Why Cade Cunningham’s MVP case deserves more respect

The Detroit Pistons‘ historic turnaround continues to win the league. The Pistons are not only the top seed in the Eastern Conference at 40-13 heading into the All-Star break, but they are also the highest scoring team in the entire NBA thanks to the recent struggles of the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Detroit has many merits, Cade Cunningham is the biggest reason for this dominant campaign.

Cunningham is living up to the hype and billing as the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick. The Pistons drafted the 6-foot-7 point guard in hopes that he would reshape the winning culture that had been missing from Detroit basketball for years. Not only was the winning impact achieved, but also first time All-Star starter it is now being established as part of the MFA talks.

The Detroit franchise player was one of the most productive players in the league, averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 assists in 47 games. Cunningham is first in assists and in the top 20 in points per game. He even fixed one of his biggest flaws in cutting his turnovers from a league-leading 4.5 per game last season to 3.7 this season.

His elite 2025-26 season has him in the conversation with other MVP candidates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and more. Doc may not yet be leading the rankingshe has a lot of arguments in his favor.

The best record in the NBA

The Thunder’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks just before the All-Star break gave the Pistons the best record in the NBA. Detroit’s winning streak has translated well across the league. The Pistons are 17-6 against teams with a winning record this season, and Cunningham has been a major reason for that.

Detroit has been plagued by a lack of team success over the past few seasons. Media voters overlooked them for the awards because of their historic losing streak since Cunningham was drafted by the Pistons. With their winning improvements, that argument cannot be used against them this season.

While many still consider SGA the favorite to repeat as MVP thanks to his ridiculous numbers and OKC’s own spot atop the West, Detroit actually finishing with the best record in the NBA at the end of the season would be huge for Cunningham’s chances.

Two-way capability

The NBA has recently focused more on offensive production as defense has changed significantly. Free throws and 3-pointers have increased over the past few years. Outside of rim-protecting bigs, defensive production has become a sleep aspect for perimeter defenders.

Cunningham was a key contributor to the Pistons’ second-best defense in the NBA. He is one of the best defenders in the league. allowing 43.2% shooting on opposing defenseaccording to NBA.com tracking statistics. Cunningham also offers elite defensive versatility as one of the best rim-protecting guards in the league.

JB Bickerstaff deserves a lot of credit for instilling a defensive culture in Detroit, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Cunningham at the helm.

Doing more with less

One of the most notable notes about Cunningham’s career is his ability to raise the floor and ceiling of his roster. The Pistons never acquired another All-Star via trade or free agency during Cunningham’s tenure. Most teams like to acquire stars to help develop their franchise players. Detroit hasn’t started down this path yet, but the franchise has thrived through Cunningham’s growth.

Some of the most useful veteran teammates for Cunningham were Tim Hardaway Jr., Jeremy Grant, Malik Beasley, Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris and Paul Reed. Most of these names are considered journeymen who helped reshape their name around the league by playing alongside Cunningham.

Center Jalen Duren is the first All-Star teammate to play with Cunningham. Lots of Durens Growth for all stars is due to Cunningham’s assist. Their pick and roll lob connection has become one of the most dangerous tandems in the NBA.

Cunningham has never consistently functioned in the offensive end of a quality gap. The Pistons are ranked 21st in 3-point shooting, and the opponent’s primary defensive program is a double team in Cunningham.

Detroit didn’t make many roster changes to address this, instead relying on its defensive identity and the internal growth of its young talent. The growth is obvious, and much of it is due to Cade Cunningham’s star ability.

Give him respect for the MVP, whether he wins or not.