Don’t look now, but Cade Cunningham is solidifying his place among the NBA’s elite and has a compelling case to make his first All-Star appearance in San Francisco this year. Let’s break down the factors behind his All-Star candidacy.
The All-Star case for Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham is the cornerstone of the Detroit Pistons franchise. Historically, being the best player on a middling Eastern Conference team has often been enough to earn an All-Star spot, depending on the competition at the same position, and Cade’s individual performance this season, paired with the Pistons being a competitive team, makes him a strong contender.
Cade’s basic stat line this season is 24 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game. These numbers place him in elite company: only Cade, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and LeBron James are putting up at least 23+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 8+ assists per game this season. Cade also has the third most triple-doubles in the league this season, with six on the year. Only Jokić and LeBron have more. And his 9.7 assists a game are currently good for second in the league.
Simply put, he’s been one of the better offensive engines in the league. Everything the Pistons want to do offensively flows through him. Not unlike Luka Dončić, it feels like every Pistons possession with Cade on the floor either ends with a Cade shot, a shot created by a Cade pass, or a shot created off of Cade getting doubled.
Outside of the numbers, Cade’s all-encompassing impact on both ends is evident to anyone who has watched Pistons basketball this season. On top of being everything for Detroit offensively, he’s a plus defender, grabs rebounds, and just controls the game.
Cade Cunningham's competition for an All-Star spot
While some Eastern guards like Donovan Mitchell and Jaylen Brown are near locks for the All-Star Game due to their combination of individual production and team success, the other Eastern Conference guards aren’t quite as guaranteed of a spot. When you compare Cade to the others, considering all factors, Cade comes out looking pretty good.
Darius Garland: Scores less, assists less, and has a smaller offensive burden than Cade. However, he’s the point guard for the team with the best record in the league
Jalen Brunson: A more efficient scorer with similar production as Cade, but dishes out fewer assists. Plays for a great offensive team but doesn’t quite carry the same load as Cade.
LaMelo Ball: Scores significantly more but is much less efficient and plays on a far worse team.
Trae Young: Leads the league in assists and is the offensive engine for a solid Hawks squad. However, his inefficiency this season (despite a 22 points and 12 assists a game) works against him.
Damian Lillard: Lillard has better numbers than last year when he was an All-Star, and the Bucks are a top-five team in the East. Scoring more efficiently than Cade, while also dishing out almost 8 assists while playing alongside a man who dominates the ball as much as Giannis Antetokounmpo is impressive.
In theory, all of these guys could make it over Cade. But holistically, none of them are doing as much on defense, on the glass, nor have as much of a burden to carry the way Cade does. The all-around efforts of Cade should give him the edge over most of them.
Team Success
Perhaps the most critical factor to Cade’s candidacy is that the Pistons are winning. At least, winning more than recent years. And his growth is a huge reason why they have hovered around that last play-in spot for most of the season, and have registered several impressive wins on the road. They won in New York (led by a Cade triple double), completed a 19-point second half comeback against Sacramento, and even swept the season series with the Lakers.
After the 0-4 start, the Pistons have played .500 basketball. This is a competitive, scrappy team that does not go away easy. These are not the same Pistons of recent years. But a big reason for their ascension into the middle of East is they have a bona fide star in Cade, who can match up well with any of the best perimeter offensive engines in the league. And as such, he should be rewarded with an All-Star selection.
You can vote for Cade Cunningham here.