Cade Cunningham greets the contribution of veterans of the pistons • Basket USA

A new season will start this weekend for the pistons, and for several players from the JB Bickerstaff locker room, it's a big jump in the unknown. Like Jalen Duren, Simone Fontecchio, Ron Holland II, Marcus Sasser, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson, Cade Cunningham will discover the intensity and complexity of a series of playoffs, which is more facing the Knicks, one of the emblematic franchises of the League.

As Tim Hardaway JR pointed out after qualifying for playoffs, the start of a new career “is looming, and this is particularly the case for Cade Cunningham, a young leader who will be scrutinized with each of his actions. For him as for the other “rookies” of the playoffs, the contribution of the veterans will be precious.

“I have always learned from my veterans since I was rookie, especially about the playoffs and what it looks like. I try to understand, I hear stories about the craziest things that happened. And I learned a lot from them. As we say, the experience offers the best lessons ”, said the leader.

Tim Hardaway JR, Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris, and Dennis Schroder count 208 playoff games in four.

What legitimize their speeches with the rest of the locker room at the dawn of this new size challenge. They know the way to take and know the adversity that will wait for the pistons on the first two games at the Garden.

Malik Beasley, Garden's air conditioner

“These are guys who are extremely reliable. You know what you are going to get them every night when they are on the ground. They are guys to whom players and coaches can trust, they know they will do the right things ”said JB Bickerstaff. “Whether offensively or defensively, they just bring their leadership to the match. This is what makes everyone play better too. They are all already won, they have been reliable, which is the most important thing for the youngest ”.

This Detroit team is also distinguished by its strength of character, and its two victories acquired at Madison Square Garden during the regular season are there to attest to it. If Cade Cunningham had shone on these two games with more than 32 points, 9.5 assists and 6 rebounds, another “veteran” had highlighted, namely Malik Beasley.

The shooter had shone twice, with two 3-point baskets in the last 40 seconds of the second match to air conditioner on January 13. He too was particularly effective on these two games, with 22.5 points on average at 72.3% of 3-point skill! An example among so many others …

“I have said it thousands of times, how important they have been to this group, on and off the field. The experience they have in playoffs, in winning, the way they helped us progress in all these little things, the different ways of having an impact on victory, all of this was enormous. It's a good thing to have them with us when attacking the playoffs ”a conclu Cade Cunningham.

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = minutes; Shots = successful shots / tempted shots; 3pts = 3-point / 3-point attempted; LF = Successful free throws / tempted free throws; Off = offensive rebound; Def = defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; PD = assists; FTE: Personal faults; Int = interceptions; BP = lost bullets; CT: against; Pts = points.