Cade Cunningham isn’t hiding how he feels about the way the Detroit Pistons are being viewed heading into the 2026-27 season. Even after finishing first in the standings last year at 60-22, Detroit is not drawing the kind of attention you’d expect from a team that put together that kind of regular season.
That’s exactly the point Cunningham is pushing back on. In a media chat this week, the Pistons star made it clear he believes the team has earned more respect than it’s getting.
“I still feel like we’re a little slept on, man. I still feel like people don’t really give us the credit that maybe we’ve earned.
But again, that’s the beauty of it,” said Cunningham, via Hunter Patterson. “I think that’s part of being in Detroit.
I think that’s part of being a team that is young, and people don’t really expect much, vs. other teams that have bigger names. We won’t really worry too much about that stuff.
We just gotta go out there and do our jobs at the highest level.”
Cunningham has every reason to believe Detroit can make noise. He finished fifth in MVP voting last season with 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. He remains the centerpiece of the offense, and the Pistons still have a supporting group that includes Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, John Collins and Duncan Robinson, among others.
Still, the question hanging over this group is whether those pieces can hold up when the games get tight. Detroit’s regular season success didn’t fully carry over when the pressure cranked up.
In the first round against the eight-seeded Orlando Magic, the Pistons were pushed to the edge before Cunningham helped pull off a comeback that saved their season. Then came the East Semifinals, where they blew a 2-1 series lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers and were sent home.
The offseason didn’t do them any favors, either. In July, Tobias Harris left in free agency for the Spurs, and Jalen Duren’s contract situation turned tense enough that he felt betrayed during negotiations. Duren eventually returned, but only after several months of bitter and ugly talks.
With stronger competition across the East, it’s easy to see why the Pistons are getting pushed down the conversation. The roster, as it stands, doesn’t look like one built to jump forward from last season, and plenty of observers are bracing for a drop-off instead.
Cunningham, though, is still backing the group in front of him. The early signs are encouraging, and he believes Detroit has already shown enough resilience to handle the pressure that’s coming next.
In Other News...
Pistons May Soon Face A Costly Ron Holland Decision
NBA teams are getting quicker to make judgment calls on young players, and the Pistons are no exception as they weigh the future of Ron Holland. Around the league, prospects are no longer getting endless runway to figure things out, with early-career moves involving players such as Rob Dillingham and Zachcharie Risacher serving as a reminder that patience has limits when front offices start looking at cap space and tax bills.
For Detroit, Hollands next team option is shaping up as an important decision point, one that would carry an $11.5 million price tag. The question is not just what Holland can become, but how much the Pistons want to commit before he has fully proven he belongs in that kind of contract tier, especially in a league that is growing more cautious about second deals for unfinished players. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Pairing Fans Need To Watch
Jalen Duren made an immediate impression in his preseason debut for Detroit, powering the Pistons in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with 24 points in just 15 minutes. After sitting out earlier exhibition action, the big man wasted little time reminding everyone why his presence matters, and it came at a good moment as Detroit continues sorting through its rotation before the games count.
John Collins has already taken notice of what Duren brings, and the two figures to be one of the more interesting frontcourt pairings to watch as the preseason winds down. With the Pistons set to close out exhibition play against the Toronto Raptors, the blend of Collins enthusiasm and Durens production gives Detroit another subplot worth following before opening night arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons May Have Found The Offensive Pairing Cade Needed
Kevin Huerter gave the Pistons another look at what life beside Cade Cunningham might look like in the preseason, and it came through in the small things. In 17 minutes, Huerter had four assists, several of them finding Jalen Duren in pick-and-roll action, the kind of easy offense Detroit has been searching for as it tries to build out more reliable scoring around its lead guard.
Duren, meanwhile, turned that chemistry into production, putting up 24 points in a half on just nine shots and doing it efficiently. For a team still exploring secondary options beyond Cunningham, the early connection between Huerter and Duren is at least a promising sign, even if the real test will come once the games start counting for something. [Read more 🡒]