Pistons Cade Cunningham Opens up on Having Fully Healthy Offseason

Pistons guard poised to keep momentum rolling off strong 2024 campaign.

Apr 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Last season, by far the brightest storyline for the Detroit Pistons was the play of Cade Cunningham. As he prepares for his fourth season in the NBA, he opened up on how beneficial this summer compared to last offseason.

Coming off a strong rookie campaign, Cunningham looked to be taking another step forward in year two. However, things would end up going off the rails for him when he needed season-ending surgery after just 12 games. He managed to bounce back nicely in 2024, and is in a strong position to keep building off his best year in the pros.

During his media day availability on Monday, Cunningham was asked about having a fully healthy summer this time around. Not having to spend time rehabbing was good for him, and allowed him to maintain his rhythm from last season.

"Felt good this offseason starting out, being able to not deal with rehab and all that,"Cunningham told reporters Monday. "Still felt good, still felt in rhythm from the season. Building on that was the main priority, adding on to it and being sharp for this year."

Fresh off an injury-ridden season, Cunningham managed to average 22.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 7.5 APG. Having just turned 23-years-old last week, he is on course to being an All-Star caliber player in the league.

Cunningham continued to develop into a star is crucial for the long-term trajectory of the Pistons. If he can continue to prove he can be the focal point of an offense, Detroit has a chance to crawl out of the basement of the Eastern Conference standings.