Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham explained why he believes that his team is a championship contender amid a strong start to the 2025-26 season.
“We’re trying to get to the Finals and win the Finals,” Cunningham told ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill on NBA Today (1:42 mark). “First round last year was an amazing experience for everybody. I think we all learned something from it, we all took something from it and we all have a chip on our shoulder because of that series. Last year, play-in, all that stuff was more the goal. Like, we have to be in that, we have to experience that.”
“Now, that’s not even what we’re talking about,” he added. “It’s just how we can be the highest level basketball team we can be.”
Cunningham also revealed that he isn’t focused on competing for an MVP award and would prefer to help Detroit capture a championship, earning Finals MVP honors instead.
“This season is not about winning an MVP for me, though,” Cunningham explained to Goodwill (6:40 mark). “This season is about winning a Finals more than anything. A Finals MVP I’d be way more happy about than an MVP, you know what I mean?”
The Pistons sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-2 record this year, currently riding a 13-game win streak that’s tied for the longest in franchise history.
Detroit has continued its impressive turnaround, wrapping up a disappointing 14-68 finish during the 2023-24 season before putting together a breakout 2024-25 campaign.
The Pistons posted a 44-38 record last year, advancing to the playoffs before dropping a hard-fought series against the New York Knicks in six games during the first round.
Detroit has continued to progress this season, led by Cunningham. The 2025 All-Star has averaged 27.1 points, 9.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game on 44.4/28.4/82.1 shooting splits.
The Pistons have also started the year on a high note due to ability to disrupt opposing offenses, ranking No. 3 among all teams with a 110.4 defensive rating (via NBA.com).
If Detroit can continue to thrive on both sides of the floor, it isn’t difficult to imagine the team being viewed as a contender once the playoffs draw closer.
