Cade Cunningham’s 52-Point Explosion Raises an Interesting NBA MVP Question

Cade Cunningham’s early case for MVP is a valid one.

His 52-point eruption in the Detroit Pistons’ 144-140 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday firmly put his name in the conversation, though he is still considered a dark horse among frontrunners Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama.

Cunningham, though, strengthened his case for the MVP group chat, becoming the first player in NBA history to reach 50 points and 10 assists without a turnover since turnovers began being tracked in 1977–78, helping Detroit to an 8–3 start.

This is the first player in NBA history with 50 points, 10 assists and 0 turnovers in a game since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1977-78 btw pic.twitter.com/qkoqQnqFgy
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 13, 2026

He shot 16-for-25 from the field (64%), 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and 17-for-18 from the free-throw line.

One performance doesn’t define an MVP, true. But Cunningham has been knocking on the door for a while now. Here’s why he deserves more of a chance this season.

From despair to success

It’s no secret that the Pistons’ resurgence has largely been driven by Cunningham’s offense.

It’s even more staggering that after ruling the East in the regular season last year and going 8-3 this season, the same franchise won just 14 games in 2023-24.

Since that dark period, Cunningham has averaged 25.0 points, 8.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds across two seasons and 11 games.

He’s performed at an elite level, with his field goal percentage before this season hovering around 46%. This season, in 11 games and averaging 34.5 minutes per game, Cunningham is shooting a career-high 48.5% on 16 field-goal attempts.

More impressively, Cunningham is making his teammates better. This season, with a secondary scorer desperately needed in the summer, the Pistons have flipped the script, and instead, the current core is doing just fine.

Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed are stepping up, John Collins is settling in well, and Ausar Thompson enjoyed his first-career triple-double on Thursday against the Wizards.

Battling back and showing character

What makes Cunningham such an elite player is his belief in himself.

This season, Cunningham scored just 31 combined points in his previous two games against the Lakers and the earlier game against the Wizards.

Cade CunningHIM. pic.twitter.com/YkUFHB21Vo
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) November 13, 2026

He rebounded superbly in the most recent clash against Washington and posted career numbers; however, sustaining top-five efficiency over 82 games will be necessary to close the gap on Wembanyama and Doncic.

You can also go back to last season, when he suffered a collapsed lung before the playoffs. Before that scare last March, Cunningham was considered a leading MVP contender.

However, his durability and explosive performances early this season confirm he has fully recovered.

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