There’s something worse than a 23-game losing streak, according to Cade Cunningham. He’d rather suffer through that ignominy than not play at all.
The Pistons are approaching the league’s all-time record for most consecutive losses in a single season. They’ve dropped a franchise-record 23 straight heading into their road game against the Hawks on Monday. The Cavaliers (2010-11) and Sixers (2013-14) each lost 26 in a row.
Detroit’s franchise player said it was even more miserable for him personally to sit in street clothes last season, he told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press and other media members. Cunningham played just 12 games before undergoing shin surgery.
“Missing those games, I was in a way more dark spot than I am right now, playing and being able to do this,” he said. “I’m having a lot of fun. Losing the games is the worst thing ever, I hate it more than anything. But every day, in warmups, I’m like, ‘I’m blessed to do this. I have another opportunity to play and try to win.’ That’s where it comes from, is just being healthy and being able to play.”
The top overall pick in the 2021 draft is averaging 21.0 points and 7.0 assists per game, but he’s also third in the league in turnovers per night (4.0). He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension after this season.
It seems likely Cunningham will receive a max extension, despite the Pistons’ misery. The concern right now is avoiding make NBA history. They haven’t even been competitive in recent games, losing by 32 points three separate times in their last five games and by 18 in another.
The team came into the season expecting to show significant improvement. Instead, the rebuild seems to be a colossal failure.
“We all hate where it’s gotten,” Cunningham said. “We can’t believe that it’s gotten to this point. But it is what it is. We gotta fight through it. That’s one of the main things that I’ve been trying to challenge myself with, is fight through it every day, through bumps, bruises.”
Injuries have played a major role in the streak. The Pistons are currently without starting center Jalen Duren, while Bojan Bogdanovic is still working his way into a rhythm after missing the first 19 games of the season.
Cunningham doesn’t run away from his own responsibility for being unable to carry the team to a victory.
“For everybody, we just need all hands on board,” he said. “I’ve been trying to personally take that on and just weather the storm. It’s hard, but I don’t want to hide from it. There’s nowhere to hide.”
Bojan, not Bodgan.
Proofreading is optional at trade rumors didn’t you get the memo ?
Time for a hard reset
Keep Cunningham Duren Stewart Ivey Thompson Sasser
But everything else must go. Best offer wins.
Take back a bad contract or 2 but keep the core pieces and start supplementing with better free agents.
Is that really a hard reset if they keep their main, young core of guys??
You’re right though, they have about five to six guys they need to build around.
They need to focus on adding shooters and getting the right veterans from winning franchises around these guys.
They DESPERATELY need a culture change, and clearly their coaching change hasn’t worked out. I cannot fully blame him though, their roster is very flawed.
I honestly thought the Pistons could start to make a name for themselves and turn things around this year, but they just have too many young players trying to make a name for themselves.
They do not play as a collective unit, and that’s their main problem.
A hard reset is everyone. You’re suggesting a modification with some adjustments.
If Detroit wants to win all they have to do is realize Isaiah Stewart is an 11th man grinder and desperately try to get his albatross contract off the books
Anyone else have to look up ignominy?? Lol…
I’m a college graduate, so no feeling of ignominy here. Lol
Obviously, using context clues I could figure out basically what it meant, but I still wanted to look up its exact definition.
Thank you Dana, I’ve now expanded my vocabulary.
I realize this isn’t a good team, but there is enough talent on that team for them to not lose 23 straight.
The Pistons problem are coach related… Monty isn’t a rebuilding coach or culture setting coach…
I disagree with you about Monty not being a rebuilding coach. That’s what he was in both New Orleans and Phoenix. His teams weren’t that good his first year but made the playoffs after. I do agree that the problems with the team right now are coach related. Ivey isn’t being used correctly and neither is Thompson. I get what Monty is trying to do trying to get a scoring spark off the bench but Ivey needs to be starting. Thompson he’s high energy and great defensively they need to figure out either starter or 6th man. He’s thrived in the starting rotation.
His ego and self worth have been elevated since he was the calming presence who could help a rebuild. He’s not that guy anymore.
Fire the coach. Start fresh.
That’s not going to happen. He’s under contract for 7 years at like $68 million. This is Troy Weaver’s construction so he’s more likely to be fired than Monty.
Ignominy is a crazy word to drop lmao
It’s shameful, in fact.
These Pistons are amazing, they’re going to be the first team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention by New Years Day in league history!
The Texas Rangers have won more games since November 1st than the Pistons have…
They need to work the numbers. Get minutes for a guy like Joe Harris, showcase him a bit. They tried with Hayes, and he still is bad. Bojan and Burks already a known quantity, they should be dealt with ease. MB3 really isnt showing much trade value on his contract. Morris is still out.
But 6 guys that need to be moved.
Take back Fournier and your draft protections. Take on Ben Simmons for a pick or two? Take on Bertans? Maybe look at John Collins if you can get a pick?
They should try and get assets, reset on the veteran pieces in the offseason. Draft Rolland or whomever shakes out as the top guy.
Cade, Stewart, Ivey, Sasser, Duren, Wiseman? Not going to win many games. Not much they can do about it unless one of them emerges as a Top 20 player.
They can beat the Hawks or Wizards if they have anymore match ups left with them. If they attack the basket the refs may give them some foul calls. I don’t know the style they play since I have better things to do than watch Detroit basketball, but they can luck into a win.
Comical, but most of the advice offered to the DET FO in this thread is to essentially double down and continue to do what they’ve done for past 3 years. Weaver has been Hinke without the same degree of luck with ping pong balls. I guess there’s still a 2k’er expectation out there that a team can just accumulate young “talent”, run it out there without any team purpose, and expect the players to develop and a team to materialize. Fact that it has never worked is apparently not a hinderance.
In the real NBA world, DET only won 15 games last year. So, while nobody can predict 2-23, but the quality of this year’s product isn’t surprising. It’s inevitable that DET will eventually win some games. But if they want to really turn this thing around, then they need to do a 180 in their thinking, and thus in their mode of operation. 1) Fire the clown Weaver. 2) Tell Monty the clown show is over, and just coach the team, i.e., play the guys who give the team the best chance to win (young or old). 3) Trade away anyone that has an issue with #2 (young or old). It’s really not that hard.
Idk if he is Hinkie level. He has his FRP floating out there for the Knicks until like 2029. If he was smart he would get it back, take Fournier, and give the Knicks a player Thibs might use.
IMO, DET needs to keep its focus on the court, and winning some games. The asset base can be dealt with later. Also, at this time, the NYK are very unlikely to be interested in any player that DET would make available. Fournier is irrelevant except as a matching contract.