DETROIT -- Although their time together has been brief, Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff is already impressed with Cade Cunningham and the way he "goes about his business."
As it turns out, the feeling is mutual.
Arriving in the NBA as the Pistons' No. 1 overall pick in 2021, Cunningham has been a part of several of the worst seasons in franchise history, including last season's all-time worst 14-68 mark.
Heading into his fourth season in Detroit, Cunningham feels things will be different this time, crediting Bickerstaff for the change.
"His organization and just that energy he brings -- he's gritty himself, you know what I'm saying?" Cunningham told reporters on Tuesday. "That means a lot to a young group. That means a lot to us, having that new energy in, and it makes us want to play hard for him."
Bickerstaff's instruction is already providing positive early returns. The Pistons, who finished the preseason with a 3-2 record, had a 97.1 defensive rating, which was fourth-best in the NBA.
To paint a picture of how drastic a change that is, last preseason under former coach Monty Williams, their rating was 112.1, second to last. And in the season before that, Dwane Casey's final season as coach, it was 111.5 -- 26th in the league.
The last time the Pistons finished their preseason with a top-five defensive rating was in 2021.
In the Pistons' three preseason wins -- against the Bucks, Suns, and Cavaliers -- their opponents' starters logged significant minutes against theirs. While preseason is a small sample and things change greatly once the regular season starts, the performance is an indicator that this current group is buying into Bickerstaff's philosophy.
"I mean, that's all credit to the staff that's come in every day. We're repping this stuff out, we're drilling this stuff out, and it pays off in the end," Cunningham said. "So I don't think they're going to change that.
"I think that's what we want our identity to be. It is what we want our identity to be, and preseason was just a start. Teams are going to play better, and we're going to play better too. So the year (has) started, and now we get to see where we weigh up."
Since the onset the Pistons' training camp, there's been considerable chatter regarding the progression of Jaden Ivey. This preseason, the third-year guard averaged 15 points in roughly 21 minutes of action.
Being frank, the number itself isn't much to boast about.
However, Ivey's staggering shooting percentages over that stretch -- 61.4% from the field and 53% from three-point range -- are incomprehensible even compared to his two previous preseasons. The jump in production is a credit to Ivey's extensive post-practice drills with shooting specialist Fred Vinson, whom the Pistons hired in the offseason.
While the performance has been shocking to some, it isn't to Cunningham, his backcourt mate, who has professed over previous seasons that he wants to make the tandem of him and Ivey work.
"I mean, I've seen it coming. It's not anything that surprises me," Cunningham said. "I know how much he works. I know how much he cares about this, and so it's no surprise. He's only going to get better and better as time goes on.
"(Ivey's) going to have a great year this year, and I'm excited to play with him and I'm excited to accomplish a lot with him."