After Cade Cunningham’s umpteenth clutch performance this season on Monday, Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey officially jumpstarted Cunningham’s NBA Rookie of the Year PR campaign.
“He’s Rookie of the Year,” Casey said after the Pistons’ 113-110 overtime win over Atlanta at Little Caesars Arena. “It’s not even close as far as talent evaluation. I’ve been in it a long time, seen a lot of players. The only thing they can hold against us is a young team rebuilding. But talent-wise, he’s the guy that can finish games for you, and that’s what you need in those situations to finish games.”
It was a strong pitch by Casey, but also a deserved one. Cunningham was electric for the Pistons (18-47), tallying 28 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in a back-and-forth game against a Hawks team in the playoff hunt. He scored 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Hawks (31-33) didn’t have an answer for Cunningham as he closed out a sixth win in eight games.
[ Pistons’ NBA draft big board 1.0: Why Chet Holmgren is leading Jabari Smith ]
With just over a month left in the season, Cunningham is playing some of the best basketball of his short career. It’ll be a tight Rookie of the Year race, but he’s making a strong case.
“He’s playing like a 10-year vet,” Casey said. “To get 10 assists and 28 points is big time, and he deserves that. He got us down the stretch. We were trying to go to him down the stretch, which we wanted to. We got what we wanted down the stretch. For me, he’s the Rookie of the Year, with the way he won the game for us tonight.”
The race is still wide open. Many pundits would say Evan Mobley, who has been a defensive anchor and versatile offensive weapon for a playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers team this season, is in the lead and a significant favorite by oddsmakers. But it’s a five-player field. Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes has been fantastic this season, as have Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey.
[ Cade Cunningham tells Freep: Here’s why winning Rookie of the Year matters to me ]
Cunningham, Wagner, Barnes and Mobley each have an Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award this season, while Giddey has swept all four West Rookie of the Month awards.
But of the five players, Cunningham is the only one who has spent most of the season as a No. 1 scoring option. He’s the only rookie leading his team in shot attempts per game. He has had to carry a heavier load than the rest of his rookie class, and has still thrived.
Cunningham leads all rookies in points per game (16.5), is second in assists per game (5.2) and fourth in rebounds (5.8) and steals per game (1.2). He has a lengthy highlight reel of clutch plays on both sides of the floor, becoming the Pistons’ most consistent scorer, playmaker and one of their best perimeter defenders.
The Pistons recognize Cunningham is their best closer. At the ends of games, the ball is in his hands. It’s a big vote of confidence for a rookie, and not one Cunningham takes for granted.
“I feel probably the most comfortable in my life when I have the ball in my hands,” he said Monday night. “I’m just working. It’s my favorite hobby in life. I love it more than anything. The trust they have in me to go create something and make something happen, I really appreciate it because I feel like I can do it. I work really hard at my game, and so late game, whenever I’m able to create something and put us ahead or whatever the case may be, that’s one of the best feelings for me. I don’t really get too nervous in those situations, I just go do what I love to do and try to make plays for my team to win.”
[ Isaiah Livers finding his rhythm with Pistons after return from foot injury ]
Cunningham was appreciate of Casey’s words, and made it clear he thinks he deserves the Rookie of the Year award. But his sights are still on the big picture. The Pistons are in the midst of their best stretch of basketball this season, picking up wins over the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Cavaliers, Raptors, Indiana Pacers and Hawks since Feb. 16. They’ve won three straight. Beyond Cunningham, they’ve gotten strong contributions from Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey and others.
After a tough season, things are looking up. Beyond the hardware, Cunningham wants to keep Detroit’s current run of strong play going.
“I really like how the Pistons are playing right now,” he said. “I think we’re playing really hard, playing for each other, and I think that’s what letting us win some games. I really appreciate my team, my teammates trusting me with the ball, allowing me to get things going, and I feel like they’re looking at that race too, a little bit, and they want to put me in the right positions. At this point, we’re really rolling. I’m not really too worried about that race as much as getting the building blocks and getting the foundation right next year for the Pistons. I’m going to keep working. I think I deserve the award, but at the end of the day it’s a trophy. I think building something good with my team would mean a lot more.”
[ Listen to today’s episode of ‘The Pistons Pulse’ podcast: Do they have a Big 3? Deeper look at NBA draft prospects ]
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.