Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons is enjoying his first run in the NBA playoffs, and he is making quite an impact on his fellow players, including those he is competing against.
Following Sunday’s 94-93 loss to the New York Knicks, Jalen Brunson raved about Cunningham and how he is doing in his inaugural postseason.
“He’s been playing great,” Brunson said of Cunningham, who is playing in the first playoff series of his career. “Just the effect he has on his teammates. They follow their leader. He’s been an incredible leader all year, and I respect him for that.”
Calling Cunningham a leader is very accurate because he is guiding his team to their first playoff appearance in years.
So far, he has averaged 25.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game.
Those are monster numbers, especially for a young man who has never been in the playoffs and is competing against one of the most proven teams in the Eastern Conference.
It has been a phenomenal season for Cunningham and the Pistons, no matter how this series turns out.
He has averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists.
As for the Pistons, they have returned to prominence in the East after years of being toward the bottom of the standings.
Pistons fans are excited to see what comes next.
They would love for Detroit to come back in this series and push further into the playoffs.
But even if they don’t, they know the future is very bright, and that’s largely because of what Cunningham is capable of.
All NBA players want to prove themselves in the postseason, and that is what Cunningham is doing right now.
Brunson and others believe this is just the first of many playoff appearances for Cunningham and his young team.
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