Former Cowboy Looking Forward to Third NBA Season
A former Oklahoma State star is ready for a bounce-back season in the NBA.
Cade Cunningham wants to make his presence felt as he hopes to have a successful 2023-24 season after missing much of the previous one due to injury. The Detroit Pistons’ franchise player and former No. 1 overall pick is the key to the team’s success.
Cunningham has had an underwhelming career in the NBA so far, but with some stability, he could be one of the best in the league. At media day, the former Cowboy talked about how he hopes to make an impact in the upcoming season by laying out his goals.
"I want to be a great leader, I want to be the best teammate I can be,” Cunningham said. “I want the team to be able to defend at a high level, and the guard spot is where it starts off."
The Pistons desperately need him to be a leader. Since the 2004 championship team broke down, the Pistons have not had a leader or really any structure at all.
In his time at OSU, Cunningham showed his ability to lead a team to success. In his only season with the Cowboys, he led them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and displayed a balance of taking over games as a scorer while still getting his teammates involved.
At the point guard spot, Cunningham is in the best position to be that guy for Detroit. But patience will be a key for Detroit as Cunningham makes strides in important areas.
Although Cunningham’s talent is unmistakable, his availability is not. After playing only 12 games last season, Cunningham may need to ease back into his role as the top option.
Still, Cunningham impressed in his short sample size early last season. He averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists. All were improvements from his rookie season.
As for defense, Cunningham is facing an uphill battle. The Pistons finished 28th in the NBA in defense in 2022-23 and 27th in defensive rebound percentage.
If Cunningham can prove to be an anchor for the Pistons at the guard spot, he could be a catalyst for improvement. Another former Cowboy, Marcus Smart, has given him a blueprint for exactly how to do that.
While any turnaround in Detroit will be complex and take time, there’s a reason the Pistons chose Cunningham as the player to make it happen.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.