Cade Cunningham

Cunningham set a new career high for scoring in this game, with 30 of those 52 coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. However, the most impressive part of his performance was that he didn’t turn the ball over once, which led to him becoming the first player with at least 50 points and 10 assists in a game without turning it over. This was one of the best games anyone has had this season, and it came after he scored a total of 31 points over Detroit’s last two games. It was good to see him not only get back on track, but to truly dominate. He’ll look to carry some of this production with him to Miami on Saturday to wrap up the week.

Cunningham turned in his second consecutive lackluster shooting performance, going 0-for-4 from three-point range while attempting 16 shots or fewer for just the fourth time this season. He poured in 11 first-half points and played a season-low 27 minutes during the second game of a back-to-back for Detroit. This looks like a relatively minor blip on the radar as he works through a shooting slump. He’ll get a couple days off before the Pistons square off with the Wizards in a rematch on Thursday.

Cunningham was held without a basket in the first half as he cobbled together an uncharacteristically poor shooting performance, finishing just 1-of-6 from three-point range. He managed to somewhat salvage the effort from a fantasy perspective by still getting to double digits while also dishing out eight assists. He’ll attempt to get back on track when the Pistons kick off a three-game week with a pair of matchups against the lowly Wizards before facing the Heat in a road tilt.

Cunningham continues to make an impact on the defensive end early in the season as he recorded two blocks and two steals against the 76ers Wednesday. The 25-year-old point guard also scored 26 points on the offensive end, though he went 1-of-9 on three-point attempts. The Pistons are off until Sunday’s game against the Lakers.

Cunningham has now recorded at least 30 points, at least five rebounds, at least seven assists, at least two steals and at least four three-pointers in two of his last three games. Due to his efficiency and five steals, Monday was the 25-year-old point guard’s best game of the young season so far. With Jalen Duren (hamstring) still sidelined, expect the Pistons to continue to lean on Cunningham even more than they usually do.

Cunningham had just 19 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks, but bounced back with 30 points in the victory over the Hornets Wednesday. Expect Cunningham to continue doing it all for the Pistons and he should keep shouldering a heavy usage load while Jalen Duren (hamstring) is out.

Given Cunningham’s scoring trend in Detroit’s first four games, he’s likely to score 20+ against the Hornets on Wednesday. The Knicks kept him in check for most of the night, with Cade totaling 10 points in the final three quarters of Tuesday’s defeat. The good news for fantasy managers was that he put up quality rebound and assist numbers, finishing one board and two helpers shy of a triple-double.

Cunningham and the Pistons remained undefeated after defeating the 76ers, doing so without two starters. With Jalen Duren out for at least two weeks and Ausar Thompson also unavailable on Sunday, Cunningham will have to do more of the heavy lifting for the Pistons in the short term. Beyond scoring, he provided excellent value for fantasy managers across the board. The Pistons play three games in Week 2, starting with the Knicks on Tuesday.

Cunningham had another fine game as he filled the stat sheet and led the Pistons to another win to start the season. However, after turning the ball over five times in the win over the Celtics on Tuesday, he had seven turnovers against the Heat on Friday. Even opposing coaches like the Heat’s Erik Spolstra have pointed out that Cunningham isn’t necessarily a bad ball-handler, but commits a lot of turnovers thanks to almost always having the ball in his hands. That doesn’t offer much comfort to fantasy managers with Cunningham in nine-category leagues as he’s likely to be towards the top of the league in turnovers this year.

Cade looked like his usual self as the primary creator of the offense. It is important to note the nine assists to the five turnovers he had. Detroit lost some ball handling this summer which will put even more responsibility on Cade. It would not be a shock if he leads the league in turnovers this year because he’s the only starter that can handle the ball.

Cunningham was at the controls for Detroit as they kicked off their exhibition slate with nearly every key piece of their rotation, with the exception of center Jalen Duren, who recently signed a five-year, $200 million contract following a tumultuous offseason that came on the heels of a disappointing playoff performance. There are legitimate questions about whether Detroit’s decision not to add any secondary scoring or playmaking help for Cunningham this offseason will eventually backfire. However, it virtually guarantees that he’ll be in line for another high-volume offensive season. Cunningham should be a borderline first-round pick in all upcoming fantasy drafts.

The most important note here is the start time. Typically, there are two night games on opening night, but this game will tip off at 3 p.m. ET. Managers will have to set their lineups earlier than usual. There are still two night games, with the defending-champion Knicks hosting the new-look 76ers, which will be followed by a Western Conference Finals rematch, with the Spurs hosting the Thunder. All three games will be broadcasted on NBC and Peacock. Other nationally-televised games for the first week have been revealed as well, and the full schedule will be released this week.

Efficiency was an issue for Cunningham throughout the Cleveland series, but he had his worst showing in Game 7. While the Pistons’ point guard committed a respectable three turnovers, he was 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. Given Detroit’s limitations on offense, they can’t afford for Cunningham not to be at his best when the lights shine brightest. However, the end should not take away from Cade’s play throughout the season. A likely All-NBA selection, he offers first-round fantasy value in formats that either don’t count or punt turnovers.

Cunningham did not deliver the cleanest performance on Friday, committing seven turnovers, but his play was good enough to help the Pistons force a decisive Game 7 on Sunday. The Pistons’ star didn’t have the best night shooting-wise, either, but that was unsurprising based on how Cunningham has played throughout the series. In the first five games, he shot 41.7 percent from the field and was slightly worse in Game 6. But the Pistons’ “others” stepped up, and now Cunningham and company will host a Game 7 for the second time this postseason.

The Pistons led by nine with three minutes left in regulation, but blew that lead and lost by four in overtime. Cunningham dropped 39 points in Game 5, but it wasn’t enough as the Pistons fell behind 3-2 in the series. After a Donovan Mitchell three-pointer gave the Cavaliers a five-point lead in overtime, Cunningham committed one of his six turnovers. Max Strus picked his pocket in the backcourt and found Mitchell streaking in for a layup to put the Cavs up by seven, effectively putting the game on ice.

Cunningham logged his least impressive stat line of the series on Monday. In his 39 minutes, he tallied five or more assists for the third consecutive game and was held under 20 points for the first time this postseason. Cunningham’s six assists were unspectacular, more than insignificant. However, he didn’t have his usual impact in Monday’s loss. Detroit will be counting on its All-Star guard to lead the way in Game 5.

Cunningham finished Game 3 with the second triple-double of his postseason career. However, similar to the first, which was recorded in Game 4 of last year’s first-round series against the Knicks, turnovers were a problem. Cunningham racked up eight turnovers on Saturday, including two on consecutive possessions late in the fourth quarter. Detroit still had chances to win Game 3, a testament to the positives Cunningham brought to the table. However, they need to find a way to take some of the pressure off their playmaker, as inconsistent production from anyone other than Tobias Harris doesn’t do Cunningham any favors. Game 4 is on Monday night, with Detroit holding a 2-1 series lead.

Cunningham closed the show with a stellar 12-point fourth quarter in Thursday’s contest to help the Pistons take a 2-0 series lead, with his late three-pointer to put Detroit up by nine points with 2:12 left serving as the dagger. He’d ultimately finish with more points and assists than in Game 1, while his three stocks in 42 minutes were also noteworthy. Cunningham has been fantastic throughout the postseason and will have a chance to remain productive in Game 3.

Despite not shooting the basketball well, Cunningham was plenty effective in Game 1. He was a plus-12 in his 42 minutes of game action, which concluded as one of Detroit’s best. He, unsurprisingly, was the Pistons’ leader in assists and was one of only two players to make multiple three-point shots on the evening. Cunngham’s numbers on Tuesday pale in comparison to some of the final lines he notched in the opening round against the Magic, bu he’ll have a chance to get back on track in Game 2.

Cunningham was sensational, once again, on Sunday. He logged a second consecutive 32-point outing, this time adding a series-best 12 assists to help the Pistons reel off three straight wins to save their season. The former first-overall pick averaged 36.3 points in the three elimination games and scored at least 30 points in more than half of the seven games. Cunningham’s versatility undoubtedly is the driving force of this Pistons offense — Detroit will count on him to lead the way offensively in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.