MIAMI >> The Detroit Pistons spent their entire training camp vowing to fix the issues that have made them one of the league’s worst teams over the previous five years.
They preached better ball movement, floor spacing, and defensive improvements. Despite the 0-4 start to the season, the Pistons have shown glimpses of their development, but turnovers have continued to be a detriment to the team’s success.
Through the first four games of the 2024-25 season, the Pistons have averaged 17.0 turnovers and conceded an average of 19.7 points to their opponents off of those turnovers. However, most of the Pistons’ turnover issues have stemmed from their primary ball-handler, Cade Cunningham, who has taken accountability for the team’s lack of ball security.
“I got to be sharper with that,” Cunningham said following the Pistons’ 106-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday. “I got to be sharper with the ball. The team trusts me with the ball. To have as many turnovers as I’ve had to start this year, it’s hard to win games like that. I put a lot of that on me, setting my team up, taking care of the ball, and making the most out of my responsibility.”
Giveaways always have been a concern of Cunningham’s game since he entered the league as the Pistons’ No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He averaged 3.5 turnovers during his first three seasons, and following the end of the 2023-24 season, Cunningham assured that improvements would be made to his ball security.
However, four games into his fourth year, Cunningham has averaged the third-most turnovers in the league (5.8 TOV), trailing only James Harden (6.7) and Trae Young (6.5). His worst performance came during the Pistons’ 113-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night when Cunningham accounted for nine of Detroit’s 22 turnovers.
Cunningham’s struggles to manage the ball have included trying to get a better feel for coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s offense while establishing continuity with a handful of teammates. However, most of his issues have stemmed from making inadequate reads and delayed passes.
“As the synergy and all the talent grows, we’ll know the spots that each other are in; we’ll just have a better feel for each other,” Cunningham said. “Everything will click easier … I got to be better, making sure that I’m not giving teams five turnovers a game, and I’m giving them way more than that. I’m watching film and trying to get better at it. We are all a unit. Everybody is putting all hands on deck to fix this problem, and it’s a lot of ball games left to get it right.”
Against the Heat, Cunningham appeared to have a solid game protecting the ball. He did not commit a turnover in the first quarter, and the Pistons closed the period with one giveaway, which came amid a traveling violation on Isaiah Stewart.
Cunningham did not commit his first turnover until 2½ minutes into the second quarter when Jimmy Butler pick-pocketed him to force a steal. When the Pistons entered the fourth quarter with a 79-78 lead, the Heat began the final period embarking on a 12-0 run.
Turnovers played a significant role in the Pistons giving up their lead, as they turned the ball over three times during Miami’s takeover, in which Cunningham accounted for two. By the end of the final buzzer at the Kaseya Center, Cunningham had a game-high of five.
“It’s a long year, we’ve played really, really good teams,” Cunningham said. “I think this is good for us. It’s raised our level of play. Obviously, 0-4 is not how we planned on it going. There is still a lot of time to get it going. We’ll get it going. I have no doubt in that.”
Cunningham’s turnover woes are overshadowing his solid scoring output at the start of the season. He has scored 21 or more points in each of the Pistons’ first four games and is averaging 26.5 points. Cunningham put on a scoring exhibit in the first half Monday, shooting 6-of-6 from the field, 4-of-4 on 3-pointers, en route to an 18-point first half. He finished the game with 24.
During the final day of training camp, Cunningham expressed his desire to lead the Pistons out of basketball purgatory. Unfortunately, his inability to improve his ball security has kept Detroit in agony seven days into a new season.
“Obviously, they’ve got some good individual defenders and good defensive schemes, those types of things,” Bickerstaff said. “But, I thought Cade got to his spot and got the shots that he wanted. We trust Cade with the ball in his hands, and the decisions that he makes. I thought he made the right ones most of the time.”