Cade Cunningham is having a career-best season for Detroit in 2024-25.
Cade Cunningham’s ascent to stardom has been one of the best storylines in the NBA this season. Amid huge scoring nights and clutch moments — like Wednesday’s game-winner against the Heat — his ability to facilitate for others may be flying under the radar.
Cunningham has played point guard throughout his four-year NBA career despite being an accomplished scorer, but he’s elevated his passing ability to a whole new level in the 2024-25 campaign while leading the Pistons to a potential playoff berth. He’s averaging a career-high 9.3 assists this season, ranking third in the NBA — trailing only two of the league’s best passers, Trae Young and Nikola Jokić.
Strictly by the numbers, Cunningham’s evolution as a passer has been a steady trend since his NBA debut in 2021-22. He averaged 5.6 assists as a rookie, and increased it to 6.0 in his sophomore season when he was limited to just 12 games due to injury. That number climbed to 7.5 in 2023-24, but he’s taken another leap this season, averaging nearly two more assists per game.
The All-Star floor general is the primary reason the Pistons have returned to relevancy in the Eastern Conference, though he’s doing more than just creating offense for his teammates. Cunningham is also posting career highs in points per game (25.6), blocks per game (0.8), 3-pointers made (2.1), and field goal percentage (46.1), among other categories. His turnovers have increased, but that’s a direct result of his high usage rate.
Cunningham’s rise coincides with the Pistons having their best season in years. They have already surpassed their combined win totals from the past two seasons and now have their sights set on rising as high as the No. 4 seed in the East. Cunningham had already proven himself as a scorer, but his increased impact as a facilitator has elevated his game to another level.
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