Cade Cunningham is in the midst of a breakout season for the Detroit Pistons that has started some interesting conversations.
Fans have been debating whether Cade is the best Pistons player since Isiah Thomas, a narrative I am not buying into until I see a bit more and perhaps a few wins, but Cunningham certainly has a case.
I’d point to Grant Hill, who was like Cade in some ways but a much better defender. Cunningham is currently trying to chase down Hill’s record for the most triple doubles in a season and he may get there.
If we are just going by raw stats, the season Cunningham is currently having stacks up with anything Hill did in Detroit, so he does have an argument, though guys like Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billips are also in that conversation and have their own cases.
Cunningham is third in the NBA in assists per game, averaging nearly 10 per contest, but as good as that is, it’s not nearly enough to get him near one Pistons’ record.
Detroit Pistons record for assists in a season
Isiah Thomas (best wishes to Zeke after his recent diagnosis of Bells palsy) holds the All-Time Pistons’ record for assists in a season with 1,123 in the 1984-85 season, a record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.
Thomas averaged nearly 14 assists per game that season, which led the NBA, so Cunningham isn’t going to get anywhere near his record even though he is having a fantastic season of his own, averaging 9.7 assists per game.
Cade has 271 assists through 28 games this season, so he’s on pace for fewer than 800, well off Thomas’ record-breaking season.
This is the type of record that will likely never be broken, because it doesn’t just require excellence but endurance.
Thomas played 81 games that season, a mark Cunningham hasn’t been near in his short career so far. Thomas’ ability to stay healthy and/or play though injuries is one of the reasons he’s an all-time great, as he rarely missed games, especially early in his career.
This is the case for just about any Pistons’ record, as those Bad Boys era players suited up nearly every night before the words “load management” or sitting out back-to-backs were a thing.
Cade Cunningham is having an All-Star season and should be selected to his first appearance in the All-Star game, but he’s still got a lot of work to do to be considered an All-Time great for Detroit. Leading this team to the playoffs would be a great start and put his name more credibly in the conversation.