NBA Analyst Snubs Multiple Detroit Pistons Seasonal Awards

Following a historic turnaround from the Detroit Pistons, a handful of their standouts have been tossed around in debates for seasonal awards. One insider peeled back the curtain on his voting and ended up snubbing two of their top performers.

When it comes to the Pistons’ success this season, the play of Cade Cunningham was a driving factor. The former No. 1 pick emerged into a star-level talent, putting up multiple career highs in the process. With the way the award has trended as of late, some have argued him to be a favorite for Most Improved Player.

In his latest column for ESPN, Tim Bontemps broke down his award voting and defended each of his choices. Cunningham was not on the ballot, with Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley taking the top spot. Rounding out the top three were Ivica Zubac and LA Lakers guard Austin Reaves.

Aside from Cunningham, another Pistons player front and center in an award race is Malik Beasley. The veteran sharpshooter put together a historic campaign, joining the small list of players to hit at least 300 three-pointers in a season. Putting up some of the best numbers of his career off the bench, the Pistons guard is in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year.

Beasley was on Bontemps’ ballot but finished in third place. Taking home the first-place vote was Payton Pritchard, the favorite to take home the hardware.

My third spot went to Beasley, who is seventh in the league with more than nine attempts per game, and at 41.6% he’s the only player inside the top 20 in attempts to also shoot 40% for the season. Beasley’s career year has played a major role in Detroit’s surge.

Seeing that this is just one voter’s outlook on things, there is still a chance Cunningham or Beasley ended up securing an award for their strong play.

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