Cunningham warns the NBA: “They’re underestimating us”
The Pistons dominated the Eastern Conference in the Regular Season, but Cade Cunningham believes the team still does not get enough recognition
The Detroit Pistons enter the new season coming off the best record in the Eastern Conference, but Cade Cunningham believes the team still has not received the recognition it deserves. Their 60 wins in the 2025-26 season do not seem to have been enough to establish them as a consistent part of the contender conversation.
I feel like we’re still a little underrated. I don’t think people really give us the credit that maybe we’ve earned. But that’s part of the fun too. I think that’s part of being in Detroit
Cade Cunningham
Their 60-22 record last Regular Season confirmed the rise of a franchise that had been near the bottom of the standings only a few years earlier. What may have tempered the enthusiasm, however, was Detroit’s Playoff run: the Pistons beat Orlando in seven games before falling to Cleveland, again in Game 7, in the Conference Semifinals.
Meanwhile, offseason moves have shifted the spotlight toward other Eastern Conference rivals, strengthened by the arrivals of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami and Kawhi Leonard in Toronto. The Pistons can still rely on a young core that has already shown it can win consistently. The question now is whether they can do it again despite the upgrades made by their direct competitors.