Detroit Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff is a witness to the continued evolution of his crown jewel, Cade Cunningham.
Coming off a 24-point, 11-rebound and six-assist game on Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers to keep their chances of progressing in the NBA Cup alive, Cunningham is enjoying a career-high season thus far.
The guard is averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 9.6 assists a game this season, and as a result is seventh in the running for the Most Valuable Player award.
“He’s really playing the game in total,” Bickerstaff said about Cunningham via ESPN.
“He understands how to get his teammates involved early and give them confidence, and then what he’s doing in the fourth quarter, it is just amazing.
JB Bickerstaff on how Cade Cunningham has evolved on the court
He has the ability to grow and be great without taking all food off of anyone else’s plate. He continues to grow and continues to make his teammates better, and loves it. He enjoys watching his teammates thrive.”… pic.twitter.com/nsPZF2ebkW
— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) November 26, 2025
“His ability to make plays, whether it’s blocking shots, scoring points, finding the assist in the fourth quarter, has been just amazing to say the least.
“But I continue to say this about Cade and this is the highest level of compliment that I can give him is as a person and a player, he has the ability to grow and be great without taking food off of anybody else’s plate.
“A lot of guys, in order for them to be the guy, they take away from their teammates, and this guy just continues to grow and continues to make his teammates better and loves it.”
But while Cunningham is in the early running for the MVP award, he has a bigger goal in mind, which is so typical of Bickerstaff’s thoughts.
“I think if I can help get this team to where my goal is to get this team this season, I think all that stuff would be on the way,” Cunningham said.
“I’m not shy to say that. I think that’s very possible. That’s not what this season is about, winning the MVP and being done. This season is about winning the Finals, more than anything.
“A Finals MVP, I’d be way more happy about than the MVP. I think MVP will come one day, Lord Willing, if I can stay healthy and I continue to grow this, I think I can, but this team being successful is my number one goal.”
As for making his team more successful, the seeds for that have been planted, with Cunningham the ring-leader in helping the Pistons snap a five-year Playoff drought last season.
However, Cunningham is well aware that he must elevate his game to new heights if he is to lead Detroit to an NBA championship. So far, so good as they are in the midst of a 13-game winning run and sit at the summit of the Eastern Conference with a 15-2 record.
They start by traveling to the Boston Celtics tonight (Wednesday) in their third NBA Cup Pool game.
