Charles Barkley addresses Cade Cunningham vs Jalen Brunson debate as Pistons-Knicks showdown continues
Charles Barkley chimed in on the Cade Cunningham-Jalen Brunson debate as the two star guards were in the midst of delivering yet another entertaining duel.
Midway into Game 2 of the New York Knicks-Detroit Pistons first-round series, the TNT analyst picked Cunningham as the better player.
“He has been - best player in the series. Going into the series, he's the best player… You know I like Brunson. That guy's (Cunningham) the best player on the court in the series,” Barkley declared.
At the break, Cunningham had the upper hand in the duel, scoring 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting while also grabbing 7 rebounds. Brunson, on the other hand, led his team with 17 points.
Though Brunson (37 points) ended the night as the game’s leading scorer, Cunningham delivered a dominant all-around performance. The youngster finished the night with 33 points, 12 rebounds, and—most importantly—a 100-94 Pistons victory to even the series at one game apiece.
Barkley was also accurate when claiming that the Detroit guard (26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game) had a better regular season among the two, outperforming Brunson (26 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game) across all major stats.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson display mutual respect
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson have established themselves as two of the best point guards in the Eastern Conference in the 2024-2025 campaign. While fans and analysts have given rise to a budding rivalry, the media hype hasn’t resulted in any bad blood between them.
Both players have been extremely vocal in complimenting each other.
“He just knows the ins and outs of the game. He knows how to get to his spots. He’s physical and can knock down shots at a high level. All of those things make him a really tough guard. It takes a group to guard him,” Cade Cunningham spoke about Brunson following the Knicks’ Nov 1 win over the Pistons.
Brunson reciprocated the respect, expressing his admiration for Cunningham ahead of their series in the 2025 playoffs.
"Obviously you have Cade. He's been great each year, he's gotten better and better and this year getting his first All-Star. He's been playing phenomenal,” Brunson said on an episode of his podcast.
Both guards have delivered impressive performances early in the postseason. Through the first two games, Brunson is averaging 35.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, while Cade Cunningham has contributed 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per outing.
The Knicks-Pistons matchup has lived up to its hype and is shaping up to be one of the most memorable first-round showdowns in recent history.