It's hard not to see the potential in the Detroit Pistons' current squad. They have one of the most promising young cores in the NBA today, and the addition of first overall pick Cade Cunningham could just take this team over the edge next season. The Pistons have to be one of the teams to watch in 2021-22 and today we have three way-too-early and rather bold predictions as to what the upcoming campaign holds for Detroit.

Cade Bags Rookie of the Year

All eyes will be on Cade Cunningham and he will be placed under the microscope from Day 1. Such is the curse for being the first pick of the draft with the future of an entire franchise resting on his young shoulders.

Does Cade Cunningham have what it takes to be the best player in his rookie class? Absolutely. Will he be able to prove the same in his debut season and win the coveted Rookie of the Year award? I think so.

For starters, let's take a quick look at Cunningham's credentials. Last season as a freshman for Oklahoma State, the 6-foot-8 guard averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals, while also knocking down 2.3 triples per game on a 40.0-percent clip. Cade was a Consensus All-American and he also bagged the Big 12 Rookie of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year awards.

In the Las Vegas Summer League, Cunningham put up 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. He looked every bit like the first overall pick the Pistons put their money on, and Detroit could reap the benefits of their investment in the very near future.

Right now, the bookmakers have Cunningham as the favorite to bag the Rookie of the Year title which somewhat takes away from the audacity of this “bold” prediction. In this respect, however, you also have to note that there are a handful of other names that aren't too far behind in the odds. Cunningham (+250) barely beat out the Houston Rockets' Jalen Green (+300) and we expect these two to be neck and neck throughout the season in the ROY race. Green firmly believes that he should have been the first pick over Cade, so the Rockets stud will definitely be playing with a chip on his shoulder.

You also cannot count out the dark horses in the race, with the Orlando Magic's Jalen Suggs (+750), the Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (+800), and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers (+800) rounding out the Top 5 favorites for the ROY title.

Despite the stiff competition, however, my money is still on Cade Cunningham winning the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year award.

Jerami Grant Gets All-Star Nod

Jerami Grant had an absolute breakout year last season with the Pistons. Detroit splashed the cash on the 6-foot-8 forward last summer locking him up on a three-year deal worth a whopping $60 million. Some believed that this was too big a price to pay for a player that had not yet established himself in the league. However, Grant erased all doubt after what was nothing short of a tremendous campaign for him in 2020-21.

Grant was so good last season that he ended up being one of the biggest snubs for the All-Star squad. The 27-year-old averaged a career-best 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks, while also connecting on 2.1 three-pointers per game (also a career-high). Grant also came second in last season's Most Improved Player race.

With the attention shifting over to Cade Cunningham (from both the spectators as well as opposing teams), it's very much possible that Grant is able to raise his game to another level this season. Detroit's high-profile rookie will likely take the spotlight on most nights, but Grant could emerge as the Pistons' true star. The former Syracuse standout is in his prime right now and he could produce his best season yet in 2021-22. If all this comes to fruition then it wouldn't be surprising if Grant makes his All-Star debut in Cleveland come February.

Pistons Make the Playoffs

We've reserved our boldest take for last: the Pistons win enough games in the East to earn a spot in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. This definitely sounds improbable given how Detroit's current roster feels like a year or two away from being a legitimate threat in the conference. However, we've seen crazier things in the past, and perhaps Cade Cunningham does a LaMelo Ball and carries his team on the brink of a postseason spot. If Jerami Grant actually becomes an All-Star then he could be what takes this team over the edge.

Detroit could emerge as one of the biggest surprise packages early in the season, and this could lead to a shift in strategy for the front office. If they realize that they actually have a shot at the playoffs then perhaps they could make a couple of mid-season moves to help this cause. The addition of one or two tested veterans that will also fill some of their needs could definitely work in their favor should the opportunity arise.

In this dream scenario, the Pistons will likely fight for the eighth and final spot in the postseason via the play-in tournament. They could shock the basketball world by winning their way to the eighth seed where they will likely face a team like the Brooklyn Nets or the Milwaukee Bucks. A first-round upset seems too daunting for Detroit at this point, so we'll settle with a postseason berth.

The Pistons have a five-year road map planned out so there really is no rush for this team to win now. Then again, who says they can't?