Pistons news: Cade Cunningham's gaudy assist numbers and the path to Vegas in the NBA Cup

Cade Cunningham made his return from a bruised hip last night and was sharp, scoring 24 points and adding 11 assists, six rebounds, two steals and making 10 of his 19 shots, including 4-of-6 from downtown. 

He had some sloppy moments in the 4th quarter that added to his turnover total (6) but he hit huge shots when the Pistons needed them, including a step-back 3-pointer when the Pacers were threatening to come back late. 

Cunningham shared the wealth as he has all season, racking up 11 assists and getting everyone involved, which is when the Pistons are at their best offensively. 

Those assist numbers are nothing new, as Cade is 4th in the NBA in assists per game, averaging nine per contest, just behind LeBron James’ 9.1 per game. 

Cunningham has had at least nine assists in his last 10 games played, a stretch of dimes we haven’t seen since the days of Isiah Thomas. 

I thought Cunningham would finish in the top-5 in the league in assists this season and so far, he is making good on my prediction. 

Detroit Pistons: NBA Cup standings and how to advance 

The Pistons remain undefeated in the NBA Cup and it is clear they are taking it seriously. 

Last night’s win set up a huge game with the Bucks on December 3rd, and if Detroit wins, they will host a game in the knockout round, likely against Atlanta, Boston or Orlando with a trip to Vegas on the line.

They can still make it through with a loss to the Bucks, but will need help and there are plenty of permutations. They’d have to lose a close game to keep the point differential tight and then hope the Magic beat the Knicks. 

There are plenty of teams still in play for the NBA Cup and it has added some buzz around the games, so I would call this a success for the league, especially when it comes to the Pistons. 

Detroit’s young roster has yet to play in meaningful games, so it was great to see them focused last night and treating it like a playoff game. 

Little Caesar’s Arena is going to have a playoff atmosphere on Tuesday, so the young players are finally going to get quality reps in a big game against a good team, something we’ve been waiting for for a long time. 

Last year, the Pacers were able to use the NBA Cup to make a big leap as a team and we have to hope a deep run could have the same effect on the Pistons. A home win against the Bucks on Tuesday would arguably be their biggest win in 15 years, so let’s hope LCA is packed and loud.