Former Oklahoma State Basketball Star Struggling to Find Winning Ways in NBA
Cade Cunningham has not had a winning season since he was a Cowboys, and that does not appear to be changing any time soon.
That season was 2020-21, and Cunningham led Oklahoma State to its only NCAA Tournament appearance in the Mike Boynton era. OSU made it to the second round of the tournament before getting upset by Oregon State.
Although it was a disappointing loss, Cunningham solidified himself as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft after leading OSU to a 21-9 season. The Detroit Pistons drafted Cunningham, and he has struggled to reach that 21-win mark as a professional.
While Cunningham helped the Pistons reach 23 wins as a rookie, last season, he was injured and played only 12 games as the Pistons got to only 17 wins. Cunningham’s health has turned a corner this season, as he has not missed a game.
The former Cowboy helped the Pistons win two of their first three games, including a 25-point, 10-assist performance against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 28. The Pistons have not won since.
Detroit has been near the bottom of the league for much of the past decade, and Cunningham was supposed to be the guy to turn things around. But Cunningham has not played well through 18 games.
The Pistons’ 15-game losing streak has led to the team losing hope. Cunningham has also not held back about his team’s struggles, calling the Pistons bad and acknowledging that changes are needed.
“We have to address what we’re not good at, Cunningham said. “Address it with not only our words but on the court, in the huddles.”
Cunningham said that following a 29-point loss to the Toronto Raptors, but it has not helped his team turn things around. Detroit has lost four more games since those words.
But another Cowboy saw different results after calling out his team. 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smart talked to his team following an embarrassing loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
marcus smart just gave the grizzlies bench one of the most passionate speeches i’ve ever seen a player give his team. said “this is f*cking embarrassing” several times, talked about how fans are paying to come watch them and they’re not even trying pic.twitter.com/sxv4pL3jis
— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) November 27, 2023
Smart’s Memphis Grizzlies took his words to heart, and that led them to their first home win of the season on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
Cunningham’s luck may not turn around like Smart's seems to be, but as the leader in Detroit, it will be up to him to steer the Piston’s turnaround.
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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.