The Detroit Pistons won their 7th straight last night and are finally getting some wider recognition for what is shaping up to be the best story in the NBA this season.
After the win over the Clippers, the Pistons have now eclipsed their win total for the last two seasons combined and we are still in February. This is a team that won 14 games last season and added cast-off veterans to their roster in the offseason.
They are now 32-26, sitting just a game out of the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, and if the playoffs started today, the Pistons would not only be in them, but would be a team absolutely no one wants to play.
They are physical, tough, can come at you in a number of ways, and they have the one thing every team needs in the playoffs, which is a superstar who is not afraid of anyone, and they have one in Cade Cunningham.
We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves here, as there is a lot of season left to play and the Pistons have yet to reach the tough part of their schedule. They have a huge home game against Boston on Wednesday that might be the biggest home game they’ve had in a decade, and if they win that one, you may have to tether me to the Earth.
Something special is happening in Detroit and there is plenty of credit to go around, from the front office to coach JB Bickerstaff to the veterans that anchor this team.
But most of it has to go to Cade Cunningham, who has already made the leap to All-Star this season and there may be more awards to come.
Bill Simmons puts Cade Cunningham on the All-NBA team
What a difference a year makes.
Last year the Pistons were the butt of jokes, an object of pity, or just a team no one talked about at all.
ESPN actually did a segment about how Monty Williams was lucky to be fired (yeah, we remember, Steven) and how the Detroit situation was so toxic no coach would want to touch it.
Many fans gave up on Cunningham, and those who didn’t thought he’d be demanding a trade to another team any day.
Instead, Cunningham emerged this season as one of the top guards in the league, a physical force who can get wherever he wants to on the floor, finish at all three levels, set up teammates and defend.
He’s a true two-way star this season, and as much as we talk about his leaps in efficiency on offense, his leap in defense has been just as important, as he sets the tone for his teammates and leads by example.
All of these things (along with injuries to Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama) have some putting Cade Cunningham on their All-NBA teams.
That includes NBA personality Bill Simmons, who currently has Cade on the All-NBA second team, ahead of guys like Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry.
He has Donovan Mitchell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on his first team and Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham on the second with Anthony Edwards, Kyrie and Steph on the 3rd team.
I’d be very surprised if it works out this way, as Cade would have to overcome some serious name recognition, but the fact that we are talking about this shows just how far he and his team have come in one year.
I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure this Pistons’ season isn’t a dream, as those of us who have been through the trenches with this team were starting to wonder if we were ever going to get out.
If Cade does make the All-NBA team, he’s going to be substantially richer next year, as it will mean an extra $8 million in his pocket next season and will have some payroll ramifications for the Pistons.
But that’s a good problem to have, and while it’s still far from a certainty, it’s an honor Cade deserves for orchestrating one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history.