Photo Credit: Brian Sevald, NBA.com via Getty Images

Cade Cunningham earned his NBA All Star spot by averaging 25.4 points, 9.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds before the break. He led the Pistons to a 29-26 record, more than doubling last season’s win total, while positioning the team firmly in playoff contention as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. The team had even won four straight leading up to the break. 

After the All Star Game, Cunningham has continued to elevate his game, and the basketball world is taking notice. In three games since the break, Cunningham has averaged 31.7 points, 10.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds. The Pistons have extended their win streak to seven games, and they are now tied in the wins column for the four seed (32 wins). They remain two games back with 26 losses. 

Eleven-time All Pro Kevin Durant just recently called Cunningham “special” and said, “He can do it all out there.” 

Logan Struck of Sports Illustrated said, “The league is not used to the Pistons being this good, but All-Star guard Cade Cunningham has completely taken over the NBA.” 

Brad Botkin, of CBS Sports, writes that Cunningham is in the running for All Team NBA, “barring some kind of massive torpedo over the last seven weeks, Cunningham should be a lock for third team with a case for second.” 

Rotowire said, “Cunningham has been strong all season long but has been red-hot of late, tallying at least 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in two straight outings.” 

For the season, Cunningham ranks 10th in scoring at 25.8 points per game, third in assists (9.5 per game) and 48th in rebounds (6.3 per game) at the point guard position. 

How does this rank among other players in the hunt for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award? 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in scoring (32.5 points per game) and has the Oklahoma City Thunder in first place in the Western Conference, but Cunningham averages more assists and rebounds than him. 

Nikola Jokić is averaging a triple double, 29.8 points, 10.2 assists and 12.6 rebounds. His Nuggets are second in the West. 

Then there is Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose Milwaukee Bucks will be battling with the Pistons for the fourth seed in the East. Both teams sit at 32 wins, but the Bucks have two fewer losses. Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.8 points, 5.9 assists and 12.2 rebounds.  

So, Cade Cunningham for MVP? Not just yet. 

These players have the edge on Cunningham now, but anything can happen over the NBA’s final stretch of the regular season. 

That any Pistons player would be considered for the MVP is a major accolade for the franchise. It is a testament to the team that has been built, the coaching and, above all, the players on the team. 

Of his own performance against the Clippers Monday night, that extended Detroit’s win streak to seven games, Cunningham said, “Every night, you have to come with it, you have to play with that grit, you have to play with that sense of urgency and that’s something that I think we’ve gotten better and better at as the season’s gone on,” according to Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. 

The Pistons’ point guard has an MVP mind set. He likely won’t get the award this season, but his stellar play has put the league on notice for the future.