Detroit Pistons: Draymond Green Makes Emphatic Statement On Cade Cunningham
The Detroit Pistons are no longer the doormat of the Eastern Conference. In fact, they might just be the team to beat. Fresh off the All-Star break, the Pistons rolled into Madison Square Garden and made a statement that reverberated across the league. At the center of that statement was Cade Cunningham, who put on a clinic against the New York Knicks.
His performance was so dominant that it caught the attention of Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, who didn’t mince words about the relationship between the Pistons’ star point guard and New York’s beloved team.
Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham “Owns the New York Knicks”
On a recent episode of his podcast, Draymond Green offered high praise for Cunningham, specifically highlighting his track record at Madison Square Garden.
“Came out the All-Star 42-9 at the Garden, owning the New York Knicks,” Green said. “Cade Cunningham owns the New York Knicks.”
In Detroit’s first game back from the break, Cunningham looked completely comfortable under the bright lights of MSG. He finished with 42 points on efficient 17-of-34 shooting, adding 13 assists and six rebounds. He controlled the tempo, made big shots when the Knicks tried to rally, and ultimately led Detroit to a convincing 126-111 victory.
For Green, a player known for his high basketball IQ, what stood out most wasn’t just the scoring—it was the poise.
“He’s making everybody better,” Green added. “He’s scoring the basketball. He’s so poised. You can’t speed him up. It’s so fun to watch. Like the way he is revived Detroit basketball is insane.”
An MVP-Caliber Resume
Cunningham’s dominance against New York is just a microcosm of his season. The former number one overall pick has taken the leap from promising young talent to legitimate superstar.
The win over the Knicks pushed the Pistons to a 37-12 record with Cunningham in the lineup, cementing their spot at the top of the East. This success has vaulted Cunningham squarely into the MVP conversation. Before the All-Star break, he was ranked fourth on the NBA MVP ladder, trailing only established superstars like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.
Averaging 25.5 points and nearly 10 assists per game, Cunningham is the engine behind Detroit’s resurgence. He is doing exactly what franchise cornerstones are supposed to do: elevating the play of everyone around him while taking over games when it matters most.
Reviving Detroit Basketball
Perhaps the most significant part of Green’s comment was the acknowledgment of what Cunningham has done for the city of Detroit. “Revived Detroit basketball” is a heavy phrase, but it fits.
After years of rebuilding and lottery disappointments, the Pistons are finally competitive again. They aren’t just scraping by; they are beating playoff teams like the Knicks on their home floor. Beating the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season adds a layer of poetic justice to the narrative.
When a veteran like Draymond Green—who has seen it all in this league—calls out your dominance, it means you have arrived. Cade Cunningham isn’t just a future star anymore; he is a current problem for the rest of the NBA, and specifically for the New York Knicks.
