Cade Cunningham is eager to get the new Detroit Pistons season underway after spending the offseason preparing at altitude and helping his teammates build chemistry ahead of training camp.
“I’m excited,” Cunningham told the Detroit Free Press. “I think the anticipation of it makes you a little anxious, ready to get it going, ready to get the ball out there and just play.”
The 24-year-old point guard has approached the offseason with a focus on conditioning, including training at high altitude in Colorado. Third-year wing Ron Holland joined Cunningham there, with the pair hiking and running at a nearby school in the mountains.
Cunningham said Holland had never previously been in the mountains, making the experience part of the young Pistons’ preparation for the upcoming campaign.
Cunningham also organized workouts in San Diego in August, bringing teammates together with newcomers John Collins and Isaiah Joe. The sessions were designed to build familiarity before Detroit’s training camp opens on September 29.
The Pistons enter the season following a 60-22 campaign that gave them the best record in the Eastern Conference. Detroit’s season ended in the conference semifinals with a 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cunningham was central to that breakthrough season, averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists in 64 games. He earned All-Star and All-NBA First Team honors while finishing fifth in MVP voting and fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
His 9.9 assists per game ranked among the league leaders, while he also shot 46.1% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range. Cunningham’s combination of scoring and playmaking remains the foundation of Detroit’s offense.
The Pistons made several changes around him during the offseason. Detroit acquired John Collins in a six-team trade, adding a veteran forward who averaged more than 13 points per game for eight consecutive seasons. The team also acquired Isaiah Joe from the Oklahoma City Thunder, adding another perimeter shooting option.
Detroit re-signed Kevin Huerter to a three-year, $27 million contract and recently agreed to a five-year, $155 million rookie-scale extension with Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons will therefore enter training camp with a roster that retains the core of last season’s Eastern Conference-leading team while adding additional frontcourt and perimeter options.
For Cunningham, the anticipation of getting back on the court has been accompanied by the same mixture of excitement and nerves he experienced earlier in his career.
“I’ve felt like a rookie again, like I’m stepping into something new a little bit,” Cunningham said. “And there’s excitement and nerves that come with that. I’m thankful for all of that stuff.”
Detroit’s first training camp session on September 29 will begin the next stage of a season Cunningham already appears eager to embrace.
“I work the best job in the world and am excited to get it back going,” Cunningham said. “I just feel blessed.”
