It’s been a wild week for the Detroit Pistons. Earlier in the week, the team found themselves in the spotlight after a controversial loss to the New York Knicks. Following the game, the referees admitted they totally missed a foul call on Ausar Thompson. That move pretty much cost the Pistons that game. But, they had to move forward.

The next night, the Pistons had a game against the Chicago Bulls. They totally redeemed themselves with a big win, closing out the Bulls by 10 points. One big thing that helped make the team stronger was having Isaiah Stewart back for the first time since his suspension.

After practice on Thursday, Stewart discussed his suspension with the media, as well as other things. One topic that came up was star Pistons player Cade Cunningham’s leadership. Stewart game Cunningham lots of praise for how he helped the team get past the previous night’s antics to pull off a win against the Bulls.

“Cade did a great job of talking to the group, keeping the group together. His leadership has been great,” Stewart said. “They didn’t dwell on the last call from that play. We came out, we played hard from start to finish.”

Cunningham is definitely a leader. But, he’s not just a leader with his teammates off the court. He’s also a leader on the court. Cunningham, a former No. 1 pick, closed out that Bulls game with a whopping 26 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Following the Pistons’ win against the Bulls, Cunningham told reporters, “This feels amazing.”

He added, “Emotional day yesterday, this morning, still kind of felt it a little bit. This was a huge game for us. It’s just on the leaders of the group to carry that, and everybody else follows suit. Coach talked about it a couple of times, like, got to put it behind us. We got to respond and continue to push. That’s what we did. I’m just proud of my team. I’m happy to be with these guys and this was an amazing response from us.”

I watched the Pistons, Bulls game while recovering from a nasty bout of norovirus. I’m a journalist, covering sports and entertainment, so I understand the frustration with fans about the team’s record this season. But, I believe we have a lot of promise. The Detroit Lions lost almost every game of their first season with Dan Campbell, remember? Give Monty Williams time. He hasn’t even been here a year. Williams has a track record of great history building teams, including the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans. This guy needs time. He’s got character, drive and faith. That’s all you need in this game. Okay, you need more than that. You need street smarts and the knowledge of the game. But, Williams has that. I truly believe that this time next year, the Detroit Pistons will be the new Detroit Lions. How ironic is that statement, right? So, hit me back next year and let me know what you think. Contact me at anne@alternativefix.com.

If you’re into March Madness, check out the full schedule for 2024 here.