The Pistons' Cade Cunningham shined bright in his second All-Star game as his team took home the win against other American and international All-Stars. Cade continued to do what he's been doing all season long as the Pistons' leader: contribute in multiple ways to help his team win. His versatile impact proved his value and showed why he deserves a top spot in the MVP race.
Cade Cunningham should be a top MVP candidate this season
Cade has led the Pistons to the East's best record at 40-13. The entire team's defense has been elite this season, but Cade often carries the offense as both a scorer and playmaker. At the same time, he's a positive defender who contributes to the team's lockdown efforts. His two-way impact has elevated the Pistons to championship contenders and that needs to be reflected in award ballots.
Against the league's top stars in the All-Star Game, Cade continued his strong play. Across the 3 games (each lasting one quarter) that his team played, Cade totaled 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. He absolutely stuffed the stat sheet and showed the effectiveness of his unique playstyle.
Unlike many other top stars, Cade is capable of making huge defensive plays as well. He had a highlight block on Kevin Durant that was shocking for all the right reasons. We're not used to seeing so much defensive effort in the All-Star Game, but leave it to a Detroit Piston to bring that intensity back.
Nothing new at the All-Star game for deuce pic.twitter.com/LILxSpR0s3
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 16, 2026
Cade shining on the biggest in-season stage should elevate his standing even more among award voters. His team enters the All-Star break with the highest winning percentage in the league, and he's clearly leading the charge. Even without a great offensive supporting cast, Cade has been able to elevate his team to rare air.
In NBA.com's latest MVP ladder, Cade was ranked 4th behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. Those players are all having great seasons themselves, but Jokic and Doncic certainly don't provide the same consistent two-way impact as Cade. Not only that, but both have also missed multiple games (16 for Jokic and 12 with Doncic) with injury while Cade has played in all but 6.
Cade Cunningham deserves more respect from the national media and the NBA itself for his performance this season. He's leading a great team to heights no one expected with his two-way play and leadership. Other players might have better counting or scoring stats, but Cade's impact goes far beyond the basic numbers. Hopefully, his well-rounded performance in the All-Star Game will turn some heads and show award voters how much his game leads to wins.