Playoff Player Review: Cade Cunningham

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski

After 17 years of suffering, Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons to their first playoff win since 2008. After winning just 14 games the previous season and sportsbooks having the Pistons' win total set at 24.5, Cunningham led Detroit to a top-six seed and an incredibly entertaining first-round series against the New York Knicks.

The Pistons have their franchise player, and the future is undoubtedly bright again in the Motor City.

Today, we start our playoff review series. It’s only right that we start with the man who makes everything go for the Detroit Pistons.

Positives

Cunningham’s leadership was on display throughout the series. Whether the star was struggling, soaring, turning the ball over, scoring the ball, on or off the floor, Cunningham was his teammates’ biggest cheerleader at every moment.

This play has stuck out to me since it happened in game two. Cunningham drives to the rim within the halfcourt and bumps off the pressure of OG Anunoby, but Karl-Anthony Towns blocks his shot attempt.

Paul Reed stays active, recovers the offensive rebound, and gets the putback during a crucial time in the fourth quarter. In doing so, Reed crashes to the floor while the Knicks try to inbound quickly and take advantage of numbers.

After Cunningham missed, he could’ve complained to the refs for a foul, put his head down for not completing the play, and just gotten back on defense. Instead, he rushes to Reed after he hits the floor, pulls him up off the ground, pats him on the back for the play, and tells him to get back.

This isn’t something that’ll pop up on the box score, but Cunningham’s leadership is something that can't be measured in numbers. It truly is a huge reason the Pistons were even in this spot to begin with, and at no point (outside of maybe the fourth quarter of game one) did Cunningham look shaken and out of his element.