- With Cade Cunningham (calf soreness) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle sprain) out Sunday vs. New Orleans, rookie forward Ron Holland helped spark a Pistons victory, recording 26 points (on 10-of-14 shooting), six assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes off the bench. The fifth overall pick in last year’s draft tied his career high for points in a game and set a new one in assists. Second-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has been in and out of the rotation in 2024/25, was also instrumental to the win, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com have the stories and quotes.
The Most Improved Player award has – at least according to the oddsmakers – become a two-man race.
On one side is Cade Cunningham, the face of the vastly-improved Pistons. On the other is Dyson Daniels, who has blossomed into a stat-sheet stuffing backcourt partner for Hawks star Trae Young.
Let’s examine their cases.
Cunningham came into Sunday’s action averaging 25.7 points, 9.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds in 35.2 minutes per game. Last season, when the Pistons won just 14 games, Cunningham averaged 22.7 points, 7.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 32.5 minutes per contest
The only negative would be an increase in turnovers per game this season (4.5) compared to 3.4 last season. That’s due in part to the season-ending leg injury to Jaden Ivey on New Year’s Day, which has put the ball in Cunningham’s hands more often. His usage rate is 34.4%, up from 31.7%.
Cunningham, a first-time All-Star, has benefited from an improved supporting cast. He’s got a better group of veterans around him this season, allowing him to be a more effective play-maker. He’s embraced his leadership role and delivered in the clutch, making game-winners such as his buzzer-beating three-pointer against Miami on Wednesday.
There was little doubt Cunningham could be this kind of player. After all, he was the top pick of the 2021 draft and got a max extension last season. Should those facts work against his candidacy? However, there’s no denying that Cunningham’s steady brilliance has silenced any doubters regarding the franchise’s faith in him after its worst season.
Daniels, a third-year wing, was mainly a second-unit player in his first two seasons with the Pelicans. Included in the blockbuster deal that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans, Daniels has seized the opportunity to become a full-time starter.
In 65 starts, Daniels is averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 steals in 33.9 minutes per game. Last season, Daniels posted 5.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.4 SPG in 22.3 MPG.
He’s the runaway leader in the league in steals per game, making him a dark-horse candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, an award typically dominated by centers and forwards.
Working against Daniels’ candidacy is that he doesn’t have the pressure of being the team’s star like Cunningham. The Hawks also have a losing record, though they still lead the weak Southeast Division. But the No. 8 pick of the 2022 draft has clearly made a name for himself after two nondescript seasons with the Pelicans.
Clippers veteran forward Norman Powell was a prime candidate for the award until an injury derailed his campaign and made him ineligible.
Christian Braun, Evan Mobley and Tyler Herro are some of the other players have been mentioned as candidates.
That brings us to today’s topic: Who’s your selection for the Most Improved Player award – the Pistons’ Cunningham or Hawks’ Daniels? Or is there another player more worthy of that honor?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, who is expected to miss another week as he continues to recover from a sprained right ankle, has missed New York’s last eight games as a result of the injury. According to Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post, one benefit of Brunson’s absence has been extended run for some the club’s younger backcourt options and role players.
“You are not replacing Jalen individually,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s impossible. We have to do it collectively with our defense and rebounding and playing together.”
With Brunson’s usual backup Miles McBride a late scratch ahead of Saturday’s Washington clash due to a groin issue, veteran Cameron Payne drew the starter, while rookie Tyler Kolek logged a career-high 18 minutes and handed out eight dimes. Kolek often fed forward Mikal Bridges, who was in the midst of a solid shooting run.
“It was big-time for us having Ty out there finding ’Kal constantly,” Payne said.
There’s more out of New York:
- Kolek’s big night has made him an intriguing possibility for backup minutes behind Brunson going forward. Dexter Henry and Bryan Fonseca of The New York Post wonder if he could wind up being the Knicks’ best reserve option for Brunson sooner rather than later, and what his path to a consistent rotation role might look like.
- Kolek will probably get another shot at major minutes for the Knicks again on Tuesday, as McBride is considered likely to sit out Tuesday’s showdown with Dallas due to his groin injury, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (via Twitter). When healthy, McBride has been solid for New York this season. In 59 available bouts, he’s averaging 9.4 points per game on .407/.371/.817 shooting.
- At 44-26 on the year, the Knicks seem to be more or less locked into the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 overall seed. Three clubs are jockeying for the right secure home-court advantage and the No. 4 seed behind them. The 41-29 Pacers are currently in that slot, just one game up on the 40-30 Bucks, and 2.5 games ahead of the 39-32 Pistons. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic evaluates the pluses and minuses of each of those clubs as potential first-round playoff foes for New York, identifying the team that should ultimately be the Knicks’ preferred matchup (Milwaukee).
New Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma is adjusting to life on a competitive club after his years with the rebuilding Wizards, as he told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda in a recent interview.
“I haven’t found my total offensive groove,” Kuzma said. “But I’ve been able to be competitive. Defense and rebounding is something that I do really, really well. So that’s what made an impact. It’s just about being able to compete. That’s the best thing for me. And it’s something that I’m very happy to do, especially with this group of people. We’re only going to be better.”
In his 21 contests with Milwaukee so far, the 6’9″ vet is averaging 14.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 2.0 APG. He’s shooting a middling .437/.295/.671, a far cry from the shooting efficacy of beloved former Bucks wing Khris Middleton — although Kuzma provides a major athletic and defensive advantage over Middleton at this stage in their careers.
Kuzma also has a health and availability edge over Middleton, though he continues to be affected by a left ankle sprain he sustained on March 5, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
“I’ve been playing on one leg for like the last three weeks,” Kuzma said. “I think the OKC game, I felt pretty good. And then felt much better in Golden State and then felt the best I’ve felt since before that Dallas game where I sprained it.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- Floor-spacing veteran Pistons swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. spoke with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda at length about his new role on a rising young playoff hopeful. “Just being one of the designated shooters for the team really helps the guard play, especially with [Cade Cunningham],” Hardaway told Afseth. “It helps space the floor—not only for myself, but also for [Tobias Harris], [Malik Beasley], and a lot of other guys that came in with that. So just having that positive impact, bringing that maturity, and having multiple guys who understand what it takes to win ball games—guys who’ve been playing at a high level for many years—that’s key.”
- Two-time All-Star Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton returned to the lineup Saturday against Brooklyn following lingering back issues, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). It was his first action in a week. “I’ve had back issues my whole life,” Haliburton said. “I’ve worked really hard to try to get rid of it and try to do everything we can. Sometimes my body reacts in certain ways. There was a couple of plays in the Bucks game when I got twisted in the air… It felt bad for like a week.”
- Bulls guard Coby White has been on a scoring tear of late, averaging 29.4 PPG across his last 10 contests. In a conversation with Afseth of Sportskeeda, the 25-year-old unpacked his breakout season. “It was just about improving on a lot of different things,” White said. “The summer is long, especially since we didn’t make the playoffs, so I had a lot of time to work.” In 64 healthy bouts for the 31-40 Bulls, the UNC alum is averaging a career-high 20.0 PPG, plus 4.4 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He has also taken on more of a leadership role while looking to score more regularly since Chicago traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento last month.
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is owning responsibility for Cleveland’s current losing streak, which extended to four games on Friday in Phoenix, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes (subscription required).
“Put this on me,” Mitchell said. “When your leader ain’t doing [expletive], this is what happens. If I’m not being who I need to be then we’re not going to get to where we want to get to. So, until that happens — and it will — yeah, if you’re looking for where to point, it’s right here.”
Since the beginning of March, Mitchell is shooting 32.9% from the field and 17.9% on three-pointers, compared to 44.1% and 37.0% on the season, Fedor adds. In their four straight losses, he’s down to 18.5 PPG on 29.6% shooting.
“I’ve been like this for the past four games, and we’ve lost four straight,” Mitchell said. “I have to be better. Simple as that. We have to guard better. We have to rebound. [Expletive] all that. It’s on me. I have to be better for the group. I’ve been good for the group all year. But this is on me. There really is nowhere else to look. I will be better.“
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers‘ Friday loss represents their lowest point of the season, Fedor writes in another story (subscription required). Cleveland has given up at least 120 points three times in its last four losses and ranks in the bottom half of the league defensively this month. Meanwhile, the scorching-hot offense that overshadowed any defensive shortcomings earlier in the year has faltered as of late. Of course, the Cavaliers still hold a five-game lead over the second-place Celtics in the East, but they’ll want to right the ship in the coming weeks to regain some momentum entering the postseason.
- Wednesday’s performance against the Heat was the pinnacle of Pistons star Cade Cunningham‘s young career, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic opines. Cunningham recorded team highs in points (25), rebounds (12) and assists (11) as he notched a triple-double and knocked down his first career game-winning three-pointer. The former No. 1 overall pick felt the game was a culmination of everything he has been through, including the 28 straight losses the Pistons endured last season and the injury that limited him to 12 games in his sophomore season. “It’s still early though, I feel like,” Cunningham said. “I still feel like there’s so much to do. There’s still so much that I haven’t experienced.“
- Bucks star Damian Lillard missed Thursday’s game against the Lakers due to calf soreness, per NBA insider Chris Haynes, and he’ll also miss Saturday’s tilt in Sacramento, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). It’s the first time since late December that Lillard had to miss consecutive games. He’s averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game in his age-34 season. Guard Ryan Rollins drew the start on Thursday in Lillard’s absence.
The Pistons and Cade Cunningham got a chance to show their stuff Wednesday on a national-televised game against the Heat and they took advantage of it. Cunningham hit a game-winning three-pointer in the final second as the Pistons improved their record to 39-31, giving them 25 more wins than all of last season.
Cunningham, a first-time All-Star, deserves to be on an All-NBA team, in the opinion of center Jalen Duren, as Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
“We’re still trying to make a case for that? Man. If you don’t know that by now, not only are you not watching us, you’re not watching basketball,” Duren said. “He’s been the best guard in the NBA all year, if you ask me. Watch the games, man.”
An All-NBA selection would be a financial boon for Cunningham. He signed a five-year max rookie scale extension in July, which goes into effect in 2025/26. Making an All-NBA team would push the first year of that extension to 30 percent of the cap, rather than 25 percent.
We have more from the Central Division:
- An underrated reason for the Pistons’ success is that they’ve answered the bell, Sankofa notes. Other than Jaden Ivey, who suffered a broken fibula on Jan. 1, the rotation members have remained healthy and available for the most part. Cunningham, who battled injuries in his previous seasons, is on pace to play 70 games. Rookie Ron Holland and sixth man Malik Beasley have appeared in every game. “That’s been huge towards our consistency as a group, having pretty much the same starting five most games this year,” Cunningham said. “Same rotation, guys are able to play every night. It’s a huge thing. I know it helps coach a lot. It’s huge for our synergy, knowing where everybody is going to be at, keeping the same consistency as far as groups on the floor and things like that. Health is the main thing. ‘The best ability is availability’ is what they always say.”
- Bulls guard Coby White, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, told the Chicago Tribune’s Julia Poe that his struggles early in his career are now paying dividends. “I wasn’t very good when I came into the league,” he said. “I had a lot to learn. It was all about humbling myself to the point where I looked in the mirror and said, ‘I have to get better. I have to get stronger. I have to be more physical. I have to figure out who I am as a player.'” He’s averaging 24.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists since the All-Star break.
- Prior to this season, there was serious doubt whether the pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen could work. Those concerns have been eased by the Cavaliers’ success. Allen explained to Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina have they’ve learn to be effective for long stretches. “Evan is really benefiting from this offense. You can see his numbers and his confidence. We can all see it,” Allen said. “He’s leading our team. It makes it easier. We have our separate roles now. He’s on the outside, shooting threes, running the offense and pushing it. And I’m in the dunker (spot) doing what I’m used to.”
Kevin Durant‘s relationship with Suns coach Mike Budenholzer has been an ongoing storyline for several weeks, and Durant offered some insight after this morning’s shootaround, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The topic arose again after Durant snapped at Budenholzer during a timeout in Sunday’s game at Los Angeles (Twitter video link).
“I don’t say, ‘Coach, we’ve got to do this.’ It’s his team,” Durant told reporters. “I’m there to be of assistance. If he needs me to do anything. If I got some suggestions on what may happen, I’m asking him. I’m not telling him what to do. I’m asking him, ‘Yo, Coach, what you think, we should do this right here?’ If he doesn’t think so, all right, then I’ll move on.”
A potential rift between Durant and Budenholzer has been one of the subplots of a disappointing season in Phoenix. Budenholzer is in his first season with the team after replacing Frank Vogel last summer, and Sunday’s incident was the latest evidence of possible tension behind the scenes. In a March 4 game, Durant was seen slapping away Budenholzer’s hand while returning to the huddle.
However, Durant has been supportive of his coach in his public comments, and he believes his long career gives him the right to offer input when he thinks it’s appropriate.
“I’ve never been that guy telling somebody what to do,” Durant said, “but I’ve been in the league for a long time and if I see something, Coach gives me the leeway to come to him if I see something out there that may be different. I think everyone on the team has that type of confidence to go to Coach with that stuff. I’m not telling him what he needs to do. I’m listening and giving suggestions and if it helps, it helps. If he doesn’t take it, then you move on to the next thing.”
There’s more from Phoenix:
- After losing to the Lakers on Sunday, the Suns responded with one of their best games of the season the next night in a 40-point win over Toronto. In a separate story, Rankin notes that injuries to Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen created more playing time for newcomer Cody Martin and rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, who provide a better defensive foundation. “(Martin) does a little bit of everything,” Devin Booker said. “But most importantly, he’s been vocal even in the times that he hasn’t been in the game, and just seeing things that he sees out there, and it translates. And you know, it was a big part of what we did today.”
- Backup center Mason Plumlee will miss tonight’s game against Chicago with a left quad strain. Budenholzer isn’t sure when it happened, saying it might be “a little bit of a cumulative effect,” tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Budenholzer adds that the team will monitor Plumlee for the next 24 to 48 hours in hopes that it’s not more serious.
- Owner Mat Ishbia stated last week that trading Booker this summer would be “silly,” but Mark Deeks of HoopsHype lists four potential landing spots for Booker in the event that the Suns change their minds. Deeks views the Pistons, Thunder, Rockets and Knicks as the best options.
Trajan Langdon pursued executive positions with two other teams over the past two years, but the Pistons are happy he was still available when they went looking for a new head of basketball operations last spring, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Langdon has overseen an incredible transformation as Detroit has emerged from a 14-win season to boast a 38-31 record entering tonight’s game.
Langdon was in contention for jobs with Washington in 2023 and Charlotte in 2024 before the opportunity with the Pistons came along. He admits being somewhat cautious about joining an organization that was at the bottom of the league, but he was intrigued by the collection of young talent already in place. Langdon also had a few connections with the franchise, as vice chairman Arn Tellem was his former agent and advisor Billy King was a fellow Duke alumnus.
“After listening to Arn, Billy King, and then most importantly to (owner Tom Gores), I thought what they were lacking is what I could provide in terms of just setting a foundation, building a culture,” Langdon said. “I felt that’s what they felt was important. And that’s what I can provide originally or from the start. And then we started talking more and had a lot of conversations with Tom and just felt that it would be a good fit.”
Langdon’s first priority was finding a new coach after the team opted to fire Monty Williams last June. After considering Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Pelicans assistant James Borrego, Langdon opted for J.B. Bickerstaff, who had recently been let go by the Cavaliers.
Bickerstaff told Spears that having Langdon in place influenced his decision to seek the position in Detroit.
“I don’t know if even Trajan knows this, but he was a major part of the selling point for the job,” Bickerstaff said. “His personality. His character. His thought process and logic. The plan that he had in place about where we wanted to go and how he wanted to get there. That was the most important thing to me. And then his want to have a genuine relationship with me beyond basketball and be a true partner in building this thing. Obviously, we have our respective jobs, but it’s a collaboration of thought that goes into all of his plans. And he respects my thoughts and is interested in using my thoughts as he builds it with the decisions that he makes.”
Langdon was aggressive in remaking the roster, acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. in a trade with Dallas and signing Malik Beasley and Tobias Harris in free agency. He also gambled on G League Ignite forward Ron Holland with the fifth pick in the draft, adding a player with raw skills but extreme athleticism and competitiveness.
This season began like a carryover of the last one as the Pistons started 0-4 and were booed by their home crowd. Langdon and Bickerstaff remained optimistic about what they had built, and eventually the results started showing on the court. The team is currently on pace for a 32-win improvement, which would be the largest in franchise history.
Cade Cunningham has blossomed into one of the NBA’s best guards and made his first All-Star appearance this year. Dennis Schröder and Lindy Waters were picked up at the trade deadline to add depth to the backcourt. Even the absence of Jaden Ivey, who was lost for the season with a broken leg on New Year’s Day, hasn’t slowed down the Pistons.
“We talk a lot about the character of this team that we wanted to put together,” Langdon said. “We have a lot of high character human beings and we wanted to get that grit back. And obviously, the positivity, the passion, the desire to come out and compete and win. It’s a historic franchise that at times has been dominant in this league. And so, to get it back and give the fans what they’ve seen, and to give these players what they want, would be super-meaningful to this franchise right now and also going forward.”
Simone Fontecchio was re-signed by the Pistons on a two-year, $16MM contract last summer. The forward’s shooting numbers are down this season but coach J.B. Bickerstaff has stuck with him on the second unit. Fontecchio delivered his best performance of the season in Detroit’s 46-point thumping of New Orleans on Monday, with 23 points and seven rebounds.
“We trust these guys and we don’t live game by game, we give guys an opportunity to build a track record,” Bickerstaff told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “We give guys an opportunity to play with freedom and confidence. And we know Simo’s capable of knocking down shots. It never wavered from our end. We know we’re going to need all of them and I thought (Monday) was a great night for him, to go 9-of-10 from the field and 5-of-5 from three. It was great to see it.”
Fontecchio is appreciative that Bickerstaff has continued to rely on him.
“It’s important,” Fontecchio said. “They know I can shoot it in many ways, being a team player and locker room player, grabbing rebounds, playing defense and making the right play on offense.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers got a monster game out of Obi Toppin on Monday. He scored 34 points and hit four overtime three-pointers in their victory over Minnesota. Toppin was signed to a four-year, $58MM contract last offseason to remain in an Indiana uniform. It was strong all-around effort from the Pacers unheralded players, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes. The team was missing four of its top five scorers and had to use a handful of players on two-way and 10-day deals, but still had eight players score in double figures.
- Matas Buzelis made his 17th straight start for the Bulls in their 111-97 road win over the Jazz on Monday, scoring 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting. He also had nine rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot in 30 minutes. The rookie forward is averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26.4 minutes per game as a starter. “With Matas, I think he’s got huge upside. I felt like Lauri (Markkanen) had huge upside even though he’s gone to Cleveland and he’s come (to Utah), but I think he’s constantly, each year, taken a step,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “I think Matas can do the exact same thing. I’m not saying they’re the exact same players, but I think he can make those kinds of steps.”
- The Bulls’ decision to hand power forward Patrick Williams a five-year, $90MM contract last summer doesn’t look like a wise investment at the moment. Williams is averaging a career-low 8.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 49 games, including 35 starts. There is one aspect of his game where he could show some progress the remainder of this season — his decision-making — before entering the offseason with a plan for how live up to that contract, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. “I think he’s a guy who, early in his career — and it’s still early in his career — had a hard time getting over mistakes,” Donovan said. “I think he’s gotten past that and he’s been better with that. The other part is the decision-making part of it. There’s times he’s got to get off [the ball]. There’s times he’s got to shoot. There’s times he’s got to drive it.”
In the wake of Tony Allen‘s jersey retirement ceremony in Memphis, John Hollinger of The Athletic revisits Allen’s six All-Defensive seasons for the Grizzlies and notes that the veteran guard wouldn’t have made All-Defense in five of those six years if the NBA’s current 65-game rule had been in place.
The 65-game rule doesn’t simply require players to appear in at least 65 games to earn end-of-season award consideration — it requires them to reach the 20-minute threshold in at least 63 games and to play 15 or more minutes in two others.
Allen came up short of 65 total games in three of his six All-Defensive seasons and had fewer than 63 games of 20-plus minutes in two additional seasons, despite making more than 65 appearances in each of those two years. His résumé isn’t unique among All-Defensive honorees. As Hollinger points out, the entire All-Defense second team in 2021/22 would have fallen short of the 65-game requirement.
With defensive standouts like Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Davis on track to play fewer than 65 games this season, there could be some spots on this year’s All-Defensive teams up for grabs for less obvious candidates. But a few of the league’s most impactful defensive role players are already ineligible for award consideration.
Hollinger singles out Clippers guard Kris Dunn as a prime example. Dunn leads the NBA in defensive box plus-minus and ranks second in the league in steal percentage, behind Dyson Daniels. He also ranks third among qualified players in deflections per 36 minutes and has been a driving force behind a Clippers defense that has the third-best defensive rating in the NBA.
Dunn has also played in 60 games this season, putting him on pace to exceed the 65-game minimum, but he has played 20-plus minutes in just 44 of those contests. With only 14 games left in the Clippers’ season, Dunn will fall short of the games-played requirement for award consideration, despite a strong case for All-Defense.
Kings guard Keon Ellis is in the same boat, Hollinger observes. Another player with high marks in categories like defensive box plus-minus, steal percentage, and deflections per 36 minutes, Ellis has appeared in 64 games but reached the 20-minute mark in only 41 of them, so he won’t reach the required minimum either.
Cason Wallace, one of the Thunder‘s best defenders, will need to play 20-plus minutes in 10 of the team’s final 14 games to qualify for award consideration. Rockets wing Amen Thompson, currently sidelined due to an ankle sprain, is still seven 20-minute games shy of the required minimum.
Pistons big man Jalen Duren recently argued that his frontcourt mate Isaiah Stewart deserves a spot on an All-Defensive team, and Fred Katz of The Athletic agreed. However, Stewart has long been ineligible for consideration — he has logged at least 20 minutes in just 24 of his 62 outings this season.
The 65-game rule currently only applies to certain awards. A player doesn’t have to meet the criteria in order to qualify for Rookie of the Year, an All-Rookie team, or Sixth Man of the Year.
In Hollinger’s view, All-Defense should get the same treatment, with the 65-game rule either relaxed or eliminated, since players who receive All-Defensive consideration often play much different roles than players who get votes for awards like MVP and All-NBA.
What do you think? Should the requirements of the 65-game rule apply for All-Defensive candidates? Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your two cents.