The Pistons have come out of the gate blazing this season. At 15-3, Detroit is shockingly the No 1 team in the East and at one point won 10-games in a row. A huge part of that surge is Cade Cunningham, who looks every bit like the franchise star the Motor City has been banking on.
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How good has the 24-year-old been? He’s averaging around 27 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds per game, and it just feels like he’s in total control every time he steps on the court. The team is feeding off his confidence, and the results are showing up in the win column. Now, he’s getting more national attention.
NBA role player turned analyst Kendrick Perkins spoke about how incredible Cunningham has been on the latest edition of NBA on ESPN. Big Perk claimed that Cade has jumped from All-Star to a Top 10 player in the league. What’s even better is that the former Celtic predicts that his ceiling is even higher.
“Cade Cunningham is already a Top 10 player in the league. The ones that are ahead of him? They see him coming right now,” barked KP. It’s hard to disagree. The Pistons rise to the top of the East was on no one’s bingo card, except Cade, who was confident after their playoff birth last year that they would go even further in 2025-2026.
“When I think about Cade, he’s giving me Luka Doncic/LeBron James vibes. That perimeter player that’s 6’8″, strong, physical, can score at all levels, and then make guys around him better. He’s second in the league behind Jokic, averaging 9 assists,” added Perk.
And he was not alone in thinking this. Former Nuggets coach Michael Malone jumped right on the bandwagon, and called this Cade’s best start of his NBA career. “He’s having an MVP-caliber season,” said the 2023 NBA Champ.
If Cade keeps performing at this level, there’s no telling how high Detroit’s ceiling truly is. The 24-year-old has completely changed the Pistons’ trajectory, elevating both his teammates and the expectations surrounding the franchise.
And what a time to do it. The East is wide open due to the Celtics and the Pacers taking noticeable dips. The Knicks, who eliminated the Pistons last year, are under a new head coach and not looking as much of a threat just yet.
A hot start doesn’t guarantee a flawless season, but Detroit has shown enough composure and firepower to make believers out of skeptics. If this is the new standard in the Motor City, the rest of the NBA better buckle up, because the Finals might be coming through Detroit.
