Should we be worried about Cade Cunningham and the Pistons in the postseason?

SAN ANTONIO — On multiple occasions in Thursday’s 121-106 loss to the Spurs, Cade Cunningham seemingly had nowhere to run and no room to breathe.

With every turn and every dribble, the Pistons star’s airspace was crowded, met with hands in his face and a body in front of him. First it was Stephon’s castle. Then it was Carter Bryant. Then it was both. And then, the rest copied and pasted. For 48 minutes, a black and silver shadow followed Cunningham through every inch of the Frost Bank Center.

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The few times Cunningham somehow escaped, momentarily avoiding pressure, his shot was blocked at the rim by Victor Wembanyama, smothered on the perimeter by Castle, or he threw the ball away. He finished with 26 points but took 26 shots to get there, along with four turnovers, with most of his points coming in random spurts like an impatient child.

On a micro level, San Antonio’s defensive clinic was reminiscent of Cunningham’s recent issues. In just three games in the month of March, all three against playoff opponents, Cunningham has already missed 42 field goals. On a macro, perhaps more sinister, level, Detroit’s greatest fears were being realized by the minute: overreliance on Cunningham as Plan A with no viable Plan B.

“They’re a good defensive team,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “They’ve got a lot of guys who can get into you, put pressure on you and trust that they have so much behind them to protect. Of course, there are things we can do better. I always take responsibility for that — it’s my responsibility to help create space and opportunities for them. We’ll watch the film, continue to work on it and get better.”

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If there’s one problem facing a 45-16 team that’s suffering just its third losing streak of the season, it’s the rest of the team’s problem. On paper, Detroit’s current net rating paints a similar profile to that of the ’05 Spurs and the ’09 and ’20 Lakers, all of whom finished the season hoisting Larry O’Brien. That’s all well and good, until you look over your shoulder and see rival teams champing at the bit. Cleveland, through its two recent meetings, the first without Donovan Mitchell and James Harden and the second still without Mitchell, have echoed strong feelings of fearlessness. Boston is hours away from Jayson Tatum’s imminent return just 10 months after Achilles surgery, immediately pushing the Celtics to the top of the Eastern Conference, even though Tatum is 60% of himself. And then there’s New York, the soap opera you can’t look away from and which has Boston’s postseason number.

All of the above clubs have secondary and even tertiary options when the primary methodology is suspended. Detroit doesn’t. The closer and closer the playoffs get, the more damning the film becomes. At this point in the season, a testament to Cunningham’s presence as arguably one of the 10 best players in the NBA, there is an understanding that teams will send him enormous pressure, whether in the form of a trap, a blitz, or an outright double team. Once that happens, you’re left with a few options: give up the ball and trust that your teammates can take advantage of 4-on-3 situations, force you through contact, or move out of the way and hope the ball finds you again before time runs out.

Should Detroit have done more by the deadline than adding Kevin Huerter? This is a valid question considering the makeup of his roster. At first glance, there is a glaring lack of true secondary scoring or consistent perimeter options that can serve as a release valve for Cunningham. The Pistons never adequately replaced Malik Beasley, and the cascading negative effects are hard to ignore. The surrounding talent is lacking in one area or another: whether it’s amazing shooters on a team that doesn’t let fly, athletic defenders who aren’t respected by the bigs, or great physiques.

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Again, this isn’t necessarily an indictment of Detroit’s season. What the Pistons built, largely from scratch, was admirable: organic, Bad Boys-style bully ball. A relic, if you will. But this is the NBA where nothing is guaranteed. These possibilities for greatness, as fascinating as they may be in the midst of it, can be fleeting. This has been an amazing year by all accounts, punching above their weight class. “We came from the bottom,” center Isaiah Stewart said emphatically at the podium. But who can say Anyone is this a given for next season? Or the one after?

That’s why it’s important for Detroit to maximize its returns This season, and that starts by changing the game plan. The Pistons are currently using Cunningham’s software, a player already in the top 10 in minutes per game and a 91st percentile handler, according to Cleaning the Glass. With Cunningham down, Detroit’s offense is churning out an impressive 119.6 points per 100 possessions, which would place them fourth in the NBA right now. He takes care of the ball and creates efficient looks in Cunningham’s minutes, all positive returns for a high-usage star.

The problem is what happens when Cunningham isn’t on the field. Detroit’s offensive efficiency drops by nearly eight points per 100 possessions, which would place them right above Dallas and right below Chicago — yikes. Cunningham has a penchant for mid-range shots and loves forays into the paint, which explains why the Pistons’ 38.4 rim rate is in the 95th percentile. Even greats like Stewart and Jalen Duren feed off Cunningham’s elite vision, whether through quick passes, cuts or lobs.

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In the process of falling in love with rim attacks and paint touches, the Pistons eschewed the perimeter game. Detroit is 28th in 3-pointers made since the All-Star break, 27th in attempts and 29th in conversion rate. These are dangerous warning signs for a team that needs maximum spacing to account for Cunningham’s potential elimination from games. It’s also an oddity considering the Pistons lead the league in paint touches, but only outperform them 21.6% of the time, just outside the bottom five. Detroit is also one of the bottom three teams with turnovers for said paint touches.

There are solutions that involve others like Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harrs acting. From a spacing perspective, Harris is probably more influential due to the potential to force defenses to rethink things, but Thompson is developing his playmaking right.

Cutting back on some of Detroit’s rim attacks and converting paint touches into 3s — provided Huerter melds with the group and Duncan Robinson continues his efficiency — could yield positive results rather quickly.

“Being ready and able to make a play,” Harris told Yahoo Sports. “In the playoffs you see different defenses, different adjustments. But keeping your personal reflexes ready, being able to make open shots or put the ball on the floor and create another mismatch.”

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“It’s important to make quick decisions,” Thompson added. “Be aggressive and make them pay for it, but if anyone comes forward, read the floor, spray the corner or drop into the dunker.”

(Another option is to give up more opportunities to Caris Levert, who has actually fared well as a 90th percentile creator, but plays just under 20 minutes a night.)

For much of the season, Detroit went as far as Cunningham could go. To escape the suddenly dense East, the Pistons will need taxpayers to shoulder some of the burden, too.