Cade Cunningham didn’t just light up the Rockets on Thursday night. He did it without giving the ball away once.
That’s the part that jumps off the page after a ridiculous 52-point, 11-assist performance in a double-overtime win. Cunningham played 48 minutes, handled the ball constantly, faced heavy defensive attention, and still finished with zero turnovers. For a player whose turnover issues have long been part of the conversation, that was the real breakthrough.
The scoring was every bit as loud as the stat line suggests. Cunningham worked all over the floor, getting to the rim, rising into midrange pull-ups and knocking down threes, going 3-of-5 from deep.
He also turned the free throw line into a steady source of points, hitting 17-of-18 there. With 11 assists on top of that, the workload was massive even before you factor in the extra five minutes of overtime.
What stood out most, though, was how controlled he looked while carrying that burden. Earlier versions of Cunningham might have forced the issue and piled up turnovers in a game like this, especially with the defense locked in on him and the minutes stretching beyond regulation. This time, he kept finding his spots, stayed composed and avoided the sloppy mistakes that have sometimes crept into his game.
That matters because Cunningham is well beyond the stage where careless turnovers can be brushed off as part of the learning curve. He’s already a 2x All-Star and has been the center of the Pistons’ offense for years. Fans had been waiting to see him tighten up that part of his game, and Thursday night delivered the clearest sign yet.
It also put him in a category all his own. Cunningham became the first ever NBA player with 50 points, 10 assists and 0 turnovers in a game.
There’s a practical side to all of this, too. The Pistons have been dealing with key injuries, and Cunningham has had to shoulder a huge load.
That should ease once Jalen Duren returns, but the expectation won’t change: he still has to protect the ball. Most opponents will bring better perimeter defenders than the Wizards did, and the playoffs will raise the pressure even more, especially in later rounds.
No one is expecting Cunningham to go turnover-free every night. But if he can keep his turnover rate down and cut out the completely unforced mistakes, this version of him becomes even harder to deal with.
Thursday was a reminder that the scoring is elite. The clean execution might be the bigger development.
In Other News...
Pistons May Have Found The Backcourt Spark They Were Missing
The Pistons have spent plenty of time searching for another backcourt piece to ease the load on Cade Cunningham, and Daniss Jenkins is making a strong case that he belongs in that conversation. Since stepping into Jaden Iveys spot, Jenkins has shown a more polished offensive game, with his shooting and playmaking both trending in the right direction as Detroit looks for more stability around its lead guard.
What makes the stretch so interesting is how quickly Jenkins has started to matter in real games, not just in theory. He has put together a run of 20-plus-point performances and given the Pistons a different kind of perimeter threat at a time when Jalen Durens injury has already forced the offense to adjust. If Jenkins keeps this up, Detroit may have found a much-needed spark in a place it has been trying to upgrade for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Daniss Jenkins Is Giving The Pistons A New Contract Dilemma
Daniss Jenkins has quietly turned into one of the more interesting pieces on the Pistons roster, and not just because he is starting. At a time when Detroit is trying to sort out its long-term core, Jenkins has given the team useful production across the board, averaging 13.5 points, 4.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds while hitting 44 percent from three-point range.
The contract part is where things get tricky. Jenkins is only the 11th highest paid player on the roster at $4 million this season, a figure that even trails rookie Ebuka Okorie, which makes him look like one of the leagues better bargains. With restricted free agency looming after the season, the Pistons may soon have to decide how much value they place on keeping a player who has outperformed his salary and earned a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Are Surviving Jalen Durens Absence In An Unexpected Way
Jalen Durens absence has forced the Pistons to get creative in the middle, and the usual answer on the glass has not been there. With undersized centers John Collins and Paul Reed handling those minutes, Detroit has taken a hit in rebounding, but the bigger picture has stayed surprisingly steady because the rest of the lineup has adapted around the loss.
Ausar Thompson has helped cover some of that ground with strong work on the boards, while the ball has also been safer in Detroits hands. Fewer turnovers and a lineup built more around ball handling have given JB Bickerstaff a way to manage possessions better, and that has helped the Pistons keep winning even as one of their most important big men remains out. [Read more 🡒]