The Pistons have climbed to the top of the league! Cunningham confidently declares: I believe I am the MVP

After guiding his team to a commanding win against the New York Knicks and showcasing yet another dominant display, Detroit Pistons star Cunningham firmly believes that the NBA regular season MVP award is within his grasp. After the Pistons’ 126-111 victory yesterday, Cunningham openly stated in an ESPN interview that he considers himself the current MVP.

“I believe I am the MVP,” Cunningham said, “if you don’t agree, that’s your perspective.”

Before making this statement, Cunningham played 38 minutes, scoring 42 points with 13 assists and 8 rebounds. The Pistons have swept the Knicks this season, winning their three matchups by an average margin of 28.0 points. Pistons head coach Bickerstaff said it’s not just one game that makes Cunningham worthy of MVP, but his consistent level throughout the season.

“I don’t think the MVP is chosen based on one game or one declaration,” Bickerstaff said, “he has performed at this level all season long. He exerts dominance on both ends of the floor and greatly impacts the team’s success.”

After witnessing Cunningham’s flawless performance, Knicks coach Brown simply commented: “It doesn’t feel good at all.”

Pistons legend Isiah Thomas told The Athletic that a key reason for Cunningham and this Pistons team’s success is that their style of play is completely different from every other team in the league:

“They are currently the only team in the NBA playing a truly unique style of basketball. They’ve returned to what I call the old-school Pistons DNA—defense, rebounding, shot-blocking, and capitalizing on good scoring opportunities.”

“This approach goes against the current NBA trends, just like we did in the 80s and 90s. When Cunningham sees Stewart or Duren open down low, he genuinely passes the ball inside. They focus on scoring two points rather than just shooting threes. The basketball philosophy I learned was: every possession should yield at least one point. That’s exactly how the Pistons are playing now. That’s why Detroit as a whole loves this team so much.”

Once considered a dark horse at the start of the season, the Pistons have rapidly developed into a genuine championship contender. With a 41-13 record, they hold a slight edge over the Oklahoma City Thunder and sit atop the league standings. The Pistons rank second in both defensive efficiency and net efficiency, trailing only the Thunder.

They currently lead the Boston Celtics by 5.5 games, essentially securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The undisputed core of the team is Cunningham. This 24-year-old star, starting in all 48 games, averages 25.7 points, 9.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. Apart from Jokic, he is the only player in the league averaging at least 25 points and 9 assists per game.

Despite the Pistons’ storied history, they remain one of eight teams in the league that have never had an MVP. If this momentum continues, Cunningham truly has a chance to be the one to break that drought.

In the latest MVP odds, Cunningham (+425) ranks third, behind Thunder’s Alexander (-145) in first place and Nuggets star Jokic (+325) in second.