CUNNINGHAM: What other people say is his freedom, and I won't listen

Because of an ankle sprain in training, Pistons Cadet Cunningham missed all of their pre-season and first four regular season games. It wasn't until today's game against the Magic that Cunningham made his regular season debut. The team set a time limit of up to 25 minutes before the game, and in the end Cunningham played 18 minutes, with 2 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 1 of 8 shooting. It was the lowest since Anthony Bennett's 2 points in 2013.

But even if he doesn't play well, Cunningham is still willing to think positively: "I think [my performance] is not bad, I can play without the ball, I can grab rebounds, and I'm stable on the defensive end." I'd love to prove that my ankle is okay, (I feel) that my movement is okay, that I can defend and do other things. So I've broken free of all the rust now, and now I'm free to play. ”

It's been so long since he made his debut, cunningham is sure to be nervous. He said: "I wouldn't say there was something I didn't expect, but when you actually play, it's always going to be different from what you thought. You've done all the preparation and once you're on the pitch, you'll still feel the excitement of longing for the game. ”

The first win made a lot of sense for the Pistons, who avoided their first 0-5 start since 2012-13. Pistons coach Devin Casey is also decompressing Cunningham: "I thought he would rust and not adapt to these situations, and it would be difficult for you to play in the desired condition immediately after a month out of the game. But I like his efforts, his intensity of the game. I love his advance and he's trying to make the right decision. ”

Cunningham's 1-of-8 shooting percentage was the second-worst shooting percentage since 1966, and Bennett's debut was 0-of-5. But a game doesn't say anything, Cunningham said: "You don't have to listen to everything, your mouth is on someone else, what matters is whether I can make the advice work for me." I try to keep my energy in the right place and try to play the right game. The team knows me, I know what I expect from myself, and that's important to me. People can think of saying what they want to say, but I probably won't listen. ”

Source: NBA official website