The Detroit Pistons have basketball’s most impactful playmaking under the LCA roof
During the NBA All-Star Game over the weekend, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham helped turn whatever doubters he had left into believers. Positioned to lead Team USA Stars in a starting capacity, Cunningham left his imprint all over the event with 15 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks spread across three games.
In total, Cunningham helped lead his squad to a 2-1 record and the All-Star Game crown with his Motor City teammate Jalen Duren beside him in a performance that confirmed what many in Detroit already realized– Cade has a special blend of raw playmaking ability with a feel for the game that seems innate after five years as a pro. While the Pistons’ loyal fans are already in the know regarding Cunningham’s talent, the rest of the basketball world is arriving upon the same conclusions because it’s a position that’s heavily reinforced by the underlying metrics.
Shortly after the All-Star Game commenced, Pistons Roundtable was tagged in a post on X by @TipOffBall in collaboration with @Dynatize on a project that provided a visual representation for just how dominant Cunningham has been this season.
Take the most straight-forward playmaking stats under consideration first. Cunningham, who’s now a two-time All-Star, leads the NBA in total assists, secondary assists and assists per minute with 15.4% of all passes turning into helpers for Cade this season. So, Cunningham is balancing a high output of potential assists with an efficient style on a Detroit team that lacks true three-point shooting depth outside of Duncan Robinson (and possibly Kevin Huerter).
With Cunningham running the Pistons’ half-court offense, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has emboldened his floor general to work in the pick and roll with Jalen Duren as a focal point to help create open looks. Since JD worked to be more assertive on the offensive end this season, the pick and roll has served as a symbiotic action for Cunningham to feed his big man when available while finding mid-range looks for himself when the defense cuts off the lob.
During the All-Star Game, Cunningham was able to run a few plays that looked distinctly familiar to how the Pistons offense has functioned through the 2025-26 regular season. Though practice time was at a minimum, Cunningham leaned on his chemistry with JD to set the 22-year old center up with an assist early in the squad’s second game, and Cade looked completely in control– a recognizable sight this year.
As the graphic below illustrates, Cunningham manages to both create shots for himself while making plays for his teammates at a high level when taking into account his turnover rate. When all three aspects are thrown into the equation, the Oklahoma State product grades out better than any player in the association.
In terms of which players have benefited the most from playing next to Cunningham this season, Duren tops the list. With 93 assists traveling in a Cade-to-JD direction, the dynamic duo rank No. 4 in the NBA as an assist combination, which has helped lift the Pistons to their first place position in the East through 53 games. But after Duren, Cunningham has utilized both Duncan Robinson and Ausar Thompson quite frequently to keep opposing defenses honest while remaining multi-dimensional on attack.
Based on these evaluations, Cunningham grades out as an elite playmaker from a creation standpoint who keeps the ball safe given his usage rate and offensive impact. He’s shown the ability to score on his own but the wherewithal to understand when it’s prudent to ride the hot hand and lean on his teammates, which is a pitfall that many competitive, ball-dominant scorers fall into.
Not Cade.
Whether stationed in the trenches of Little Caesars Arena or center-court at the All-Star Game, Cunningham has worked to separate himself as the most impactful all-around point guard in the game of basketball today.
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