Pistons Star Cade Cunningham Tied With LeBron James in Key Stat

Pistons guard and LeBron James among the NBA's top playmakers this season.

Oct 26, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) defends against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images / David Reginek-Imagn Images

Even though the Detroit Pistons still find themselves winless this season, there are still some positive takeaways. Among the biggest is that Cade Cunningham looks poised to make the leap to a star-level talent in the NBA.

Coming off a strong 2024 campaign, Cunningham was a name some penciled in as a possible breakout candidate this year. Through the first week of games, he appears to be on that track. The Pistons guard has been among the league's top playmakers, tied with LeBron James for the fifth-highest assists per game mark. Among the few players averaging more than Cunningham are Trae Young, James Harden, and De'Aaron Fox.

2024-2025 NBA Assists Per Game Leaders:

11.7 - James Harden
10.8 - Trae Young
8.3 - Scotty Pippen Jr.
8.0 - De'Aaron Fox
7.5 - Cade Cunningham
7.5 - LeBron James

All Leaders: https://t.co/pszlTbTDXh pic.twitter.com/lu3ul652ZC

— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) October 29, 2024

An improved supporting cast and spacing has done wonders for Cunningham, both as a scorer and facilitator. With more room to operate with on offense, the former No. 1 has been able to further display his high-level talents on that end of the floor.

Cunningham's best scoring outing (33 points) came against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but arguably his best offensive showing came against the defending champion Boston Celtics. He finished with his first double-double of the season that night, notching 21 points and 10 assists.

While they remain winless on the season, the Pistons have looked vastly more competitive this season. Bringing in some new faces has yielded positive dividends, and should soon start to translate to wins. Nonetheless, Cunningham continues to cement himself as a pillar of the franchise.

Looking ahead, Detroit finds themselves with an opportunity to steal a victory on the road this week. On Wednesday night, they'll face off against a Philadelphia 76ers that will be without the services of Joel Embiid and Paul George.