Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Pistons need to get Cade Cunningham more help

The 60-win Detroit Pistons disappointed with a Game 7 blowout loss at home in round two to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but their weaknesses were exposed in the quarterfinal against the Orlando Magic. 

Keep in mind that the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that beat the Pistons, have another capable ball handler next to their best player. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, which are the best two teams in the playoffs now facing off in the Western Conference finals, have three shot creators each. It only adds to the urgency that the Indiana Pacers will return to contending status next season after a gap year because of the injuries, and they also have at least three dependable ball handlers.

Ausar Thompson is entering his fourth year, but he is not ready to be even the third offensive option in Detroit. Tobias Harris had great moments in the playoffs, but can’t be the second scorer, and Duncan Robson is a top-notch release valve. 

The worst thing the Pistons could do is get comfortable because title windows are short. Cade Cunningham, who averaged an awful 5.6 turnovers through two rounds, needs more help on offense in the form of another high-level shot creator, and finding one should be the top priority of the off-season. They should be thinking about big fish like Jaylen Brown or Ja Morant, and if they have to give up something valuable, then so be it. 

It will be a painful offseason for those kept around, and Thompson even said in the locker room after defeat that the team would “let it sting.” Their effort in Game 7 lacked the same intensity they displayed in three-straight elimination games against the Magic and two nights previously in Cleveland. It was similar to how flat the Miami Heat came out at home in Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, which they lost after being the first seed that year.  

Humiliation is one of the best teachers and it’s something great players have experienced before taking a leap. Nobody should be writing off Jalen Duren, who averaged 9.3 less points in the playoffs, and Thompson for that reason.

The Pistons had a 16-win improvement in the 2025-26 regular season — if they make a similar leap next year, not in terms of wins but in potency, then they’ll be one of the top squads in the league with a better shot at the tile.