Cade

Cunningham

Langdon’s words, which were told to Cunningham directly during his exit meeting before the executive discussed the matter with the media, should not be seen as an indictment of the Pistons’ point guard. He played in a career-high 70 games in 2024-25, leading Detroit to its first postseason appearance since 2019. Expectations will rise for Cunningham and the Pistons, meaning he has to be even better in the future. “The big thing for him, and we talked to him about it, get into elite shape,” Langdon said, according to the Detroit News. “He is incredibly skilled and talented. He understands the leadership of it. He now has a little bit of late-season and playoff experience, he knows how it feels. So, now, he has an understanding of what he is training for in the summer. If you have never experienced playoff basketball, you don’t understand the level you have to go to. He should be training for the first and second rounds of the playoffs. Not just Game 45 (of the regular season) anymore.” Entering this season with a Yahoo! ADP of 27, Cunningham was a top-10 player in eight-cat formats. He’ll likely come off the board during the second round of standard league drafts, which is reasonable for a player of his caliber.

While Cunningham led the Pistons in scoring with 23 points, he didn’t have his best game offensively in what was a must-win game for the Pistons. He was more successful on drives to the basket, while his three-point shooting left much to be desired. Only Malik Beasley had more than one three-pointer for Detroit, with Cunningham missing all eight of his three-point attempts. It was a frustrating end to what was ultimately an inspiring season from both Cunningham and the Pistons as a team.

Cunningham did not have the most efficient night, shooting well below 50 percent from the field and committing five turnovers. However, he made frequent visits to the foul line to boost the point total, and the Pistons’ improved ball control overall factored into their win on Tuesday. Cunningham still recorded a complete stat line, but he has committed at least five turnovers in all five games of the series. Thanks to their victory, the Pistons get another chance to face the Knicks at home, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night.

Cunningham recorded a complete stat line in Game 3, but the Knicks did a better job of making him work for his offense than in Game 2. He shot 40 percent from the field, which isn’t terrible, but he also had six turnovers on the night. To avoid falling into a 3-1 hole on Sunday, the Pistons will need Cunningham to be at his best. And overall, he’s played exceptionally well in his first postseason appearance.

After contributing 21 points and 12 assists in his playoff debut, Cunningham focused more on scoring in his second playoff game, which led to him getting his first postseason victory. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick accounted for nearly one-third of his teams points and contributed to more with his playmaking. He didn’t match his 12 dimes from Saturday, but Cunningham took control to lead the franchise to their first playoff win since 2008. The series will head to Detroit for the next two games, with Game 3 coming on Thursday.

Cunningham recorded a double-double in his playoff debut, but this was far from a smooth performance for the Pistons’ point guard. Guarded by OG Anunoby for most of Game 1, Cade shot under 50 percent from the field and committed six turnovers. Also, he and the Pistons appeared powerless to stop what would become a 21-0 Knicks run to open the fourth quarter. Now that Cunningham has a taste of the postseason, he’ll look to rebound on Monday when the Pistons and Knicks meet again in Game 2.

Cunningham, who was listed as probable until 30 minutes before this game started, was downgraded to questionable and then ruled out shortly after. The East standings are already set, so Cunningham wouldn’t have played much if he was available. Marcus Sasser will start in his place for the regular season finale.

Sunday’s game has no impact on Detroit’s playoff seeding, so Cunningham’s listing as probable on the initial injury report was surprising. He’s been downgraded to questionable; even if Cade plays, fantasy managers in active leagues should not expect to see him play starters’ minutes. Expect to see a lot of Marcus Sasser in Milwaukee.

Cunningham is probable for Sunday’s game, but fantasy managers in active leagues should not expect too much from him. Friday’s loss to Milwaukee locked the Pistons into the sixth seed in the East, and they’ll face the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. Ensuring Cunningham is healthy for next weekend is far more critical than him playing starters’ minutes on Sunday.

Cunningham had one of his most efficient scoring games of the year as he dropped 36 points on 21 shots against the Bucks Friday. The 23-year-old point guard did it all for the Pistons once again, dishing out 12 assists on his way to a double-double. Cade has put up 36 points in back-to-back games. Despite missing time with a calf issue in previous weeks, he seems to be feeling good with the Pistons one game away from a playoff series.