The Detroit Pistons’ main offensive engine, Cade Cunningham, endured one of the worst shooting nights of his career against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, February 23.
Kevin O’Connor Doubts Cade Cunningham’s Ability To Lead Detroit Pistons
The 24-year-old point guard struggled mightily, finishing 5-of-26 from the field. The Spurs limited him to just 16 points, with his 19.2% shooting efficiency falling well below his season average of 45.5%.
The impact showed clearly on the scoreboard, as San Antonio snapped Detroit’s five-game winning streak with a 114–103 victory. Cunningham’s shooting woes raised serious questions about his ability to lead the Pistons deep into the postseason.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports was particularly vocal, openly questioning Cunningham’s shortcomings despite Detroit’s East-leading 42–14 record and the growing MVP buzz surrounding the young star.
Cunningham currently ranks 10th among MVP candidates in shooting efficiency, a point O’Connor highlighted when questioning whether Cunningham can truly be the engine for Detroit in the postseason.
O’Connor acknowledged Cunningham’s ability to dominate during the regular season. The Pistons star is averaging 25.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game – all career highs.
However, delivering against elite conference opponents in high-pressure playoff moments is a different challenge, and that’s where O’Connor believes Cunningham still has much to prove.
“Cade Cunningham is last of the 10 MVP candidates in true shooting percentage,” O’Connor said.
“And so Cade has taken this big leap. And I don’t mean this out of disrespect. I mean this from a place of awareness for Pistons fans.”
“Cade is really, really good. And he’s a most valuable player candidate for the regular season. But I don’t have the trust factor for him yet in the postseason to be the engine, the primary guy to lead your team to a championship like SGA last year with the Thunder,” he added.
In the 2024–25 playoffs, Cunningham averaged 25 points, 8.7 assists, and 8.3 rebounds across six games, demonstrating he can deliver in high-energy games.
Still, the matchup against the Spurs highlighted a potential flaw: when Cunningham is forced into tough shots, the Pistons’ offense can stall.
That reliance, particularly on nights when he struggles to score efficiently, could expose Detroit in a playoff setting. The Spurs–Pistons matchup, featuring two conference-leading teams, could easily be viewed as a postseason preview.
Cunningham’s struggles in such a critical game raise legitimate concerns for the Pistons, and finding solutions sooner rather than later may be crucial to their championship hopes.
