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"He's unstoppable" - Carmelo Anthony names Cade Cunningham the X-factor for a Pistons title run
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- "He's unstoppable" - Carmelo Anthony names Cade Cunningham the X-factor for a Pistons title run
When the Detroit Pistons jumped to 44 wins in the 2024-25 season, a massive 30-win improvement from the previous campaign, very few people believed that surge would immediately translate into dominance in the Eastern Conference.
However, in the 2025-26 season, that skepticism is rapidly fading. The team's young core appears ready to embrace winning basketball at the highest level, perhaps trying to recapture the iconic days of the late 1980s.
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So, now with the Pistons sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 28-10 record, Carmelo Anthony went above and beyond to proclaim how he believes in Cade Cunningham's potential to lead Detroit to a championship right now.
Melo believes Cade can achieve something massive with the Pistons
A big part of the Pistons' ascension this season should be credited to Cunningham, who is averaging career-high numbers in scoring, assists and rebounding. But more impressively, the manner of his leadership has been more remarkable.
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He embraces every moment in clutch time, while being among the league's leading scorers in the last quarter, and carries the team through adversity even when he is far from his most efficient form.
Over time, this leadership has shaped the Pistons' identity, helping them become one of the second-best defensive teams in the season.
Beyond Cade, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren are adding great two-way balance to the team. Not only are these two averaging points in double digits, but they are also having campaigns worthy of All-Defensive Team selections.
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So, naturally, this depth has made the Pistons extremely difficult to exploit. And now, Melo is certain that if Cade emerges as the ideal "x-factor" for this team, they are indeed ready to chase the Larry O'Brien from this very season.
"You still hesitant about them? They can win a championship this year. I get it, OKC is tough, they should repeat. But Detroit could get there; they just made up their minds, they build differently. They like Detroit-tough. If 'Shorty' figures this one thing, he's unstoppable," Melo said on his podcast.
"So far this season, he's figured it out. When you learn how to lead, manipulate the game with the ball in your hand and I can score, you start influencing all aspects of the game… that's when the game is fun for fun. Your confidence goes sky high."
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Can the Pistons win a title this year?
It is no surprise that skepticism will exist around every young and up-and-coming team. The Pistons' core has yet to win a single playoff series together and has not demonstrated consistency in high-pressure situations. For most, that lack of a proven playoff resume makes it hard to believe that a team could win now.
However, this same narrative was prevalent throughout the Thunder last season, when they went all the way to win their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma.
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If anything, doubts should only fuel the Pistons' morale to make louder noise, and certainly, they have a Hall of Famer in Melo cheering for them and their superstar, Cade Cunningham .
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
