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The 2022-23 NBA season ended up being a disappointment for the Detroit Pistons, especially since 2022 first overall pick Cade Cunningham only played in 12 games due to season-ending shin surgery. Despite not winning more than 23 games in a season over the last four years, the Pistons are a young team with a lot of potential for growth, which is why things are trending up for them heading into the 2023-24 season.
Recent news surrounding Cunningham is also positive for the Pistons, as his recent injury update will have Detroit fans excited for the new season ahead. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Cunningham will not be participating in the FIBA World Cup this summer, but he will practice and scrimmage for a USA Select team against the Senior Team USA roster. It is worth noting as well that the Pistons young star is fully recovered from the shin surgery he had in December.
USA Basketball's camp will be held in Las Vegas at some point in August, giving Cunningham extra time on the floor to get ready ahead of the start of training camp in September. Oklahoma City rising stars Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams will also be in attendance for Team USA's training camp, as will Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green and Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
While NBA fans and Pistons fans would love to see the 21-year-old represent Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer, him sitting out in order to work on his conditioning and health is definitely understandable. In fact, this is a veteran move by the young guard, as he is prioritizing his team's potential success over that of his own.
One of the leaders of his team, Cunningham recognizes the opportunity the Pistons have in front of them and knows that he needs to be 100 percent entering the 2023-24 season for them to have a chance at being something special.
In the 12 games he played in Detroit last season, Cunningham ended up averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor. An All-around playmaker who can utilize his size and strength to get to the rim on offense, the former top pick will have plenty of options to play with this upcoming season, as Bojan Bogdanovic, Jaden Ivey, Marvin Bagley III, Jalen Duren and rookie Ausar Thompson are set to take the floor next to him.
Since the 2009-10 season, the Pistons have made the playoffs twice in 2016 and 2019. They have not won a postseason series since 2008 when they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third consecutive year with Chauncey Billups, who is now the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, leading the charge on the court for them.