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The Detroit Pistons ' historic turnaround continues to take the league by storm. The Pistons are not just the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 40-13 record at the All-Star break, but they're also the team with the best record in the entire NBA thanks to the Oklahoma City Thunder 's recent struggles. While there's plenty of credit to go around in Detroit, Cade Cunningham is the biggest reason for this dominant campaign.
Cunningham is living up to the hype and billing as the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick. The Pistons selected the 6-foot-7 point guard with the hope of him reshaping the culture of winning that has been missing from Detroit basketball for years. Not only has the winning impact been delivered, but the first-time All-Star starter is now establishing himself within MVP conversations.
Detroit's franchise player has been one of the most productive players in the league, averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 assists through 47 games. Cunningham ranks first in total assists and within the top 20 in points per game. He has even improved one of the biggest flaws in bringing his turnovers down from a league-leading 4.5 per game last season to 3.7 this season.
His elite 2025-26 season has him in discussions with other MVP candidates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander , Nikola Jokic , Luka Doncic , and others. While he may not be in the lead of the rankings yet , he has plenty of arguments in his favor.
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The Thunder's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks right before the All-Star break gave the Pistons the best record in the NBA. Detroit's winning success has translated well across the league. The Pistons are 17-6 against teams with winning records this season, and Cunningham has been a major reason behind that.
Detroit has been plagued by a lack of team success over the past several seasons. Media voters have overlooked them for awards due to their historic losing since Cunningham was drafted to the Pistons. With their winning improvements, that argument can't be used against them this season.
While SGA is still viewed by many as the favorite to repeat as MVP thanks to his ridiculous numbers and OKC's own spot at the top of the West, Detroit actually finishing with the best record in the NBA at the end of the season would be huge for Cunningham's chances.
The NBA has lately become focused more on offensive production as defense has changed significantly. Free throws and 3-point volume have gone up over the past several years. Outside of rim-protecting bigs, defensive production has become a slept-on aspect for perimeter defenders.
Cunningham has been a key contributor to the Pistons' second-best team defense in the NBA. He is one of the top defenders in the league, allowing 43.2% shooting when defending opponents , per NBA.com's tracking stats. Cunningham also offers elite defensive versatility as one of the best rim-protecting guards in the league.
J.B. Bickerstaff deserves a lot of credit for instilling a defensive culture in Detroit, but it wouldn't be possible without Cunningham leading the way.
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One of the most significant notes about Cunningham's career is his ability as a floor and ceiling raiser for his roster. The Pistons have never acquired another All-Star through trade or free agency during Cunningham's tenure. Most teams like acquiring stars to help aid the development of their franchise players. Detroit still has not taken this route, but the franchise has found success through the growth of Cunningham.
Some of the most useful veteran teammates for Cunningham have been Tim Hardaway Jr. , Jerami Grant , Malik Beasley , Duncan Robinson , Tobias Harris , and Paul Reed . Most of these names are considered journeymen who have helped reshape their name in the league with the help of playing next to Cunningham.
Center Jalen Duren is the first All-Star teammate to play with Cunningham. A lot of Duren's All-Star growth is due to the assistance of Cunningham. Their pick-and-roll lob connection has become one of the most dangerous tandems in the NBA.
Cunningham has never consistently operated with the benefit of quality spacing offensively. The Pistons are ranked 21st in 3-point shooting, and opponents' primary defensive agenda is double-teaming Cunningham.
Detroit has not made a lot of roster changes to address this, instead leaning on their defensive identity and the internal growth of their young talent. The growth has been evident, and a lot of is due to the star abilities by Cade Cunningham .
Give the man his MVP respect, whether he winds up winning it or not.
Related: Pistons' Cade Cunningham open to paying Isaiah Stewart's fines
