Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart found motivation from a 2022 trip to Boston

A 2022 visit to TD Garden arranged by then-coach Dwane Casey gave Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart a firsthand look at playoff intensity, and the article says that experience helped shape their goals as the Pistons rose to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart are now central figures for the Detroit Pistons, a team the article reports sits atop the Eastern Conference with a 31-10 record. Nearly four years earlier, then-coach Dwane Casey took the two young players to sit on the baseline at TD Garden for Game 4 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals. The trip was intended to expose them to the atmosphere and poise of playoff basketball. The article links that experience to how both players set goals and developed through the following seasons. Key points: - Dwane Casey arranged for Cunningham and Stewart to sit on the baseline at TD Garden for the 2022 Eastern Conference finals game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. - Cunningham highlighted Miami's composure during that game, even in a 20-point loss, as an important example of playoff poise. - In a recent 104-103 win over Boston, Cunningham had 16 points, 14 assists and no turnovers, and the Pistons improved their standing. - Isaiah Stewart played 21 minutes off the bench in that game, was a team-high plus-8, and the article notes his 2.0 blocks per game rank third in the league. - The Pistons are described as leading the East by 5 1/2 games and pursuing postseason objectives, with J.B. Bickerstaff and Casey credited for player development. Summary: The article frames the 2022 TD Garden visit as a formative moment that helped Cunningham and Stewart visualize playoff basketball and set longer-term goals. They now form part of a Pistons team positioned near the top of the standings, and the article presents their continued progress as tied to that earlier experience and ongoing coaching support.