After the first game of the All-Star Break, Cade Cunningham is already making grand statements with his play and his words. There’s still plenty of season to go, but the leader of the East-leading Detroit Pistons believes he’s the MVP over all other challengers.
Cade Cunningham declares himself the NBA MVP
Cade Cunningham is averaging 25.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.5% from three. This is all in service of the Detroit Pistons’ 41-13 record. They sit atop the Eastern Conference.
Cunningham dropped 42 points with 13 assists and eight rebounds, so his averages went up after a dominant outing. Despite missing Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons made light work of the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
Cunningham revealed that he was never really aiming for an MVP, but award recognition is inevitable when you work hard and your team has success. “It comes from doing the things I said, what I needed to do to be in that conversation,” Cunningham said via ESPN. “Now that we’re getting closer, there’s more (talk) like ‘What is your case? You should speak on it.’ I don’t really care to speak on it. I want the people that vote on it to be smart enough to look at the game for themselves.”
That said, he’s not being humble about it anymore. “I think I am (the MVP),” the Pistons guard added. “And if you don’t agree with me, that’s your opinion.” He faces steep competition, though the two favorites, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have missed time this year.
His coach echoed that sentiment. “I don’t think you pick an MVP based off, you know, just one game or one statement,” J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Been this way for the entire season. He’s dominated both ends of the floor and impacted winning in a major way.”
“He’s a winner, man. He really is. Attitude, leadership, every day, the guy is special,” forward Tobias Harris said. “I think more than anything, he wants championships, and that’s a difference. There’s guys who want to win MVP and guys who want to win championships.”
Pistons remain focused on winning
An MVP for Cade Cunningham would be nice, but it’s not what the Detroit Pistons are after. They’re about winning games, the East, and more in the playoffs. So far, they’ve done just that. The win over the Knicks, who are a major threat to the Pistons, only helps their goals.
“To sweep a team as good as them, they play high-level basketball,” Cunningham said. “To beat them, we’re trying to win tiebreaker and stuff, that means something. Just competing against the Eastern teams, beating a good team, means a lot.”
The Pistons went into a hostile environment against a top contender without their All-Star center. They won easily, and a statement was made. “What is it? I mean, we’re the best team in the East, I don’t know what statement,” Cunningham added. “The statement is coming to play every night, and we’re going to compete until you lay down for us.”
The Pistons and Knicks aren’t rivals per se, but if they continue contending in the East, a rivalry will develop. However, Bickerstaff isn’t focused on the team across from him. He wants his team to play the same way, which is fierce and aggressive on defense, no matter who they play. “It’s just basketball for us,” he said.
The Pistons are 3-0 against the Knicks, 3-1 against the Boston Celtics, and 1-1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the biggest threats to them. “Because of the playoffs and all that, people want to make a bigger deal of this than what it is,” Bickerstaff added. “We believe in our depth. We’ve won a ton of games this season, not at full strength.”
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