Analyst Makes Case for Pistons Cade Cunningham to Win NBA Award

Should the Pistons star be a favorite for Most Improved Player?

Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In the midst of a breakout season, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been one of the most talked about young players in the league. Many have discussed his cade to be an All-Star, but one analyst recently took things a step further.

Following an impressive end to the 2024 season, Cunningham has taken his game to new heights in year four. He's emerged as one of the top playmakers in the NBA, and proving he can be an all-around offensive hub for the Pistons. The former No. 1 pick is putting up career-highs across the board with averages of 24.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 9.4 APG.

During a recent podcast appearance Sam Vecenie of The Athletic gave his thoughts on Cunningham. He's moved on from the All-Star debate and opened up on how the Pistons star should be the favorite to win Most Improved Player.

"Cade Cunningham is the most improved player in the league this year," Vecenie said. "He just is. He's improved drastically as a passer and playmaker. He's gone from being guy who is relatively inefficient at times to being an All-NBA player...We always thought Cade was great, but his first few years was not this."

To me, Cade Cunningham is the most improved player in the league.

The jump to All-NBA caliber from where he was last year is MASSIVE, even if we always thought he was capable of doing this. pic.twitter.com/epUC7gPysW

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) January 23, 2025

Seeing that his numbers have gone up across the board, Cunningham at least deserves a mention in the MIP debate. The award typically isn't for No. 1 picks, but things have shifted in recent years. Ja Morant took home the award in his third season when he made the leap to a star-level player. Given that Cunningham has followed a similar trajectory, he could be in the mix come the end of the season.