The Detroit Pistons have far surpassed expectations in this 2025-26 NBA season, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff believes superstar guard Cade Cunningham is the MVP frontrunner right now. During an appearance on the Road Trippin’ Show, Bickerstaff spoke glowingly of Cunningham as he made the case for the guard.
“If the season ended today, Cade Cunningham’s the MVP hands down,” Bickerstaff said. “… If the MVP is the person that’s most important to winning with the record that we have and the weight that he carries, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the MVP if the season were to end today.
“You talk about a guy who, on any given night, will guard the other team’s best player and still have to carry the burden that he carries on the offensive end for us,” Bickerstaff added. “You talk about a guy who never takes away from his teammates, only gives to his teammates. He doesn’t suffocate his teammates so that they can’t grow. He gives them opportunity to grow, opportunity to spread their wings.”
Cunningham, the first pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, certainly is in the conversation. The 24-year-old is putting up excellent averages of 25.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in 2025-26.
Cunningham’s play has led to a lot of wins, too. The Pistons entered the All-Star break with a league-best 40-13 record.
Historically, the biggest star on the team with the best record has had a pretty good chance at winning MVP. If the Pistons keep this up, Cunningham would have a strong case. There is no reason to believe there will be a fall off, with how well their top dog is playing.
“Cade is in that stage now where he just believes that he’s different,” Bickerstaff stated. “You and I were laughing about ‘The Matrix’ right, when Neo believed he was the one. Cade believes he’s the one now, and his game is translating it.”
The way Cunningham has spearheaded this turnaround in Detroit is incredible. The 2023-24 season had seen the Pistons finish with the worst record in franchise history at 14-68. They lost 28 games in a row at one point, tying the record for the longest losing streak in NBA history.
There seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, but the Pistons then surprised the basketball world by going 44-38 in 2024-25. They have now taken another big step and are one of the favorites to win the East this season.
While Cunningham and the players deserve a bulk of the credit for the turnaround, Bickerstaff should get a pat on the back as well. The Pistons’ decision to hire him in 2024 wasn’t exactly seen as a masterstroke, but he has done a whole lot of winning since he took over. Bickerstaff now finds himself in the running for Coach of the Year, and you wouldn’t bet against him winning it with the way things are going.
As for Cunningham winning MVP, that is a lot harder to say. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic all have strong cases as well. Reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander is still probably the favorite, but the two-time All-Star can close the gap with a strong second half of the season.
We’ll see Cunningham in action next when the Pistons take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.
