The Pistons waited 51 years to land at No. 1 in the NBA draft after making Bob Lanier the first pick in 1970. Cade Cunningham made it worth the wait – worth the other 13 trips to the lottery without once moving up, let alone to No. 1.
When you get the first pick, you hope foremost for a transcendent talent. Cunningham, by acclaim, is all of that.
“There’s times you’re watching the game and he has 11, 12 straight points in the fourth quarter against (Kevin Durant) and Kyrie (Irving) in Brooklyn and you’re like, this kid is 20 years old? It’s unbelievable to watch,” Kelly Olynyk said as Cunningham’s first season was in the books. “There’s no ceiling for him going forward.”
Getting the No. 1 pick doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get someone with that type of ability. There’s not a Cade Cunningham in every draft. It’s even rarer to get someone with transcendent talent intertwined with the natural leadership traits that ooze from Cunningham. That’s what made his selection a home run – a walk-off home run – for the Pistons, setting them up for a third great generation alongside the Bad Boys and the Goin’ to Work era Pistons.
“We said we needed a leader,” said Troy Weaver, the general manager who settled on Cunningham after a thorough vetting of a field that included Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs and Scottie Barnes. “For him to come in the door, 19 years old, have a voice and have his leadership qualities displayed this year … tremendous. He’s a connector because of his leadership.”
In Olynyk, Cory Joseph and Rodney McGruder, the Pistons had three 30-year-olds on a roster that otherwise skewed exceptionally young in 2021-22. All three are the rock-solid veterans that find a place and contribute to any team. But none had a role prominent enough to thrust them into unquestioned leadership positions.
“I know some vets here who will talk, but he’s the one who has to do it,” Olynyk said. “That’s got to be his job. We’re here to support everybody and give our wisdom and two cents and we’ll speak when it needs to be spoken. This is Cade’s room. That’s what we need from him – as a point guard, as a leader, as the future of Detroit and the Pistons. That’s what he’s got to do and he wants to do it. The quicker he can get to that, the better.”
Cunningham emerged as the primary playmaker for the Pistons virtually as soon as he found his footing following a preseason ankle injury that cost him five regular-season games and had him playing catch-up in a most unforgiving league. That he was able to assume that role so organically and seamlessly spoke to his fitness for being more than just a leader by default but a forceful and effective leadership force.
“Nobody likes when somebody comes in and tries to force themselves on you,” Cunningham said, an observation so simple sounding it obscures the inherent maturity in a 20-year-old who comes to it. “I’ve never really been that guy. I try to just be confident in who I am and speak my mind when I feel I need to, but allow other people to follow that if they want to more than anything.”
It's not uncommon for a young player who establishes himself at the top of his team’s talent pyramid to get over his skis as a leader, having it thrust on him before he has any concept of what true leadership entails. The reason Cunningham evolved so quickly as a legitimate leader for the Pistons was clear to those close enough to see it happen.
“Our leadership is kind of different,” Weaver said. “Veteran guys are kind of quieter guys. Some of our younger guys are workmanlike. Cade has a voice. It was a welcome voice because we didn’t really have a vocal guy, a rah-rah guy. When he came in, it was something we needed. We had guys who are very authentic and Cade was authentic and they received it.”
“I know what I believe in. I work hard on the court, I talk, I tell people what I see,” Cunningham said. “From there, it’s on them if they want to hear me or not. I have teammates that really tried to empower me in the leadership role. Having guys like K.O., who knows the game as good as anybody I’ve met, him uplifting me meant a lot to me and I tried to take that challenge on.”
One of the qualities that underscored Cunningham’s authenticity was his embrace of pressure. He never ran from the ball when circumstances demanded he make a play. And when it didn’t always come up roses, he didn’t run from responsibility, either.
“He’s beyond his years,” Joseph said. “He’s already a star but he’s going to be a superstar in this league sooner rather than later. He’s an amazing talent. We all know what he can do with a basketball, but he doesn’t get sped up. Mentally, he’s there every possession, every play, and he wants it. You can tell in those big moments. He wants to be in those moments. He wants to be great.”
Yup, worth the wait.