Cade Cunningham looked worn down at the end of last season after carrying the offense for most of it. It’s happening again this year, and there are already troubling signs that the Pistons need to ease his workload.
There was rumbling among the fans after Cade missed some late free throws recently, and not to make excuses for the guy, as I’m sure he’d say he should have made those, but they were taken after Herculean efforts to keep his team in the game.
Cunningham currently has a 33.3 usage rate percentage, which is the highest of his career. This was supposed to be the season when someone else stepped up to share some of the burden, but that hasn’t happened so far. Cunningham is 6th in the league in usage rate, which you expect from your superstar, but it’s taking its toll.
Cunningham leads the NBA in true usage rate, a metric which also accounts for field goal attempts, turnovers, and potential and secondary assists. Cunningham has struggled with late turnovers in the last several games, which again, is partially a by-product of his workload and responsibilities.
The Pistons want the ball in Cade’s hands, but he also needs someone else to step up.
The Detroit Pistons have to share the ball
The Pistons’ half-court offense is at its best when the ball is moving, but that hasn’t happened as much this season, as the Pistons rely almost entirely on Cade Cunningham to do everything.
Hopefully getting Jaden Ivey back will give the Pistons a secondary option who can also handle the ball some, as defenses are still doubling Cade nearly every time he touches it.
JB Bickerstaff has tried to alleviate some of this pressure by having other players bring the ball up, but to be honest, it hasn’t worked, as it often just leads to them waiting for Cunningham to get open and the offensive set starting late.
Guys like Ivey and Ausar Thompson have to attack more themselves so that defenses can’t just back off and lock into Cade off the ball, which is what they have been doing.
Playing Cade more with Daniss Jenkins could also help, as the latter can at least handle the ball and break down a defense, which will keep them from being able to double Cade with impunity.
The most important thing for the Pistons is to have Cunningham fully healthy going into the playoffs, so they have to lessen his burden somewhat and get playmaking from other sources to keep him from the constant abuse of double teams and physical defenses primed to stop him.