SAN ANTONIO — It’s not really that the Pistons failed a test. It’s that they haven’t taken one yet.
“Detroit,” a Western Conference scout said when asked whom the Knicks should prefer as a first-round opponent. “They’re not ready yet.”
Another veteran scout agreed the Pistons probably are too young and inexperienced to deal with the playoff atmosphere at MSG. Until this season, Cade Cunningham only knew losing in the NBA. Lots of it. Game 1 in April, assuming the Pistons don’t collapse, will be his first playoff game. In college, Cunningham logged one NCAA Tournament contest in 2021 with Oklahoma State and was upset in the first round. Plus, Tom Thibodeau already schooled JB Bickerstaff in a postseason series two years ago.
That’s not to suggest the Pistons are pushovers. The Knicks are 1-2 against the Pistons this season, with the final match up set for April 10. Malik Beasley, a veteran of 37 playoff games, can cause fits on the 3-point line. Isaiah Stewart is a wild man wild card with, as I’ve heard, fans inside the Knicks organization. The thought of Cunningham drawing Karl-Anthony Towns on screens with Detroit’s center — whether it’s Stewart or Jalen Duren — should concern New York. That was a recipe for Knicks failure in their game Jan. 13, when Cunningham dominated the fourth quarter and shot 4-for-4 overall in just 40 seconds with Towns as his primary defender, according to NBA.com. Only Trae Young has been the ballhandler in more pick-and-roll actions this season than Cunningham.
