Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham is making the leap to certifiably elite status by dominating the fourth quarter. Cunningham already has the statistics to rank among the best in the NBA, but it's the way he's taken over games and led his team to wins that has fueled the leap in progress.
In the event that Cunningham sustains his late-game dominance across the entire 2025-26 season, he'll have a powerful case for becoming the first MVP in Pistons history.
It's difficult to believe that a franchise with such rich history could be devoid of an MVP, but it's the surprising truth of the Pistons organization. Despite having 85 years of history between the NBL, BAA, and NBA, Detroit has never once produced a regular season MVP.
At 24 years of age, Cunningham is making a way-too-early case for being able to end the drought and bring the hardware back to Michigan.
Cunningham is currently averaging 23.6 points, 9.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 block, 1.0 steal, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game. Unfortunately, he's also shooting at a clip of just .432/.302/.745 through seven appearances.
If Cunningham can improve his overall efficiency, then one key strength will make him a true MVP candidate: No one has been better during the fourth quarter.
Cade Cunningham leads all NBA players in points per fourth quarter
Cunningham is currently averaging a league-leading 11.2 points per fourth quarter. While his overall slash line has been poor, he's scoring at virtual will during the final frame of regulation with shooting marks of .489/.429/.810.
If Cunningham finishes the 2025-26 regular season at No. 1 in the NBA in points per fourth quarter and the Pistons keep winning games at a sufficient rate, MVP will be a real possibility.
Cunningham earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2024-25 after averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game at a clip of .469/.356/.846. He's in that same range again in 2024-25, only with significantly worse shooting marks.
Considering Cunningham earned the accolade by producing at this level and leading the Pistons to a 44-38 record, it's safe to assume he could move up the MVP ladder if the team wins 50 games.
It's an ambitious goal, but the Pistons are 5-2 and seemingly coming into their own on both ends of the floor. Detroit also pushed the New York Knicks to a six-game series during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, thus suggesting they're closer to the top teams in the East than some might give them credit for.
As such, it may be realistic to envision a scenario in which Cunningham continues to lead the NBA in points per fourth quarter, flirts with a nightly double-double, and leads Detroit to a 50-win season.
If Cunningham simultaneously improves his individual efficiency, it would be tough to argue against him as an MVP candidate. He'd have gone through the season as a 50-win team's go-to scorer, lead playmaker, and closer—and he'd be producing at elite levels in all three areas.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama will be difficult to compete with, but Cunningham has an entry point to the conversation with unrivaled fourth quarter dominance.