When thinking about the Pistons and their lock-down defense that's run rampant in Detroit this season, people usually jump to Isaiah Stewart or Ausar Thompson at first. And for good reason-- Beef Stew and Ausar are both elite at their positions defensively.

But one key player who doesn't often receive the same defensive plaudits as Stewart or Thompson is Cade Cunningham, though he's just as important to the Pistons' structure on defense. According to Stat Defender on X, when comparing Cunningham to every other defender in the NBA for field goal percentage on shots outside the paint, no other player grades out as well as Cade does. 

Given how often Cunningham plays on-ball defense at the point of attack, these numbers do a terrific job of illustrating just how effective Detroit's All-Star truly is. Cade has proven to be influential on both ends of the floor, and he's averaging nearly two stocks (steals + blocks) per game as one of the Pistons' premier turnover-causing defenders.