The Detroit Pistons are the best team in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break, sitting at 40-13. Currently, the Pistons' success has them well primed to be big players in the playoffs. Despite being the top team in the East, Pistons' rising star Cade Cunningham played down the team's success, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
“I don't think I'll ever get a big head. Something my grandma used to always say is ‘Just stay humble.' And this was way before I was ever known for basketball or anything. I had nothing that people were gassing me up about. But she was always saying, ‘Stay humble',” Cunningham noted.
Cunningham has had a great season, averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the floor, including 33% from the three-point line. Overall, he has been the top guy for the Pistons, and scored at least 29 points in four of his last five games leading into the All-Star Break.
But Cunningham has also been in Detroit since they drafted him in 2021. At the time, the Pistons were one of the worst teams in the NBA. In the 2023-24 season, the team had a 14-68 record, the worst in the NBA. Yet, things changed dramatically last season, when the team posted a 44-38 record and made the playoffs.
The Pistons have been even better this season, currently holding onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Moreover, their closest competition is the Boston Celtics, who are three games behind them. Everyone else is at least 13 games behind them in the standings. Still, the Pistons made some trade deadline moves. But that did not change how Cunningham views the team or himself.
“I don't want to be too big time for anybody or anything. The whole team is built like that. A lot of guys on this team overcame a lot to get here. And so, we kind of bond over that,” Cunningham explained.
