Pistons’ Jalen Duren sheds light on unknown Cade Cunningham commodity

The Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham has been right on a tear in the NBA this season. The Pistons are firmly at the top of the Eastern Conference after finishing 6th with a 44-38 campaign last time around, a win total they are now just one victory away from.

And well, MVP contender Cunningham’s contributions are a major reason behind that improvement. But while his offensive strengths are well-documented, Jalen Duren also pointed out an aspect of Cunningham’s game that does not get talked about enough, per a post on X by journalist Jeremy Otto.

Jalen Duren says Cade is a great 2 way player even though everyone talks about his offensive skills. 3 more blocks tonight #Pistons pic.twitter.com/uLT4qph6ef

— Jeremy Otto (@JeremyOttoPxP) February 26, 2026

“Yeah I mean, 6-7, I mean, doing just what he is supposed to be doing. He is a great defender, he is a great scoring player, you know people know him for being a point-guard, being a scorer but he is a great two-way player. He has been doing it all season, so it’s nothing new. I know when I see him, one-on-one on the fast break with a small guard, I like his chances,” Duren said.

While that may be true, it is hard to praise a player’s defensive efforts when he is going at 25.3 points, 9.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per appearance. However, Cunningham is also averaging approximately 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

He boasts a solid defensive rating of around 109.5 while also producing 4 defensive rebounds per game, and is undoubtedly letting his presence known on the other end of the court as well. However, Duren may still find that it is Cunningham’s offensive ability that is most talked about, and for very good reason.

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