Over the past few seasons, Cade Cunningham has grown into the undisputed face of the Pistons and he proved his worth as a leader when asked about Jalen Duren on media day. Despite Duren's own disconnect from Cunningham and the rest of the team, Cade was supportive of his teammate and even tried to take some heat off him.
Duren's pursuit of the highest contract possible might be hurting the Pistons in the long run, but there's no benefit to Cade calling that out. In fact, that might even make free agents in the future question whether or not they want to play with Cade in Detroit. Instead, by expressing his support for Duren and even comparing the situation to his own extension two years ago, Cade is sending a message to the Pistons and the rest of the NBA that he will always have his teammates' backs.
Cade will support the other Pistons no matter what
The Pistons officially handed the keys to the locker room over to Cade this offseason by parting ways with two veteran leaders in Isaiah Stewart and Tobias Harris. Detroit had other reasons to let either guy go, but Cade's growth as a leader also made the decision a bit easier.
In previous years, he hadn't yet matured to the point of leading the Pistons as the longest-tenured member of the team. But this season will be different. No one else has been in Detroit as long as Cade's 5 years (and counting). He's entering veteran status and making the shrewd media decisions to boot.
To get the most out of his teammates, Cade must have them ready to run through a wall for them. Standing up for Duren in the face of intense public scrutiny, with the front office on the other side of the negotiation table, only reinforces Cade's image in his teammates' eyes. They know that he'll support them at all costs, and give him their all in return.
Cade is a leader on and off the court
In addition to his growing presence as a locker room leader, Cade has always been an elite floor general. He'll push his teammates to new heights this season through both his encouragement and his always-excellent playmaking. Through his vision and passing, Cade can help his teammates get easy baskets in a very direct way.
Considering the lack of elite scoring talent on the Pistons compared to other contenders, Cade's playmaking is absolutely essential. A huge aspect of that playmaking is his elite chemistry with just about every teammate. That sort of connection doesn't happen without Cade proving himself as a leader day in and day out.
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