Under the Hood – it’s time to see what’s really going on inside this Pistons team. Firing on All Cylinders Last night was a game that showed why Cade Cunningham is top five in the MVP race this year. Cade finished with 32 points and 10 assists while shooting 11-for-21 from the fiel d and 6-for-10 from deep. He also added to his Clutch Player of the Year resume with four fourth quarter jumpers, including these two late in the game to keep Boston away: View LinkView Link He is a smooth operator. Also, in case you missed it, Javonte Green had a poster dunk that’ll be on this season’s highlight reel for years to come. View Link Transmission Trouble It’s a new experience to be able to watch Pistons games nowadays and think about how Detroit’s rotation or playstyle will have to adapt when they’re in the playoffs. Last night was a game where I felt like Duncan Robinson’s defense would’ve played him off of the court in the postseason. From the start, it looked like Boston was comfortable hunting Robinson in switches to get him matched up with Jaylen Brown. View Link It picked up in the second quarter – here Brown has a simple isolation possession and Robinson can’t stick with him. View Link Another possession where Jaylen overpowers Duncan. View Link The third quarter begins and Boston goes right back to it. In the playoffs, JBB would have to change his switching scheme or put somebody else on the floor that could handle guarding Jaylen Brown. View Link Mechanic’s Note After last night’s six made threes, Cade is up to 32.7% from deep this season on a career-high 6.4 three-point attempts per game. The percentage still isn’t great, and anything 36% or higher would be his best yet, but if he’s hitting off-the-dribble threes like he was last night it’s going to take his game to the next level. Four of his six threes were pull-up shots as a stepback in isolation or after receiving a screen. Surprisingly, Cade’s average FGA is just slightly below last year despite a career-high in three-point and free throw attempts – yet, he’s averaging a career-high 27.1 points. By taking less midrange shots and attempting more threes and free throws, Cade is attempting more efficient shots. He could easily become a 30-PPG-scorer once his three-point efficiency reaches that reasonable 36% (or higher). View Link ...read more read less