The headline grabber from Team USA’s basketball camp ahead of its participation in this summer’s World Cup competition isn’t even on the roster. Cade Cunningham could have been a part of that team. Would have been if not for exercising discretion and deciding to prioritize his rehabilitation and the Pistons 2023-24 season over hewing to the demands of Team USA’s itinerary.
But there it was Saturday morning on ESPN.com’s home page: “Cunningham wows Kerr in Team USA scrimmages.” And on The Athletic’s home page: “Cunningham, Select Team dominate Team USA in scrimmage.”
There are many reasons the Pistons expect to soar beyond commonly held expectations this season. There’s the anticipated leaps from second-year ascending stars Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. There’s the addition of heady veterans Monte Morris and Joe Harris. And the promise of exciting rookies Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser.
But roll all of those things into one and it wouldn’t outweigh the bounce the Pistons know a healthy Cunningham provides.
The anecdotal accounts, supported by assorted video clips, of how Cunningham performed at Team USA’s camp over the weekend suggest he’s not only healthy but freed of any mental, emotional or physical hangover from being away from NBA-level competition for nearly nine months.
“I feel great,” Cunningham said via ESPN.com. “I’m happy to be here. Just to be in an environment like this, playing at a high level … the off-season, you could be anywhere playing. So it’s a lot of fun trying to make the most of it.”
As crushed as Cunningham was to be faced with the evidence that the optimal resolution to the stress fracture of his shin was to undergo surgery and miss the season, he very quickly pivoted to an embrace of the opportunity to see the game from a different perspective and use the idle time to his advantage.
He spoke after the season of his belief he’d done just that. Pistons general manager Troy Weaver talked about players like Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin who had turned into All-NBA superstars and MVP candidates after missing big chunks of time early in their careers and feeling sure Cunningham would follow that course. His time in Las Vegas should give Pistons fans ample reason to look forward to the 2023-24 season ahead.
“I feel healthy again,” he said to reporters. “My leg isn’t a problem for me right now. So I think that’s the biggest difference, just that I can just play freely and not think about my body too much.”
“Cade looked great,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr was quoted as saying. “The injury is clearly behind him. It’s just great to see him healthy. He’s a guy who can really control a game from that point guard spot with his size and physicality. It’s good to see him looking so healthy.”
Cunningham wasn’t the only Pistons player in Las Vegas leaving a deep impression on USA Basketball. Duren, who spent all of last season as the NBA’s youngest player and doesn’t turn 20 until late November, also opened eyes as a member of the Select Team. Duren made a point of coming into his second season in peak physical condition and his size and strength generated plenty of buzz in Las Vegas.
He and Cunningham exhibited keen chemistry for players with only a few handfuls of NBA game experience together, but that shouldn’t be too surprising given Cunningham’s great gift for seeing the game at another level. And that’s really at the heart of why the Pistons are looking to their future with such anticipation. Give Cade Cunningham good health and the possibilities ahead of them are limitless.