Detroit Pistons Star Eager to Make Statement in 2025 NBA Playoffs

Cade Cunningham striving to put the Pistons back on the map.

Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks on during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

This season, the Detroit Pistons turned a lot of heads by pulling off a historic turnaround. Understanding there is still much more work to be done, the team's star guard is eager to make a statement on the game's biggest stage.

One year removed from having the NBA's worst record, the Pistons have secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2019. A major catalyst in their success this season was Cade Cunningham putting together a breakout campaign. The former No. 1 pick posted career highs across the board en route to the first All-Star selection of his career.

Now that the regular season has officially come to a close, Cunningham and the Pistons can begin preparing for their first-round matchup with the New York Knicks. Ahead of his postseason debut, the star guard sat down for an exclusive interview with ESPN's Shams Charania.

While talking about his goals and the trajectory of the team, Cunningham spoke on how crucial this playoff run is for them. He's eager to make a statement in the postseason to further show the basketball world what they've been building in Detroit.

"Obviously playoffs is going to determine a lot," Cunningham said. "So that's why I'm just excited and looking forward to these series and getting this long rolling and waking people up as far as what is in Detroit and the type of respect we deserve."

Pistons' Cade Cunningham sits down for ESPN NBA Countdown: "I want to be the best player in the world. Every day … I don't think there's too many players that you could argue above me."

On the contagious Bad Boys era in Detroit, being a young face of the league, Knicks series: pic.twitter.com/msYuHvngO0

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2025

As the primary focal point of the team, Cunningham is going to have a lot of eyes on him come the playoffs. After performing well all regular season, many will be waiting to see if he can sustain that success under the bright lights of the postseason.

Even though the Pistons are the lower seed, they should have some confidence going into this series. They performed well against the Knicks all year, especially Cunningham. Along with Detroit winning three of the four matchups, he averaged 30.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 8.3 APG. If the Pistons want any chance at pulling off an upset, they are going to need a similar level of production from their star guard.