Cade Cunningham of the Pistons accomplished a feat not seen since Oscar Robertson
After the elongated tank, Detroit The Pistons got lucky by drafting Cade Cunningham first overall in 2021. Now, the Oklahoma State alum he brought them out of the darkness.
It’s Cunningham the first player of the fourth year to average 24.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game from Hall of Fame guard Oscar Robertson, via StatMuse. For context, Robertson’s fourth year was the 1963-64 season, when he averaged 31.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 11 assists for the Cincinnati Royals, now the Sacramento Kings.
Cunningham’s career year has already lifted the Pistons (21-19) to a better record than they had the previous two seasons and four of the last five. After finishing 41-41 and making the playoffs in 2018-19, Detroit produced two consecutive 20-win campaigns, followed by 23, 17 and 14 wins.
Cunningham’s last outing was a 36-point dominance over the New York Knicks (26-15) at Madison Square Garden in the Pistons’ 124-119 victory on Monday. The 23-year-old was content after the gamevia FanDuel Sports Network Detroit.
Related Detroit Pistons NewsThe article continues below
“I love my team, man. I love my team,” Cunningham said. “That’s what we planned to do, we came and did it.” What more can you ask for?”
Detroit can’t ask for much more than it got from its new star, as he makes a strong case to be the team’s first All-Star since Blake Griffin in 2018-19. In addition, the Pistons’ core is finally developing into a playoff contender, as young players like Jaden Ivey (17.6 PPG) and Jalen Duren (9.5 PPG, 9.4 RPG) provide hope for the future. At the same time, veterans like Malik Beasley (16.5 PPG) are stepping up.
Cunningham’s supporting cast also made him an elite moderator. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder is third in the league in assists and is averaging nearly two dimes more per game than last year. It is also ranked 11th so far.
Detroit is still not a title contender, but Cunningham is slowly guiding a struggling franchise to glory.
2025-01-14 18:11:00
