Cade Cunningham Making Sacrifices in Hopes of Elevating Pistons

Along with taking a big step forward on the court, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has strived to become a strong leader for the franchise. Fresh off his breakout campaign, he is willing to take less off his plate in hopes of improving the group as a whole.

Averaging 26.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG in the regular season, Cunningham showed he is an all-around star capable of being the focal point of the offense. However, he appears to be okay with not being a ball-dominant star that has everything run through him whenever he's on the floor. Instead, he wants to experiment with different looks in hopes of the Pistons' core reaching its full potential.

When it comes to on-ball talents, Detroit has a handful of players behind Cunningham that they could call on. Among those is Ausar Thompson, whose do-it-all skill set makes him a vital piece for the franchise moving forward. Fresh off his first healthy offseason in the pros, many believe the versatile forward is the Pistons' next breakout candidate.

Pistons Cade Cunningha — Feb 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) and forward Ausar Thompson (9) chat against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

While it might not be to the degree of Cunningham, Thompson is someone more than capable of initiating the offense when given the chance. It's something Detroit has utilized a good bit in the preseason, and by the looks of it, they'll continue to work on it as the year goes on.

Following training camp, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff touched on what Thompson being used as a primary playmaker can do for Cunningham and others. The Pistons star also touched on this look, stating he is willing to sacrifice some playmaking duties in hopes that it will help round out his teammates' game.

“Ausar is a guy who can initiate offense at a high level,” Cunningham said Tuesday, per The Athletic. “Giving him room to get more and more comfortable with it as the preseason goes along, I think that’ll be a big weapon for us.”

Pistons Ausar Thompso — Oct 9, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) in the 3rd quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Cunningham empowering Thompson can benefit his game in a variety of ways. The biggest being that he can be more unpredictable. With everything not running through him at all times, it will create opportunities for him to attack opposing defenses in new ways as an off-ball threat.

As the Pistons wrap up their preseason schedule, Thompson's on-ball play is one development worth keeping a close eye on.

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