Throughout their reconstruction, the Detroit Pistons The Cardinals haven’t had much luck when it comes to draft positions. However, the only year things went as planned was in 2021. They got the first pick and used it to take promising guard Cade Cunningham.
Since being selected first overall, Cunningham has become the cornerstone of this phase of the franchise. The Pistons doubled down on his potential this offseason by giving him the largest contract in franchise history.
Of all the members of Detroit’s core, Cunningham has shown the most potential to become an NBA star. As soon as he stepped foot in the league, he developed into a big-time point guard capable of doing a little bit of everything on the court.
In 2023, things took a disastrous turn when Cunningham was benched after just 12 games. That said, he rebounded in a major way for Detroit in 2024.
The Pistons may have had the worst record in the league last season, but there were still some bright spots. Among the most notable was Cunningham’s play, who averaged 22.7 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 7.5 assists per game.
As the offseason unfolds, an impressive statistic has surfaced regarding the Pistons point guard. Over the past three seasons, Cunningham is one of seven players to average at least 20 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Cade Cunningham through 3 seasons:
20.0 points per game | 6.5 assists per game | 5.0 rebounds per game
1 of 7 players to have reached these numbers or better since entering the league. pic.twitter.com/3e3pW3UtBA
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 23, 2024
This summer, the Pistons made a number of moves to improve their roster in the short term. That said, if the franchise wants to remain competitive, it needs Cunningham to emerge as a star-level player.
Given his versatile offensive play thus far, Cunningham has the size and skill set to make the jump to the modern NBA. If he can do so, the Pistons have a chance to make progress in their rebuild.
With improved spacing and the presence of veterans around him, Cunningham could take some sort of leap forward in 2025. Only time will tell if all the changes made in Detroit will bring out the best in him.
