At 13-2, the Pistons have become the class of the East thanks to the play of Cade Cunningham.
The truest measure of a man is not defined when he is at his highest, but when he is touching the floor with his palms and knees and feeling dizzy in that desolate moment. In those situations, he can turn… or unbuckle himself, stand up, brush off the pain and scabs, and resume the journey.
Cade Cunningham found himself in that situation countless times two years ago — well, 28 consecutive nights to be exact — but never lost hope for himself or the Detroit Pistons.
To find comfort and encouragement, he looked inward and reminded himself of his mission: “My whole goal from day one was to come here and turn the Pistons organization around.”
An NBA-record 28 straight losses in a forgettable 2023-24 season turned into small steps, then abundant boundaries, now in just two years: 11 straight wins for the Pistons, a seat at the top of the Eastern Conference standings early in the 2025-26 season, and a firm vindication of Cunningham.
The signs he has shown since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2021, even during the lowest moments for the Pistons, have certified Cunningham as a franchise-changer, the rarest of breed in the NBA.
What’s even more impressive is that Cunningham is not an outsider, as in, a physical freak of nature or someone who was given a ticket to greatness in middle school. Talent? Of course, he has that. But intangibles and talent have put him and the Pistons in a special place.
“That’s the situation you’re put in when you’re picked No. 1,” Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said, “the responsibility that comes with it, the expectation that comes with it, the pressure and then the structure of what’s going on around you because typically the No. 1 is in a rebuilding situation.”
“He got caught up in it all. He could have been frustrated, blamed everybody, but you never heard him do that. The only thing he did was put his head down and go to work and accept responsibility. I don’t know if I’ve ever coached anybody who apologizes and says ‘my bad’ more than Cade.”
Cade Cunningham reached a 46-12-11 triple-double; Adding 5 steals made him the first player in the modern era to record 40-10-10-5.
The 13-2 Pistons have someone who checks off the boxes with their 6-foot-6 point guard. He can score (27.3 points per game), survey the floor, put the ball to the right teammate at the right time, make quick and correct decisions, move forward defensively and lead tense moments late in games that demand a savior.
You can see it on the court and see how he carries himself with it — especially around his teammates in the locker room — because of his unselfishness and tendency to get distracted. To a man, the Pistons ride and ride with Cunningham, a product of his leadership and willingness to be on the same level with them.
As Bickerstaff said: “He can eat without even removing food from your plate.”
‘My goal is to help the Pistons win’
Cade Cunningham had a breakout season in 2024–25, averaging 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists for the Pistons.
What are the roots of his development as a franchise player? The unlikely place, yes, was during the 2023-24 season, which was essentially his second season after he missed almost all of the previous season due to a shin fracture.
Cunningham was a shining star in the darkness for Detroit. During that losing streak, he was often the best player on the field, regardless of who was on the other bench. He had 43 points, 41 points, 33 points twice, 31 points three times and he averaged nearly eight assists in those 28 losses.
The Pistons were shaky in many ways with their coaching staff and front office that season, and the impact of the loss didn’t help. Then-coach Monty Williams could not survive this, as he was fired after only one season (with five years and $65 million on his contract). The roster was variable and the core was young as Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Jaden Ivey had not yet developed into solid players.
It was Cunningham’s growth from that experience, and the character he showed during it, that put the Pistons on the path to prosperity. At least, Detroit had a face for the franchise and a focal player who would be easy to draft.
If last season was his breakout – All-Star, All-NBA selection and playoff appearance – then this season may represent something even bolder.
The Pistons’ most recent game, last Tuesday’s win in Atlanta, captured the essence of Cunningham’s season. They made 6 of 16 shots in the first three quarters but it didn’t matter; The Pistons were up by 12. Halfway through the fourth, that lead was down to one point.
Stewart said: “He only had 15 or so points in the fourth quarter and I thought ‘We’re good, he’s going to take us home.’ Because that’s what he does.”
Cunningham scored nine consecutive points, had zero turnovers, and the Pistons won by eight.
“I just try to play the best game we can,” he said. “Making the right play has always been in my favor. My team trusts me with the ball and in moments like these I feel like it’s my job, my opportunity, whether it’s to score, make a pass, whatever. It’s a responsibility.
“My goal is not to get myself out there. My goal is to help the Pistons win.”
Cunningham’s flow on the court is effortless, consistent and immutable. He plays for himself and his teammates and dominates the ball only when necessary. It’s these nuances that set Cunningham apart from most.
For example, he’s shooting just 27.5% on 3-pointers this season and he missed 31 shots last week against the Wizards.
Normally, that game would have been a poor impression on Cunningham, but it hardly puts his night into proper context. He had 12 rebounds, 11 assists, five steals, two blocks and made a handful of plays that led to the win, including a slick inbounds pass to Dennis Jenkins for a corner 3-pointer that forced overtime.
This proves Stewart’s point: There’s a sense of comfort for Detroit in these situations because the ball is in the right hands.
“That’s what superstars do, and Cade is in that category of superstars,” Bickerstaff said. “He rises up in that moment. He wants to be great.”
right pieces at the right time
The association crew has taken an in-depth look at the reasons promoting the Pistons’ accelerated start in 2025-26.
As a result, these are optimistic times for the Pistons. The team had not won a playoff game since 2009 until last spring, when they suffered a mysterious loss to the Knicks in a six-game series that could have gone either way. They peered into the future and liked what they saw.
“It’s a great atmosphere right now,” Stewart said. “We’re in this moment right now. We know we’ve worked hard for this and we know we deserve it, but we’re not satisfied.”
The Pistons faltered over the last few decades as the franchise suffered 15 non-winning seasons in 16 years. Suffering from a poor draft, bad luck and incomplete free agent signings, the Pistons fell off the radar. But in an unexpected stroke of good fortune, they rose to the top spot in 2021.
Welcome, Cade Cunningham.
“Not just me, but a lot of people have helped with this. Stu has been here longer than me and we’re bringing the pieces in, the right pieces,” he said.
Stewart, with his defensive thinking and tough power forward, beat out Cunningham by a year in Detroit, although the two had been aligned well before the Pistons.
“This is a guy I competed against in high school, so it feels good to be his teammate,” Stewart said.
And how were those high school matchups?
“We didn’t love each other,” Stewart said. “We had beef in high school. Bullshit here and there. It’s definitely different now. Once we got on the same side, we clicked right away. He’s such an impressive player that he does that every night.”
Cunningham has that level of galvanization with the Pistons.
“I think where you see his growth is that he’s being open-minded about what’s in front of him and not just thinking about his approach,” Bickerstaff said. “It amazes me that a boy of his age is able to handle his peers the way he does, a boy who can very easily isolate himself from the group.
“But he never does that. He always pulls people together. He never wants to be treated differently. There’s nothing better than a superstar.”
So Cunningham and the Pistons are perhaps the NBA’s biggest revelation in the first month of the season. The lessons learned from consecutive losses in the past and the loss to the New York Knicks in the 2025 playoffs have not been lost on this team.
Bickerstaff said, “There has to be a willingness to do anything to win, there has to be an ability to turn around and not go to pieces when things go bad, there has to be determination when things get the messiest and stickiest.” “They just know how to play from those moments and draw power from those moments.”
The schedule has been good for the Pistons during this 11-game winning streak. They have currently defeated only three teams with winning records and none of them are from the Western Conference. On Saturday, they face the Milwaukee Bucks (8 p.m. ET, NBA TV), who will be without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But that hardly matters for a franchise that went astray just two seasons ago.
Although he is no longer lying on the floor, Cunningham is no longer ready to coast as he and the Pistons are on their feet and running.
“We don’t forget those days,” Cunningham said. “We’re still going into every game knowing where we came from and where we’re going.”
,
Shawn Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can email them here spowell@nba.comsearch his collection is here and follow him on x,
<a href=