For the first time this decade, the Detroit Pistons have a player who’s been voted as an All-Star.
Among the 2025 NBA All-Star reserves being announced on Thursday was de facto captain Cade Cunningham. With the Pistons as competitive as they’ve been in years, the 2021 No. 1 pick isn’t just flash. During his career season, he’s shown that he has plenty of substance to his game. As a result, Detroit is eyeing the playoffs for the first time in a long time.
Pistons’ Cade Cunningham Bucks Trend With All-Star Selection
Cunningham’s career likely didn’t kick off how he wanted it to though.
Making his 1st #NBAAllStar appearance… Cade Cunningham of the @DetroitPistons.
Drafted as the 1st pick in 2021 out of Oklahoma State, Cade is averaging 25.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 9.3 APG for the Pistons this season. pic.twitter.com/vD883mJMTH
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) January 30, 2025
As a rookie, he definitely looked like one of the best players in his class. It’s not a guarantee that prospects who were highly touted in high school live up to expectations. However, Cunningham –the consensus No. 1 high school –looked like he was bucking the trend. Instead of following up his rookie campaign with fireworks, he found himself sidelined for the majority of the season due to a shin fracture.
The Comeback
Though most guards seem to be hyper-fixated on the way they can impact the game from beyond the arc, Cunningham consistently uses his 6-foot-6 and 220-pound frame to cut into the teeth of the defense. In a general sense, he could stand to be more efficient around the rim. Nonetheless, he’s among the savviest scorers when he gets in the paint.
His combination of skill and physical tools has been a winning formula for both him and the Pistons. This season, Cunningham has averaged career-highs of 25.0 points, 9.3 assists, 6.4 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. He’s also shooting a career-high 36.0 percent from three, which could be a nod to shooting coach Fred Vinson. His ability to put the Pistons on his back on a near nightly basis is the biggest reason they’re in playoff contention.
The Pistons’ last All-Star, Blake Griffin, also had an all-around impact.
However, the combo forward was on the downside of his career after suffering a knee injury. Cunningham, now as healthy as he’s ever been, is well on his way to accomplishing what Griffin did in Detroit and more. Upon cementing himself not just as Detroit’s keystone but a player who contributes to winning, the Dallas native will be in line for a number of individual accolades, All-Star selections included.
How far the Pistons go goes beyond what Cunningham can bring alone though. No player –be it Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James –has won a championship by himself.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
