pick by the Houston Rockets — but after a final meeting with Cunningham and his representatives on Wednesday night, the Pistons met Thursday morning and decided to select Cunningham.
After a 20-52 season, the Pistons showed that they have plenty of improvement to make before they’re a contending team, but adding Cunningham, who has a rare blend of size, ball handling, scoring and leadership, puts a major piece to the puzzle.
Cunningham’s versatility will allow him to play several positions on the court, including either guard spot, small forward, or potentially power forward in a small-ball lineup. There has been some concern that he and Hayes would have trouble playing together.
Mike Boynton, Cunningham’s coach at Oklahoma State, has seen enough to know there isn’t an issue there and that Cunningham can blend into a variety of lineups.
“Cade could play with any combination of players. If you have another primary ball-handler — there's been some talk about Killian — but they absolutely can play together,” Boynton said this month. “If you didn't have a primary ball-handling playmaker, he could be that guy. He can play with that guy or with two other guys, and still find a way because he doesn't have an ego about having the ball all the time or taking the most shots. With his size and skill, you can move him around anywhere.”
The likely scenario is that Cunningham will join Hayes in the backcourt and they will share ball-handling duties as needed. Coach Dwane Casey has preferred lineups with multiple ball-handlers and facilitators, and those are two areas where Cunningham excels.
Cunningham has ideal size to defend shooting guards and will give the Pistons multiple options, where he could guard some small forwards as well. On offense, he has the ability to score (20.1 points) and adds rebounding (6.2) and consistent shooting (43.8% from the field) to his resume.
“Wherever I get placed, I feel like I'll find ways to be effective and to help impact the game for my squad,” Cunningham said in his pre-draft media availability last week. “When I go into training camp or wherever I land, I'm still going to try to go in and play my game. I'm not going to change myself for anybody, but I'll always adjust for winning, for sure.”
His arrival is expected to jump-start the Pistons’ offense with another facilitator and player whom other defenses will have to game plan around. That, in turn, will open shots for the shooters like Bey and Grant.
“He's an elite playmaker. He can create a shot without a coach's help, because he knows what to do,” Boynton said. “He'll identify in the first Summer League game who is good at what and he'll be able to get those guys shots where they need to get shots “He'll know when to pick his spots to try to get his own, but he's not going to just go out there and just take a bunch of shots.”
Cunningham was the Big 12 player of the year and an All-America selection in his one year at Oklahoma State, and his skill set has drawn comparisons to another Pistons icon, Grant Hill.
That should be enough to make Pistons fans anxious for the start of the Summer League in Las Vegas, which begins next week.
