NBA insider advocates Pistons' 24.3 PPG guard as underdog worthy of MVP discussion
The Detroit Pistons aren't anywhere near the top of the NBA and haven't been for a while. In fact, since 2010, Detroit has only been in the playoffs twice. Once in 2016 and then again in 2019. They came into the postseason as an eighth seed and were a first-round exit both times.
There is some silver lining for the Pistons in the form of Cade Cunningham. Cunningham has been a bright spot for Detroit and an NBA Insider thinks that he deserves to be recognized among the top players in the league.
Marc J. Spears, ESPN's Senior NBA Writer, said on "NBA Today" that the young guard should at least be considered for MVP.
"Can we start talking about this kid for like, MVP considerations?" Spears asked. "What he's done with this team? Come on man, Motorcade. I'm not saying he's gonna win but put him into consideration."
Cade Cunningham entered the league as the number one overall pick in the 2021 draft class. In his rookie year, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals. However, he was overshadowed by Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, who won Rookie of the Year with 15.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.1 spg.
Cunningham has steadily improved his production for the Pistons, especially in the scoring and playmaking department. This season, he is nearly averaging a double-double with 24.5 ppg and 9.3 apg. He is also registering 6.5 rpg.
As per the third return of the All-Star fan voting which was released on Friday, Cunningham is seventh in fan votes with 582,617. The six guards who are ahead of him are Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young, Jalen Brunson, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and LaMelo Ball.
Also read: Paul George reveals near Pistons deal after 2x NBA All-Star's efforts to lure him from Pacers
Who was the last Detroit Pistons player to win a major NBA award?
The Detroit Pistons have a rich history in the league and were once at the pinnacle of the NBA. They were back-to-back champions in 1989 and 1990 under the leadership of Isiah Thomas. They also stunned the league when they beat Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in the 2004 NBA Finals.
Since then, however, things have not gone Detroit's way. They have not won over 50 games in a season since 2007-08 and when they did make the playoffs, they were swept in the first round both times (2016 and 2019). Part of these struggles can perhaps be attributed to the lack of an award-winning star.
The last time that a Detroit Pistons player was given a major award was in 2006. That year, Ben Wallace earned his fourth and final Defensive Player of the Year award. So far, no other player from this franchise has been named to any of the NBA's major awards.