With Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart on the Pistons, those two players receive most of the defensive plaudits for Detroit. Stewart has been heralded as a potential All-Defensive team selection with his shot-swatting propensity this season, and Thompson has openly received predictions as a future Defensive Player of the Year.

Given Stewart creating a no fly zone in the paint and Thompson locking down opposing scorers on the wings, the Pistons have one of the most stingy defensive units in the league. According to NBA.com, the Pistons boast a top three defensive rating at the moment, and both Stewart and Thompson deserve a lot of credit for that rating.

But it is not Stewart nor Thompson who lead the NBA in defended field goal percentage– that honor belongs to Pistons star point guard Cade Cunningham. 

Working with a baseline threshold of 300 shots defended this season, no player in the league is holding opposing players to a lower shooting percentage than Cade Cunningham at 40.8% on the season. 

Cunningham Grades Out As An Elite Defender

This season, Cunningham has primarily received attention for his clutch, game-winning plays to put the Pistons in front when the clock is winding down, but the All-Star guard has been working to round out his game from a defensive perspective as well. Cunningham is often the primary on-ball defender for Detroit given his position, though Thompson has assumed those responsibilities at times this season, so Cade is constantly put under high-pressure scenarios on both ends of the court. 

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To that effect, Cunningham is averaging 1.5 steals per game and nearly a block each night as well, so the 6-6 guard is creating turnovers at a high level. And when taking his defended field goal percentage into account, Cunningham is defending opposing players at an elite level to start the 2025-26 regular season. 

Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has preached the importance of defense ever since he was installed as Detroit’s leader, and Cunningham is translating that focus into turnovers on the court in real time. Apart from turnovers, the defensive aspect of the game was the main area where Cunningham would receive criticism during the first four years of his career, but it appears that Cade has turned the corner as a balanced point guard who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. 

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The numbers prove it, and the Pistons’ record underscores the value of defense, even in the modern NBA. 

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