When the Detroit Pistons selected Cade Cunningham at No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the landscape of the Association quietly shifted. Cunningham is a basketball prodigy, winning National High School Player of the Year and NABC Freshman of the Year in successive seasons.
Four years, three head coaches, a season-ending surgery, and a highly-anticipated first career All-Star Game appearance later, Cunningham is realizing his potential before our very eyes.
Cunningham finished the 2024-25 regular season with All-NBA numbers and an equal impact on winning. He posted marks of 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 on .469/.356/.846 shooting.
More importantly, the 23-year-old solidified his status as a franchise player by leading Detroit to its first postseason appearance since 2018-19.
On Monday, Apr. 21, Cunningham took that historic achievement to another level—and it's not exclusively due to the fact that Detroit won a mere 14 games in 2023-24. Instead, it's what he did after securing a mind-boggling 30-win improvement year-over-year.
On Apr. 21, Cunningham put the Pistons on his back and the led the franchise to their first playoff win since 2008—thus ending a 17-year drought.
Cade Cunningham dominated the Knicks for historic Game 2 win
Detroit won a tense Game 2, pulling away for a 100-94 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. It was a phenomenal defensive effort by the Pistons, as well as a stellar display of bench scoring from Dennis Schröder and another strong showing from Tobias Harris.
The star of the show, however, was Cunningham—who took the Knicks' shift in defensive priorities in stride to lead his team to the win.
New York made it clear from the start that it wanted to take Cunningham's passing lanes away from him. It was an understandable approach, as the 23-year-old is one of the best and most productive playmakers in the NBA.
Cunningham finished No. 4 in the Association in assists per game this season, but the win over Detroit proved he could get the job done any way the situation calls for.
Cunningham finished Game 2 with 33 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 11-of-21 shooting. It was an unbelievable display of poise under pressure, with the All-Star ensuring his team would go back to Detroit with a shift in home-court advantage.
It was the type of performance that superstars produce when their team needs them most, casting aside all elements of self-doubt to overcome adversity.
Detroit will now have a chance to go up 2-1 in the series when it hosts New York on its own court for Game 3. It's an intriguing possibility, as the Pistons closed out the regular-season series against the Knicks by defeating them in Michigan.
If Game 2 is a sign of things to come, then Cunningham could have the Pistons knocking on the door of greatness sooner than anticipated.