NBA Notes: Pistons, Cade Cunningham, Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels, Bulls

Pistons

Two seasons ago, the Pistons were stuck in a 28-game losing streak and finished with the worst record in the league. Today, they’re sitting atop the Eastern Conference. Cade Cunningham said none of that failure has been forgotten.

“So many long car rides… long nights thinking about what could’ve happened different,” Cunningham told Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press. “That stuff lives with you. I carry it on the court. We all do.”

Detroit’s last seven games have been decided by six points or fewer. The Pistons are 4-3 in those matchups, a sign of a team learning how to close.

“It’s crazy this year,” Cunningham said. “A loose ball with a minute and a half left… this year we’re coming up with it. In the past we don’t. It’s the little plays that make the outcomes.”

The Pistons aren’t satisfied, Cunningham added, but the details are finally breaking their way.

Timberwolves

Jaden McDaniels is quietly becoming a different kind of problem for opponents. The Timberwolves forward scored 27 points in Saturday’s win over the Clippers and is averaging a career-high 16.0 points while shooting 48.5 percent from three.

Long viewed as an elite perimeter defender, McDaniels is now applying lessons he picked up while working out with Kawhi Leonard.

“Just not letting the defense speed you up,” he said, via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Play at your pace.”

His teammates say the growth is obvious.

“What he’s bringing to us is huge,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “Sometimes we need a spark. Sometimes we need steadiness. He’s been delivering whatever the moment calls for.”

Minnesota has won five straight, and McDaniels’ two-way leap is a major reason why.

Bulls

The Bulls’ early promise has collapsed under the weight of injuries and inconsistency.

Chicago dropped its seventh straight game Sunday, a 32-point loss to a Warriors team missing Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Golden State still hung 38 first-quarter points and controlled the glass.

Coach Billy Donovan said the Warriors’ identity has carried them through injuries — and that Chicago’s developing identity is a concern.

“With the injuries, responsibilities have changed,” Donovan said, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But we still have to hold true to how we’re supposed to play. Turnovers and ballhandling have really hurt us.”

After opening the season 5-0, the Bulls are now 9-14 and sit 11th in the East. Coby White insisted the locker room remains unified.

“We’ve got to do it together,” White said. “I’ve been here a long time, seen a lot. The most important thing is we stick together. It’s still a long season.”