Pistons' JB Bickerstaff drops 'superstar' take on Cade Cunningham after clutch game
11/09/2024 08:07 AM
Development for the young Detroit Pistons continues to take shape. Friday night’s 122-121 victory against the Atlanta Hawks was another significant step forward for the franchise. The one-point victory came down to the closing moments, and their franchise point guard Cade Cunningham delivered in the most important spots.
Cunningham recorded a triple-double in his third consecutive game with 22 points, 13 assists, and eleven rebounds. He also put a stamp on the victory with a game-winning layup with 8.1 seconds left and a blocking a layup by the Hawks as time expired. Pistons’ head coach JB Bickerstaff gave Cunningham a high endorsement for his play in their fourth victory of the season.
"I don't say this lightly by any means, but being around him and spending time with him, he's the guy. He has the ability to be an elite guy on a basketball team because of all of the things he's capable of doing,” Bickerstaff stated in the postgame media session. “He can manipulate the game, he can score, he can rebound, and he makes his teammates better. Cade (Cunningham) has proven he can defend at a high level and make clutch plays down the stretch. He's still going to improve but I think he has the potential to be a superstar."
Another fourth-quarter showdown for Cade Cunningham and the Pistons
The Pistons maintained control against the Hawks by as many as 24 points in the second quarter. Atlanta stormed back to steal the lead from Detroit in the closing seconds at Little Caesars Arena. Late turnovers and sloppy execution opened up the comeback opportunity for the Hawks. The home team rallied back courtesy of a floater knocked down and some impressive help defense at the rim.
Detroit’s victory was in response to a heartbreaking loss against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The Pistons failed to block out the Hornets in the final possession as forward Brandon Miller dropped in a putback layup at the buzzer for the win.
Late-game execution has been a work in progress for the Pistons. Outside of one blowout to the New York Knicks, each game this season has had moments where the Pistons had opportunities to win late. Bickerstaff has emphasized how much they have worked on closing games and doing the little things to protect a win. He went on to detail what was the key to finishing strong against the Hawks after the game.
"Trae Young is one of the most elite offensive weapons in our game. The way that he draws fouls puts a ton of pressure on a defense, especially in a one-point game where you know he can make clutch free throws. I thought our guys did a great job of putting him out and forcing him to have to make a play, and Cade (Cunningham) did a great job getting a huge block down the stretch to close out the game. This was a game for our guys that we didn't want to lose. We executed properly down the stretch and were able to pull it off."
Detroit benefited from some useful team scoring balance to aid their victory. Veterans Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley scored 22 points each including some big baskets down the stretch late. Shooting guard Jaden Ivey had another effective game scoring 18 points on 7-13 shooting for the Pistons.
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