No matter how the playoffs ended for the Pistons, it was undeniably a successful regular season led by superstar guard Cade Cunningham. Cunningham was announced as an All-NBA First Team selection, marking the franchise's first selection for the honor in nearly 30 years. With this accolade, Cunningham has proven that he's ready to lead his team towards championship contention now and the Pistons must make moves to help that happen.
Cade Cunningham is already a top player in the league
Even though he's still young, Cade is already among the league's best players. He's giving the Pistons a luxury they've rarely had in team history. Even when the Pistons made 8 straight conference finals in the 2000s including a title in 2004, they never had a player make First Team All-NBA.
At that time, Detroit was forced to rely on an extremely deep and balanced team focused on defense. Now, they have more options to build a title contender because they have such a standout individual in Cunningham. But they'll still need to put the right pieces around him to build a true title team.
Cade took the next step this season as he led the Pistons to 60 wins and the East's first seed. His unique combination of scoring, playmaking and defense stood out even against other superstars across the NBA. For the regular season, he finished with averages of 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game - keep in mind that his last few games came during recovery from a collapsed lung.
The Pistons can't ask for much more out of Cade
Even though the Pistons fell victim to some persistent issues in the playoffs, Cade proved himself further. As his teammates struggled to hit shots, Cade increased his own scoring to 28 points per game on an incredibly tough shot diet. Even as a natural floor general, Cade exceeded expectations with his tough shot-making and sustained defensive effort in tough playoff series.
He did have some turnover issues, but the Pistons must understand that Cade's lack of offensive help contributes to those problems. Some are caused by his own carelessness, but surely his heavy burden also adds mental fatigue. The bigger cause of Cade's turnovers are how much playoff defenses can crowd him without fear that his teammates will make them pay.
No matter what other decisions the Pistons make going forwad, Cade Cunningham will remain their core pillar. His superstar talent and production drive the team's success on both ends and allows them to succeed even with flawed rosters. Cade's leadership and brilliance have already turned the franchise around, but now he's ready to reach even further heights if his team makes the right moves.
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