Cade Cunningham Shows True Leadership in Pistons Victory

When it comes to true leadership on the court, Cade Cunningham has fully taken on that role with the Detroit Pistons. That is a major reason why they have found such success this year, as evidenced by their Thursday victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. During that game, Cunningham’s focus was on facilitating for his teammates over his own scoring. That’s what true leadership looks like in the NBA.

Cade Cunningham Shows True Leadership in Pistons Victory

After a four-game skid caused a major upheaval in the Pistons’ season, Detroit is back on the winning path. Since those losses, they have won their last two games, first a redemption faceoff against the Nets and then a dominant win over the Sixers. Both of those victories could not have been more important.

Sure, the Nets have been mathematically eliminated from the postseason, and the Sixers are narrowly hanging onto a Play-In spot. That doesn’t mean winning against them doesn’t matter. The Pistons have clinched the postseason, but they need every ounce of confidence possible heading into it. Losing to teams with far worse records does not build confidence.

That’s what made that four-game slide so concerning, particularly that late in the season, and why recovering from it quickly was key. At this point, literally every game matters, regardless of which teams are and aren’t heading to the playoffs. All it takes is a tough loss to a 13th seed to derail a number-one seed’s entire game plan.

Cunningham Moves Off Center Stage to Find a Win

The top player on a team doesn’t have to be the number one scorer every time, though it’s nice if they are. It’s the same for a team’s leader on the court. That person should be willing to take the shot when necessary and put up big numbers to win the game. If they need to pull a Bam Adebayo and drop 83 points on an opponent to win, go ahead.

At the same time, true leadership also means stepping back and being a facilitator when necessary. That’s exactly what Cade Cunningham did against the Sixers, focusing on getting his team in the mix over his own shooting.

Cunningham took six field goal attempts the entire game and only sank three of them, which is rather low for an All-Star like him. What he did do was lead the Pistons in assists, collecting 13 out of Detroit’s 37 against Philadelphia. He might not have been shooting well, but he made sure the rest of the team was collecting buckets.

The Impact of Cunningham’s Leadership

Ultimately, Cunningham only finished the game with eight points, which is much lower than what the team needs from him on any given night. That being said, seven other members of the Pistons’ team scored in the double digits. Many of those points happened because Cunningham set them up with a timely pass and an effective play.

The best players in the league find ways to keep contributing even when they’re not shooting their best. That’s what happens when a team’s top star displays true leadership. They still get the win.

No one is suggesting that a player can’t score a lot and also get a lot of assists. Nikola Jokic does it all the time, though that’s the Joker. For everyone else, being a true leader on the court means taking what the game gives them and making the most of it. That’s what Cade Cunningham does and why he’s one of the best the league has.