The star Pistons guard is a fantasy basketball gem
The early preseason returns are in– Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham is still a wildly talented basketball player.
Not to state the obvious, but no player in the league has looked as locked in during preseason than the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham. In two exhibition games, Cunningham has scored 20 and then 26 points in limited first half minutes, which combines for a total of 46 points in just 38 minutes of play. Yes, that is an admittedly small sample size, but it shows that Cunningham has wasted no time in stamping his mark on Detroit’s preseason slate.
During the most recent Pistons preseason game, a 117-111 loss to the Bucks, Cunningham leapt out to an electric start, scoring nine consecutive points in the first quarter. Cade went on to post 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals in the first half, and he looked so nonchalant along the way as he mixed in long-range jumpers, floaters and rim-level finishes along the way.
In Detroit’s preseason opener last Monday, Cunningham had a similar stat-line with 20 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals by the time his night was over, but the remarkable portion of the night is how effortless Cade looked along the way. It seemed as if Cunningham never took the car out of second gear during the entire display, which underscores his efficient 8-for-11 shooting performance from the field. Overall, Cunningham is shooting at a 64% clip during the preseason.
Detroit Pistons Hold Open Practice At Wayne State
The Pistons opened the doors on a weekend practice session at Wayne State on Saturday
If there could be one criticism of Cunningham’s four-year NBA career thus far, it’s that he can be a little careless with the basketball when trying to make a play. Now, perhaps that could be attributed to the talent Cunningham had around him, but that’s a different argument for another time. Point being, Cunningham needed to make safer decisions with the ball, and he’s shown the ability to do that so far in the preseason with just four turnovers through two games.
According to NBA.com and FantasyPros, Cunningham ranked as the No. 9 fantasy basketball scorer for the 2024-25 season, and that’s a fitting landing spot considering he contributes to every category that’s counted in the format. Cunningham gets to the free throw line, he’s active on defense and his high usage rate means that he’s almost always on the court for the Pistons.
With Cunningham continuing to set career highs in points, rebounds and assists each season during his first four years in the league, Detroit’s All-NBA talent is rounding out into one of the most complete players in the NBA, and he’s exactly the type of player who can anchor a fantasy basketball team for the 2025-26 season.
According to ESPN, Cunningham is only projected to move up to the No. 8 position for the coming season, but if his preseason performance is any indication then Detroit’s star might quickly climb those rankings once the regular season kicks off.
The Detroit Pistons will return to the hardwood for a Tuesday, Oct. 14 preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 pm.
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