Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is getting ready for his first career trip to the NBA Playoffs. Cunningham has the Pistons rolling this season, and is setting some big goals for himself along the way.

“I want to be the best player in the world. Every day … I don't think there's too many players that you could argue above me,” Cunningham said in an interview with ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Pistons star guard has played with passion and intensity all season. He averages 26.1 points and 9.1 assists per game. The club has won 44 games on the season, and is headed to the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Detroit will meet the New York Knicks in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs this year. The Pistons play their final regular season game Sunday, against Milwaukee.

The Pistons are the story of the year in the NBA

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Pistons were arguably the worst team in basketball in 2023-24. Monty Williams was fired as head coach, after the club posted a lowly 14-68 record. The mark included a 28-game losing streak at one point.

Everything has since changed. Detroit is now under the guidance of J.B. Bickerstaff, who is a strong contender for Coach of the Year honors in the NBA. Bickerstaff has the Pistons in the playoffs in year 1.

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Cunningham is so excited to be playing in the postseason. He is headed to New York for the start of the first round, in a Knicks series that opens at Madison Square Garden.

“It's going to be a war. It's going to be highly physical games. Defense, battling it out on the glass,” Cunningham said. “I think it's going to be a super exciting series for people at home to watch.”

The two teams just met on April 10, with the Pistons pulling out a 115-106 win. In that game, Cunningham finished with 36 points in 35 minutes.

Cunningham says that playing as a Piston gives him a certain type of identity.

“You got to play hard,  you got to have some type of grit,” Cunningham added.

Detroit is getting some good news as the playoffs get ready to begin. Team guard Jaden Ivey, who has been out for most of the year with an injury, is cleared for basketball activities. He averages more than 17 points a game for the club. It's uncertain if he will get to suit up for the team again though in the postseason.

Pistons fans are excited to see what their team can do in the playoffs. The NBA Playoffs begin on April 19.