Is Cade Cunningham a TRUE #1?! 😳 Pistons in Trouble vs Magic | Who Ya Got EP 153

Is Cade A True No 1

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I've never been sold on K being a number one. Room for improvement. I think his shot needs to get a whole lot better to warrant all the praise that he's getting.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

He is a number one. He is a number one. I'm gonna tell you the reason why.

Show Intro And Five Questions

SPEAKER_02 0:13

I think there's one thing that we might agree on. They're playing him, and he's listed as a point guard. I think there's no way in heck he is a freaking point guard. Do you agree with that? That he's a two. This is Derek Thompson from Pick'em Pros. You can catch us on all podcast platforms, including YouTube and now 104.5 WCCG in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Pick 'em money, bro. Pick them roll.

Choking Or Orlando Is Just Better

SPEAKER_02 0:57

All right, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back. You know who it is? I am Derek Thompson. I'm Mike Sims. All right, all right. Who are we? Pick them pros, baby. Pick them pros in the house. Yes, yes, yes. We are here. Man, uh, thanks for tuning in. It's gonna be a quick 15, 20-minute show today. We just had to touch on we got Mike Sims, the Detroit Super Fan, all things Detroit reping got his Detroit hat on. So, you know, he's uh was excited about the the NBA playoffs. They're down 3-1. So we got five questions with the Detroit Super fan here. We're gonna ask him, are the Pistons choking? We're gonna ask him who's to blame. We're gonna ask him, is K the number one option? We're gonna ask him are what adjustments are needed, and then lastly, is the series over? So we got five questions with Detroit's finest Mike Sen, and we're gonna go into it here. So thanks for checking us out. All right, my man. We might do this a lot more, even with other other um, you know, fans of teams and stuff. I think this can be a cool, a cool series here. So to get the pulse, we got to get the pulse of the city and what's going on in the motor city of Detroit, baby. So uh man, to start out, yeah. So to start out, you know, did did did Michigan take all the power? Did they take all the shoots? They didn't leave nothing else. They just pissed it all dry, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:23

They just sucked all the championship out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's rough right now. Yeah, yeah. Um, the first question is uh, are they uh choking?

SPEAKER_02 2:36

Yeah, or are the magic taking?

SPEAKER_01 2:41

I think it's more of the it's a little bit, I'm gonna I'm gonna just I'm just gonna sprinkle a little bit choking on it okay to we have to recognize that, and if you're a basketball aficionado, you kind of already know this. This is the Orlando that was supposed to be, but we didn't think it was gonna come in the playoffs, right? Um they are, and I do want to pepper in too, they're getting a good coaching job, also, right? We gotta give the Orlando magic because they're packing it in, and it is not as much of pistons choking as them daring them. I asked this question the other day about okay, who got the most you know, uh playoff experience on the Pistons or whatever, right? Everybody's kind of looking at me. A couple people are looking at us like, well, they're just thinking, you know, well, okay, the ones who've been on it. No, it's Robinson that came over from Miami.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

Yeah, Duncan Robinson, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

Right. He's and he supposed to be the knockdown three man, right?

SPEAKER_02 3:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Uh, how many open threes did he have in the last game? He had about two or three. Now he shot, I think it was don't quote me on this. I want to say it was shot about seven or eight.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

And he went 0-4. Okay. So now you're talking about an individual that's brought there for that very thing. And if you look at that particular that this last game or whatever, because the the the other games were kind of, you know, um, except for the one where the pistols just blew them out in the second half, it was just a out, it was just really strategy of packing it in. Just packing it in. There's no spacing. So what does that lead? At least outside shots, and they ain't hitting. The pistols are just not hitting them.

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah, they they yeah, they definitely are not hitting them, especially the important uh the important shots, you know. Yeah, they'll hit it earlier, you know. Like if they have a lead or if they're down 10, they'll hit it. But if they're down two and you need the three to take the one-point lead, like I would I would love to see the stat on those shots. They're not making if people don't understand that.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

That's a good point. Because people don't understand, you know, you can make your points throughout the game, but then there's these crucial ones that has to be made. Uh, and there were two by Robinson that could have really got them and he missed both of them, right? And you can go back on some previous games, he just ain't been nailing them down like he should. And he's he he's been a liability on defense, you know, they've been going at him on purpose for sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

For sure. Yeah, he definitely and Durant and Duran, too.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

He he ain't you know, he he wanting to go into a 40 million dollar plus contract next year or whatever. That ain't happening. I can tell you that right now because of his performance. He just lost him some money. He might get 15 mil a year, but 40.

Who Deserves The Blame

SPEAKER_02 5:48

He's pulling a Miles Turner from the Pacers, uh, of what he did in the finals. Uh where now he he got some money, he had to go to Milwaukee and get it. Milwaukee was still convinced, and he still he hadn't been the same since the the finals there. He was so shook from that. So, yeah, this reminded me of that because uh yeah, uh, I think it's it Duran. Um, I believe, but yeah, he he just it's like he's walking around. Um, you know, I know on NBA radio they've really been getting on him hard, and we know there's some stuff in the news about you know other things that's going on with him, but um, yeah, he's not the same player that we saw in in the regular season. So, you know, I'm pulling up the question here who's to blame? And there seems like there's a lot of blame to to go around for sure. Um, Duncan Robinson's not hit his shots, you know, um, and then Ron's not doing his thing. Beef stew, you know, beef stew. Um, you know, he costing them. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

You know, it's just saying for what it is.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

Yeah, yeah. There's just not enough, there's just not enough offense there on the on the court. Where is it coming from? And they really missed it's kind of like you know, a few months ago. I was like, okay, are they gonna go to Puerto Rico and get Beasley?

SPEAKER_01 7:11

Oh, you you you said it a couple times, and it's funny because I'm glad you brought that up. I reflected back on that during the game uh last night. And you said that. You said that you said I I'll get credit with credit. You said, Man, I'd be excited if they was to get Beasley.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Oh my gosh, because he he would not be missing those shots, not not like that. Uh-uh. You at least have another score, yes, exactly, exactly. They they definitely need that, they're definitely missing that big time. So, um, so with that, you know, I I want to go into Cade um about him being a number one, but before we do that, is there any other blame uh to go around, or do you want to go into to Cade specifically? Because we got a lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

You know, uh we'll go into Kate, but real quick, I will say that it's hard. Uh they're getting out coached, but here's the problem now that they know that they're packing it in, then I'm gonna design a play where I'm gonna get an open shot from the outside, right? Well, if they ain't knocking it down, then what other play am I supposed to design? Because they they ain't gonna let me get in on the inside, they're gonna pack it in, right? You know, so yeah, um, I think a lot of this just falls back on the players. The coach is gonna give some blame, but in this particular case, I don't I don't think so.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, but it's interesting because what with with the coach though, because we have to look at in Cleveland, you know, he got he got ran out of there, you know. They were they were in the playoffs and whatnot, and now they were you know advanced a little bit, but with uh Mitchell, you know, there was something clearly going on between him and Mitchell, and they think ultimately it looked to me that he was booted out of there for his lack of offensive, you know, uh his lack of ability to really coach the offense. And um now we're seeing, you know, here with uh with with the Pistons. Now again, it could be personnel, you know, it's a personnel coaching both, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Well, uh, if you look at Cleveland though, you look at the the the the other pieces that they added, they complained about him on an offense, but they added more pieces on offense. He's not there to coach it, you know, even though they blamed him on that. Again, I'm not a I'm I'm not for him or guess I do think he should be coach of the year, but I I think even there it is it's like where the pistols are at right now. So yeah, do you pick the you know the other offense on him? I mean, again, they were open, they were crazy open, and don't even I we you and I even talk about the free throws.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Yeah, yeah, that's another thing.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

They missed a bunch of they missed enough free throws that would have put them right in there.

SPEAKER_02 10:00

A bunch, a bunch. And hey, fair or unfair, it'll be really interesting if coach of the year is announced soon, and and he eliminated that's it. That would be fun.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Because did he did he win coach of the year in Cleveland? That's a good question.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

I'm gonna have to look that up. I wish I've already known that because you know it seems like sometimes coach of the year is a death sentence. Sometimes you it is because typically it's a bad team, you know. You have a surprising year, and then you know, you you're gone when they when they do bad.

Coaching Schemes And Missed Free Throws

SPEAKER_01 10:40

So I yeah, I'll ask you this real quick. I'm gonna slide this in here real quick. Yeah, because I heard somebody else say this. Would you say that Orlando and my little quotation marks is a true number eight?

SPEAKER_02 10:54

Oh, yeah, yeah, that is a good question. And I have been hearing that. Ah man, that is that that's tough. Um, you know, judging coming into the season, no. You know, but the way they play, they play bad. Okay, why? So, so if if I look at let's let's look at the teams in the in the east. So, you know, would would you pick them over okay? We know Detroit, we know what's happening there. We'll see series still going on, but would you pick them over Boston? No, would you pick them over the Knicks? You know, I I don't think many many people would. Uh even now, even if like let's say they advance and they play down, I think most people would have the Knicks. Um Cleveland would be debatable, though. Uh, you know, Toronto would be debatable, and they were all kind of lumped in. That's another thing. Right. There was only a game separating like all, you know, those like almost fifth through tenth, almost like a law jam. So there wasn't much separation there. So, you know, in the traditional sense, I would say no, they're not a you know, a typical eight. I I think they're a little better, but I think it's a little bit of both, because then of course, is Detroit, hey, hey, hey, real number one with that. So I think, you know, really, Sims, this is really like a four-five, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

I don't, I won't, I won't, I won't disagree with that at all. Yeah, you know, I won't disagree with that at all. And and the reason why I brought it because somebody, you know, brought that up to me, and I said, you know, if you look at it now, again, you know, it will it would have been something for that Charlotte game if I would have said, okay, yeah, or but no, now whatever the light bubble and clicked on, I guess that's how it should have been there. You know, they were looking at for the season that they were supposed to have, right? But now they're having it now, right? You can see this is their regular gameplay now.

Is Orlando A Real Eight Seed

SPEAKER_02 12:50

Yeah, oh, for sure, for sure. And bancaro has really stepped it up, like he's being big time, very aggressive. Just his whole his whole demeanor on the court looks much different than than what this is who he was supposed to be. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, it's like he turned it on at the very last minute, buddy, because they were they were about out of here. Yeah, in the ninth hour, he turned it on, and yeah, definitely found something. So uh yeah, happy for him for that. But yeah, they've got some good role players there. I like a lot of what they they I ain't happy for him. Uh that's right. Yeah, no, no, not you, not you for sure. Well, let's let's move on to Cade. Uh, then we're gonna talk about adjustments, and then of course, is the series over. So Cade, um, first, let's before we is he at number one, let's just talk about. I mean, man, he's been averaging just under seven turnovers a game for this series. Um and that's because he only had three turnovers in game one. If if you if you go to the last three games, he's averaging like eight turnovers. So uh that's been clearly a bad thing. His shooting percentage has been very poor the last couple of games. But I I didn't like game one with him because even though I believe he scored 39, it was those timely shots. Like he didn't make any timely baskets, like he had a huge three at the end of the third quarter that could have put them up one going into the fourth. He missed it, and then Orlando came down, got a bucket, and they went from possibly going up by one to being back down by four, and they never recovered and couldn't, you know, get over the hump. They could never get the lead in that game. And so, you know, I and this is this is not high sight. Diego's heard me say this the whole time. I've never been sold on K B being a number one. I I thought there was a lot of you know hype around around him and whatnot. Um, I I feel that he there's room for improvement. I think his shot needs to get a whole lot better um to to warrant all the praise that that he's getting. Um, I just don't I don't see anything that he is like amazing at to warrant uh all of the uh the the praise that he's getting. The team has been playing well, great regular season record and whatnot. And they surprised a lot of people with how they played against uh the Knicks last year, but um I personally don't see him as a number one, but want to get your take on just how he's been playing this series and ultimately if he's a number one.

Cade Debate No 1 Or Not

SPEAKER_01 15:30

So, first of all, he he so he is a number one, he is a number one, and I'm gonna tell you the reason why. Uh, but let me let me break down something that you said about the first game because you're spot on about that first game when you're talking about timely buckets, and and that's the only game that I feel that they lost because of him, and I'll tell you why on that also. But and because he was that first game, he and I was so mad, he was trying to get everybody involved in that first quarter and that second quarter, trying to feel the game out. Where it's the playoffs, baby. You know, you got to win, you you gotta cut everybody off by the throat. And like you're talking about timely buckets, when they get up, you know, uh six points, uh eight points, it's time for you to go to the basket. It ain't time to still get everybody involved. When he had those 30-something points in that first game, most of those he got in the second half, not in the first half. He had let he had let Orlando already get a lead. And I put a lot of that on him. Um with that being said, he could have set more of the trend right there in that first game. When they start doing that whole pack in defense, that was just to stop him because his mid-range game is insane. But you don't see him as a number one because he don't have that outside shot person, right? The guy is phenomenal on getting to the bucket, the guy is phenomenal on the mid-range, the guys are phenomenal on the assists that he does get, but his stuff was skyrocket. When they pack it in and he kick it out and boom, assist, they hit that three, boom, and then you will see everything open up, and when it opens up, now his game appeals even more. That's where because when those games where everybody don't click in and see that with him, and you don't pack that deep, you can see how he can be a number one. But right now, it's easy for them to scheme for him because it's where they don't have anybody to hit from the outside, and that's that's what's that's what's gotta happen. I I'm not saying I'm not saying that he's right up there with Sean Alexander Necking. I'm talking about as far as getting to the the basket. He could get to the he could get to the basket. Now we can argue about does he got enough of the refs to give him the whistle and stuff like Alexander or whatever. I mean, right now, uh, I might be standing too. I'm way over here in Oklahoma City, is where the ref might be blowing a whistle on me right now, too close to him.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

But Kade is a number one, and when they get those outside shooters that they need, you're going to see that expose more. Because now you gotta, you just gotta uh uh uh you can't I can't cheat now off of my person just to double T. That's why his shooting percentage went went down so much because he was so much of the offense now was put back on him. And you could see, especially this last game, he was forcing because nobody else was hitting. He you could literally see it, and I and in that part I felt sorry for him because he's doing all and he was tired, he was tired.

Cade As A Two Guard

SPEAKER_02 18:46

Okay, so you you say he's he's a number one, and I understand what why you say that, but I still don't think so, but I think there's one thing that we might agree on. We're gonna see about this one. We haven't talked about it. So they're playing him, and he's listed as a point guard. I think there's no way in heck he is a freaking point guard. Do you agree with that? That he's I agree with that.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

He's a two, he's not a point guard, he's a two, you know, and I would. Yes, whatever, and kind of operating in a uh stop and think about him like this. Not not from uh hear me out, not from a Reggie Miller standpoint of coming off of the screen or whatever roll around and shoot it up, but it coming off of that screen, getting the ball, and then continue, you know, because because he's a downhill guy, right? Right. And coming off of that and being able to go, you know, with that movement, go downhill. That's the offense that they need to put him in. And then you let him operate off of that with somebody that can get him the ball, and then with an outside shooter, you know, stationed in certain areas, that's the type of offense, uh, you know, more of a motion one that I would I would like to see him in where the ball's not in his hands.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

I I completely agree. And so if if I could see him playing the two, I might change my mind on him being a number one. But right now, him being point guard, no, I do not see it. But I could see possibly with a with a point because uh I just hate how the position has been devalued in the NBA and how just they put anybody, just the best player is just automatically the freaking point guard.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

And I think a lot of that, that's a good point. But if you if if if we're honest, a lot of that is trying to please the player. Okay, because they want to if you they want to have the ball in their hands, and not and sometimes you know, it's not, it doesn't need to be in their hands throughout the game, right? I can see fourth quarter last year, boom, we have it in your hands, right? Right, everybody who's uh right, right, we get that, but throughout the whole game, no, because then what happens is it's easier for me to scheme towards that because you've already been handling it all the time, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

Yeah, and it makes it easier him easier to guard. That's why it does they they they were uh messing KD up in the one game I think he played for the other rockets this postseason so far because he's up there bringing the ball up and they can easily get get up at him and get get in his chest, and you know, he's not a true not a true point, so yeah, I you use a good word when you say devalue the point guards, and you know, I I hate to sound you know, I guess you and me boba hate to sound all old and everything, right?

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Because everybody wants to say the non position players, but if you actually do more scheming like that, you would see more teams would be able to win because a lot of these guys are burnt out by the time. get to the fourth quarter.

Is The Series Over And Offseason Fixes

SPEAKER_02 22:01

Right. For sure. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Completely agree with that. Well, man, well, so I think we uh so we had adjustments, but we've already really kind of covered adjustments and what you know they they they can do and whatnot. So I think man we can just go ahead and end this with the biggest the biggest question of it all. This is what everybody wants to know from from Detroit's finest uh Detroit guru Michael Sims. Detroit's down 3-1.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

They're going to the motor city tomorrow um to play game five they got possibly two home games is this series over this series is over one way or another it this series is either over or let's just do this let's just do this scenario right just on the whim let's just say that man they dig out they win tomorrow they go in Orlando right and they win they come back to Detroit and they win they're they're done they're done because you and I both know and I ain't trying to talk for you I'm putting I'm putting yeah I'm putting words in your mouth but you and I know that in the first series all right you don't want a seven game series and on top of that you don't want one as physical and brutal as this one has been all right and this is when you just supposed to roll over that first seed that's why I say about the traditional part you're just supposed to roll over the A C that's not going to happen. They would even if they was to come out of this and they're not all right their toast gonna push the toaster down pop it just popped up okay let me get my pop tar this over right but the realities of it is even if they were to come out and when they're they're they're done the physical toe especially that last game man they were did you see the foul that was going on the beat I mean they were really going it's it's some pounding going on and and the more you know when you go into that next series that next because the the NBA playoffs is who all can last go down going down there to the air that's why Oklahoma they just did their broom swept they're gonna rest get themselves ready you know and it and look at how it was done that's how you want to do it I'm I'm not against Oklahoma I'm not for Oklahoma but that's the reality they now they sitting pretty that's and and and that's what it's just that's just what it's about and now they messed as I predicted and I'm uh hey hey I'm wrong now that they at least get to the finals they're not gonna make it to the finals it's impossible they just don't and now they get everybody a blueprint too yeah sure on how to beat them that blueprint is easy one yeah me me me you would get a couple of others we could pack it on in on the inside and tell them with outside little ship with outside well I I'll be very surprised to see well not surprised but I'll be very um interested to see I should say what they do this offseason uh the you know the moves they make what they do so it'll be very interesting but they got to get some shooting and please get a point guard and let K play too because I I would like to see that I would love to see him play too and see what what he does with we'll have this conversation again but they're gonna go in that offseason and they're gonna go hard at some shooter who I don't know but they're gonna go hard I think at the shooters because you can you can see it with the team they're right there right yeah and you get some shooters it'll just it'll just it open everything up yeah hey Beasley is available so yeah I don't know why they they're sour on Beasley I I know yeah I mean you know of course it was the gambling investigation and whatnot right but all of that was all done and you know supposedly clear to that and like I say it was in you know Puerto Rico players so I'm like man they could they could use them they could use them they could use them right they could use them because as you see right now where Detroit's sitting right now you can see this over my head it says the healing place that's what Detroit needs to be at right now in the healing place.

SPEAKER_02 26:06

That's right they need some healing uh land of hands yes yes yes well uh Mike man we I appreciate you hopping on with me man uh it's a pleasure doing this which you just had to get your your take on this we'll uh you know continue to do this throughout the season and and watch everything and um yeah man we'll let you get back to the game hey love being on the show picking pros is the way to go baby all right thank you yes it is all right we will see y'all next time until then pick them pros pick em pros baby pick 'em like a proper truck pick em project we're gonna do the pick them like the proof