Pistons-Lakers: Why Cade Cunningham's Flash Still Can't Buy a Win
Cade's Unfair Burden
Look, the highlights from the Pistons-Lakers game are a mixed bag for Detroit fans. On one hand, you’ve got Cade Cunningham doing Cade Cunningham things. That crossover on D'Angelo Russell in the second quarter? Filthy. Russell damn near spun out of his shoes, and Cunningham glided in for the easy floater. That's the kind of craft that gets you excited, a smooth move in traffic.
But here's the thing: it’s all in a losing effort. The Pistons fell 128-117. Cunningham finished with 29 points and 10 assists, numbers that look great on paper, but he also had four turnovers. He's putting up highlight-reel plays almost every night, but the wins just aren't there. Detroit has now lost 16 of their last 17 games, a brutal stretch even for a rebuilding team.
Anthony Davis, on the other side, was a monster. He put up 37 points and 10 boards. There was one sequence in the first quarter where Davis caught the ball on the block, spun baseline, and threw down a two-handed jam over Isaiah Stewart. That's just raw power, a different kind of highlight but a highlight nonetheless. That's the kind of play that deflates a defense.
Lakers' Athletic Edge
The Lakers, even without LeBron James for this one, just have too much athletic talent. Austin Reaves, for instance, had that crafty reverse layup in the third, contorting his body to avoid Jalen Duren's block. Reaves finished with 15 points and 8 assists. It wasn’t just Davis doing the heavy lifting. The Lakers shot 56% from the field, which tells you they were getting good looks all night.
And then there's the passing. Spencer Dinwiddie, who joined the Lakers recently, had a couple of slick dishes, including a no-look bounce pass to Jaxson Hayes for a dunk in transition. That's the kind of connective tissue that elevates a team. Hayes, by the way, threw down three dunks in the game, showing off some nice vertical pop. The Lakers just looked sharper, more composed, and frankly, more athletic for extended stretches.
My hot take? Cade Cunningham is too good for this Pistons team right now. He's got the handles, the vision, and the clutch factor, but he's swimming upstream against a current of mediocrity. They need more than just his individual brilliance to even be competitive night-to-night.
Prediction: The Pistons will make a significant trade before next year's deadline to get Cunningham some legitimate help, or he's going to start looking for an exit strategy.