Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham lived up to his reputation by leading the team on both sides of the ball in a Game1 victory over the Cavaliers. Although Cade was limited in his shooting efficiency by Cleveland's plethora of long defenders, he made an impact with clutch offensive plays and strong defense throughout the game. It was a great display of leadership from Detroit's best player, especially his tremendous efforts on defense against tough matchups.
Cade Cunningham's two-way impact makes a huge difference
Unlike many other top stars, Cade is a strong defender who almost always gives maximum effort. He carries the spirit of his team well by stepping up for difficult assignments and disrupting plays off the ball. In Game 1, he often chose to defend James Harden or Donovan Mitchell on key plays to maximize his impact.
Cade helped force the Cavaliers' star guards into tough shots and 10 combined turnovers. He was very diligent in his defense to keep opponents at bay without hacking or fouling unnecessarily. The Pistons only finished with 18 total fouls, notably less than their average from the first round.
Cunningham's solid defense allows him to continue having a strong positive impact for the Pistons even when he struggles offensively. In Game 1, he had some shooting woes as he finished 6-of-19 from the field. But Cunningham still helped his team through his defense, 7 assists and shooting 9-of-11 on free throws. It was a solid all-around performance to help the team begin their revenge tour for their coach against the Cavaliers.
Cade is proving himself as a playoff superstar
In Round 1, Cade was a dominant scorer and led the entire NBA in total scoring. When his teammates were unable to get going, he was able to find tough baskets himself that kept the Pistons offense afloat in the worst conditions. But in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, the tides turned as Cade was the one unable to hit many of his usual shots - and yet he still found a way to help his team win.
After the Cavaliers tied the game in the fourth quarter behind a huge run, Cade checked back in and helped put the game away. On four straight plays, he created baskets for his teammates - three assists to Jalen Duren for dunks and one on-ball screen to get Daniss Jenkins a wide-open jumper. Finally, Cade took it upon himself to get a tough isolation bucket and sink the Cavaliers with a midrange shot.
All the while, Cade continued his strong defense - including forcing Duncan Robinson out of bad situations guarding Harden or Mitchell. As usual, Cade set the tone throughout the game for the Pistons to dominate with their defense and feel confident relying on him for offense.
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