Is Pistons star Cade Cunningham getting even better?

Detroit Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham started the 2025-26 season with a new look. The faded afro is gone, replaced with tight braids. And a closer look reveals that his game may have undergone a bit of a transformation, too. 

Cunningham looks more confident and has been attacking the basket more aggressively. The result is a 5-2 start for the Pistons in a suddenly wide-open Eastern Conference. Is Cunningham primed to improve on his 2024-25 All-Star season?

Statistically, Cade Cunningham is improving in several key areas

Seven games into the season, Cunningham’s numbers have improved noticeably over last year in several important categories. 

According to Basketball-reference.com, his assists are up (9.6 vs. 9.1), and his turnovers are down (3.7 vs. 4.4), which translates into a higher assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6:1 vs 2.1:1). He is also getting to the charity stripe more frequently (7.3 vs. 5.3). 

These are all significant developments for a point guard, as they suggest that he is doing what a good point guard is supposed to: distribute, handle and attack. In a post-game news conference after a recent victory over the Orlando Magic, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff commented on Cunningham’s early-season aggressiveness.

“I thought he just continued to be aggressive, you know. He figured out where his spots on the floor were that he could attack and try to stay away from traffic and stay away from multiple bodies. More isolation situations, and not always in the pick and roll. I thought it was good for him. But again, I mean, he’s Cade Cunningham for a reason, right? And we’re lucky to have him.”

There is significant room for improvement

The scary thing for the rest of the league is that Cunningham’s game can get a lot better. His current field goal percentage (43.2), 3-pt FG percentage (30.2), FT% (74.5), and scoring (23.6 ppg) all lag behind last season's averages (46.9, 35.6, 84.6, 26.1), respectively. It is reasonable to expect improvement in all four areas as the season progresses. The fact that the Pistons are 5-2 with him shooting so poorly is actually a good sign.

Last season, the Pistons won 44 games and secured a playoff berth. With an improving Cade Cunningham, there is a good chance that number will increase in 2025-26.