Cade Cunningham sets Pistons’ expectations at ‘winning the NBA Finals’ 🏆 | NBA Today

Cade Cunningham sets Pistons’ expectations at ‘winning the NBA Finals’ 🏆 | NBA Today

I talked to JB a little while ago and he said one of his last meetings with you from last season going into the summer was about being more efficient and making sure that you you get to your spots, you find your spots, and you just maybe refine your game a little bit more. Everybody goes into the summer with something that they want to improve on. What was your goal? What was the thing that you were looking forward to working on and that you want us to see the difference in this season? exactly what coach said, you know, just being more efficient with my movements, efficient with um you know, my timing, when I’m going, when I’m not, when I’m getting guys involved, all of those things. And that took a lot of film for me uh firstly, but individ sharpening everything. I I bring a lot, I think, with my game. I use a lot of different tools. Um and they all need sharpening. my handle, my mid-range game, my float, my hooks, my three ball, all of that stuff, my passing. So, all of those things got worked on. Some more than others, but sharpen all those things up, but most importantly, just ways that I could be the most efficient in this offense, the ways I can help other guys be most efficient in this offense is something that was important. Um, and I’m still working on. We’re trying to get it right. And hopefully by playoff time, it’s clockwork. Second nature. Second nature. The expectations for this season, I would think, will be a little bit different than last year. You’re coming off a 14- win season. You guys make a huge leap. Last year, last year, you were just trying to get to playing meaningful basketball March and April. Now, you I’m sure you probably have the expectation of advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs, right? Yeah, for sure. For sure. That’s I mean, we’re trying to get to the finals and win the finals. So, first round last year was an amazing experience for everybody. I think we all learned something from it. We all took something from it and we all have a chip on our shoulder because of that series. But now going into this season, I mean that’s last year play in all that stuff was more the goal. Like we have to be in that. We have to experience that. Now that’s not even what we’re talking about. It’s just how we could be the highest level basketball team we could be. No, but take me back to last April. You were in Madison Square Garden. I think it was game two. You guys are still in the open floor. I think you crossed over on Muel Bridges. you dunked and then you pointed at Carmelo Anthony. It was kind of like a moment. What was that moment like that for you in that building having that sort of that that game that moment? Yeah, it was it wasn’t planned like you know the play just happened how it happened. I dumped the ball. I didn’t have a celebration in mind or anything, but I was hyped, you know, and I’m I’m just staring at the baseline and it’s Carmelo Anthony right there in front of me is like one of my all-time favorite players. So, um, to see him right there, it was just like I wanted to make sure he saw that, you know, I’ve always been watching him, it was just a a full circle moment, you know, to be in the arena to have, you know, the biggest stage in the world, you know what I mean? Being in there, I thought it was just a cool moment. Do you take more pleasure in wins like that, games like that, instances like that on the road? Closing out Madison Square, the gamewinner against Miami where you told everybody to put some respect on your name. It feels like you take more out of doing that on the road than you do at home. It means a lot because you get to represent, you know, in a in an environment that’s against you. I think that’s why it means a lot being on the road. It means a lot to, you know, be the the visiting team. I think it’s a cool thing. Um, but protecting home court is way more important, I think. So, there’s a it’s a balance between the two. You have to hold your home arena. Like, it’s, you know what I’m saying? Somewhere nobody can come in and take what you what you have. But also, you have to go out on the road and be like road warriors. You have to be somebody that’s willing to go into somebody else’s house and go get a win. So, um, there’s definitely a balance of it. I love both of them. I love having the home crowd yelling and screaming, and I love having the visiting crowd quiet. I think it’s just it’s just a beautiful balance. Now, tell me to take me to the playoffs here. Game six, Jaylen Brunson closes you guys out. I talked to JB. JB said, “I’m not watching that game. I’m not watching that series, but it sticks with me.” Are you one of those people that you’ve watched that game millions of times, hundreds of times, or do you let it go, you watch it, and it just sort of sits with you? I’ve watched it a couple times. It’s uh there’s moments where I I’ll fast forward when I know it’s something that I don’t want to see coming up. Um but I think it’s just part of the learning experience. I I feel like I have to see it. I have to see what went well, what didn’t. Um just so I could learn from it more than anything. So, it’s tough though. Like I’m right now I’m into this season. I’m not going back and watching that stuff right now. But I think there was a lot that I took from it that has helped me get prepared for this season. For sure. Last season you were high in the most improved player. I get the feeling that that wasn’t something you were necessarily taking a lot of pride in that your goals, your individual goals for yourself were much higher than something like that. Yeah. most improved player was I think a a great honor to be, you know, um considered for. I think I mean it’s it shows whoever improved the most from year to year. You know what I mean? I think that’s a huge accomplishment for somebody that puts in the work in the summertime. I think that says a lot about, you know, what how much work you put in. So to be considered for it, I thought was amazing. Um, but like you’re saying, it’s not who I see myself as is just a most improved player award winner. You know, I I see myself as somebody that should be considered at the highest level. Um, and that’s what I work for every day. So, I thought it was great award to be considered for, but I wasn’t heartbroken to not win. You know, I’m keep on marching. So, I’m going to give you some names and I’m see if they resonate with you. Nicole Joic, Shay Gildris Alexander, Joel Embiid, Jiannis Anthony Kmpo. Do you know what those four names represent? They’re all MVPs. I know that. Is that on your radar this season? Yeah. I mean, I think if if I can help get this team to where my goal is to get this team this season, I think all that stuff will be on the way. And I don’t I’m not shy to say that. I think that’s I think that’s very possible. Um that’s not what um this season is not about winning the MVP for me though. This season’s about winning a finals more than anything. A finals MVP I’d be way more happy about than a MVP. You know what I mean? I think if MVP will come one day, Lord willing, if I can stay healthy and I continue to grow this I think I can. But this team being successful is my number one goal. But you you told your brother and your trainer even before you were drafted here, I want to be the best player in the world. And apparently they’ve been holding you to that very standard. Like what does that mean for you to say that, to verbalize and say, I want to be the number one pick. I want to be the MVP. And for you to hold yourself to that standard? Yeah. I think, well, for one, basketball is a team game. It’s five guys out there. You know what I mean? So to be the most valuable player, you have to be most valuable to your team. Uh and that can look so many different ways. We’ve seen it with all the guys that you name. Um being the best player in the world, you’re not going to do that on the worst team. You know, you’re not going to do that on the 50th best team. You’re going to be if you’re the best player in the world, you’re going to have probably the top team in the world. And that’s my whole goal is to have this team be the best team in the NBA. Um, and that’s the standard that they’re holding me to every day. One thing I found fascinating, even before the team got good last year, Kevin Durant said that you were legit. LeBron said that you were the number one pick for a reason, like you are the good Steph Curry. All the the guys, the staples, the ones who validate a player like you, validated you even before the team success came. What does that mean to you to have your not even your peers, these are guys who have been doing it for decades, give you that sort of validation? It’s it’s crazy, honestly. Um, all those guys, man, I was a kid admiring their games. They’ve been doing it for so long. Like, they helped teach me what it looks like to be a star at the NBA level, you know what I mean? So to have them um giving me, you know, words of advice, to have them saying to to the media like, “Nah, he could play.” It means a lot. I’m I’m honored to to be spoken of like that. Um and it’s just more fuel to the fire to continue to get better. And those three guys are going to be leaving soon. You know, they’re older. They’re on the back end. And the NBA is going to have a void at the top for superstar spokesman. Are you someone that feels like you can be a spokesman for the league? That you can be a face of the NBA that can represent it on not just a local scale in Detroit or even Dallas, but just on a global scale and all the responsibilities that come with that. Yeah, that’s something I believe very strongly. I do my best to be a great face for this organization. Um, just be a leader for this organization. I’m not the person that’s going to be putting my face on everything like, oh, I’m the new face in the NBA. That’s on the NBA and that’s on the fans that watch the game to determine who is the guy. You know what I’m saying? My job is to, you know, be the best version of myself for the Detroit Pistons, for the Cunningham family, you know, and just represent at the highest that I can. Be a great citizen, be a great role model for kids, and be the best teammate I could be. Last thing, it seems like you have embraced Detroit. almost from the moment that you were picked number one. Like I remember on lottery night, you were only going to work out for the Detroit Pistons. You’re not from the area. You’re not from the region. You’re from Dallas. What made you embrace this place immediately? There was a lot of factors that went into it. I think the culture is number one. Um, the city of Detroit just seemed like a place with a lot of cool people. You know what I’m saying? Like they love the sports teams. They love the music. They love being from Detroit. And that’s something that I always found cool. Texas is a place we were like super proud to be Texans, you know? And I think Detroit is that same way. Like people are just so proud to be from Detroit. That was something I wanted to be a part of. And the the history of the Pistons is unmatched, you know? I mean, Isaiah Thomas, Chanty, all like there’s so many guys that um are just huge like they’re legends in the NBA, you know what I mean? And this this franchise is a a legend of the NBA. And to be a part of it while it was down to try to help bring it back up to the top, I thought it was a huge opportunity that I wanted to be a part of and I wanted to take on. Open up my bra.

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham sits down with ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill to discuss the Pistons’ electric start to the NBA season, the team’s aspirations this year and more.

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