The Detroit Pistons win the right to draft Cade Cunningham No. 1

Lady luck was ON the side of the Detroit Pistons Tuesday evening as they were able to secure the top selection in the NBA Draft.  Yes, you read that correctly.  A Detroit sports team actually WON a Draft Lottery.

It’s exactly the good news the city of Detroit, and of course, the Pistons organization needed.  Detroit will have the opportunity to land a superstar talent in Cade Cunningham.  I’m sure Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver will sprint up to the podium on Thursday, July 29th, to submit the draft card for the no.1 overall pick.

It will be the first time the Detroit Pistons have the opportunity to pick first overall since 1970 when the selected eventual Hall Of Fame center Bob Lanier.

Entering the night, the Detroit Pistons, along with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic, had the top odds at 14% each to land the top overall pick. However, the Magic fell out of the top three, and both the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavilers were elevated into the top four.

Once it was announced that the Raptors and Cavs were moving up, I couldn’t help but hold my breath.  I’m sure you were doing the same knowing Detroit sports’ unfortunate lottery luck over the years.

The Detroit Pistons won the opportunity to select guard Cade Cunningham first overall at the 2021 NBA Draft.

Cunningham is expected to be the first overall pick, so much so, per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, he mentioned that he’d only visit one team before the NBA Draft Lottery.  The team that wins said lottery.

Cunningham is a 6-foot-8 combo guard that averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 boards, and 3.5 assists while shooting a stellar 40% from beyond the arc last season for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.  The youngster also converted on nearly 85% of his free throw chances plus shot 43.8% from the field.

This is a dream come true for the Detroit Pistons, who already have plenty to be excited about with their youthful core led by Jerami Grant, followed by Saddiq Bey, Killian Hayes, and Isaiah Stewart.

Cunningham is the perfect backcourt mate for Hayes, who excelled after returning from a torn labrum in his hip that cost him most of his rookie season.  Hayes struggled shooting the ball at times but displayed tremendous court vision and great playmaking ability.  That mixed with Cunningham’s size, athleticism, and scoring ability will make for a tough matchup for opposing teams.

I can’t wait to see a potential starting five of Hayes, Cunningham, Bey, Grant, and Plumlee (eventually Stewart) during the 2021-22 season.

Before Tuesday’s lottery luck, the future had been bright in Detroit; now, the sky is the limit.