Detroit’s Cade Cunningham admits the Pistons are ‘bad’ after 12th-straight loss

Currently sitting at the bottom of the NBA with the worst record in the league are the Pistons, who are struggling through a 12-game losing streak. After their latest defeat at the hands of the Nuggets, their star Cade Cunningham offered an honest assessment of their competition so far. 

“We’ve got to be realistic about the situation,” he said clearly. “It’s hard to just be like, ‘Oh we’re good, we’re good,’ because we’re bad. We’ve got to address that.”

Strong words for a third-year player, right? Well, the truth is that he’s earned the right to speak up, as he’s been leading his squad offensively this campaign.

Cade Cunningham after “We’re bad” comments

27.3 ppg
7.2apg
49% fg
7-3 team record

All star starter? 👀 pic.twitter.com/5Py2mHilEt

— UnReel (@reelburner) November 20, 2023

The 22-year-old dropped 27 points this Monday against the reigning champions and this Sunday was the only Detroit starter to score more than 10 points vs. Toronto.

“We’re the youngest team in the league, scrapping and clawing for everything,” said the former No. 1 draft selection as a reminder that his team still needs time to grow. “When we wake up in the morning, we should be like, ‘We got to get to the court.’ [Williams] shouldn’t have to ask. That’s something me and [Isaiah Stewart] are also trying to stay vocal about. Everyone has to come with it.”

Their squad haven’t won a single game since beating the Bulls on October 28. “I think a few of our guys are dealing with how hard the league is,” Detroit coach Monty Williams shared after the contest. “When you’re dealing with it, the one thing you can control is your competition level. I didn’t see that across the board tonight.”

Cunningham considered it “unacceptable” for his trainer to question his own squad’s level of competition as they endure their long-losing streak. “That should be the last thing that needs to be asked of us or talked about, is how hard we compete,” the Pistons player said. “That should be a given.”

Isaiah Livers finally made his debut this season vs. Denver after missing out on Detroit’s preseason due to injury

After missing out on the team’s training camp, preseason and start of the campaign, the Pistons finally witnessed Isaiah Livers‘ return back to the NBA court after missing out on a couple of months of competition due to injury.

Livers admitted he didn’t know when he would be called upon to make his official debut this campaign, but revealed that it was Monty Williams’ words of encouragement that lifted his spirit.

“He was like, ‘I feel for you,’” the 25-year-old said postgame this Monday. “‘That really hurts. Because he knew what the start of the year was going to be, how much it really meant for me and how much we had talked about staying healthy all the time.

“The first 24 hours once I did it, he was the first one in my ear staying positive and telling me to be me, basically. Stay around the team and tell what I see.”