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By Anne Erickson
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The Detroit Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the playoffs, but they fell short to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Then, the Cavs lost to the Knicks in a sweep, which makes one wonder if the Pistons could have given the Knicks more of a run for their money.
But now, we'll never know. Still, the good news for the Pistons is that they have a star guard in Cade Cunningham and a solid coach with J.B. Bickerstaff. Now, they have some new rookies, too, from the NBA draft.
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The Pistons drafted Ebuka Okorie with their No. 17 pick and Ugonna Onyenso at No. 53. What makes the former extra exciting is that he's really a perfect complement for Cunningham. And Cunningham needs relief on the court, so this was a needed move.
Ben Golliver of ESPN gives the Pistons a B+ grade for their draft moves. In the piece, he notes that last season, Cunningham's usage rate jumped to 32.4.
"Okorie, a 19-year-old guard from Stanford who likes nothing more than collapsing opposing defenses off the dribble," he adds of their picks. "After Detroit traded former lottery pick Jaden Ivey at the deadline and watched backup Daniss Jenkins struggle in his first playoff run, the Pistons will hope Okorie is ready to handle real minutes sooner than later."
My Take: Cade Cunningham Finally Gets Relief
More sports: Jazz and Darryn Peterson Dubbed the Biggest Win of the NBA Draft
Picking Okorie was a great option for the Pistons. He was the most appropriate player for their needs still available at No. 17, and he sounds jazzed to be in Detroit.
"It really just comes down to competing and just wanting to win," Okorie said during his introductory press conference for the Detroit Pistons. "It's really as simple as that."
More news: Bulls Shock With Dailyn Swain Pick in NBA Draft
Okorie is young but has shown enough maturity that he should be able to hit the ground running with the Pistons. Now, he can learn under Cunningham and hopefully help bring down Cunningham's playing time, just a bit.
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