Detroit Pistons Head Coach JB Bickerstaff was blown away by the superstar qualities of Cade Cunningham. The head coach was even making bold claims that the MVP tag might not be far off his reach.

Cade Cunningham arrived at Madison Square Garden following his 2nd All-Star appearance in Los Angeles. The typically reserved Cunningham let his game do the talking for 42 points in a 126-111 blowout win over the New York Knicks.

“I mean, if the season ended today, he’s the MVP,” Bickerstaff said on NBA Radio. “And I don’t think it’s even a question. The most valuable player is the guy who impacts winning at the highest level. And right now, with us having the record that we have, you know, and Cade being the player that he’s been and the impact that he’s had on both ends of the floor, it’s hard for me to justify anybody else. And that’s not a knock to the great players that we have in our game, but Cade’s done it at a high level.”

The Pistons have surged this season, and it has been largely due to how much impact Cunningham has had on his team through playmaking and scoring.

“And as I said, the transformation starting last year to where we are now, a lot of that has fallen on his shoulders, and he’s lifted the group up while at the same time helping his teammates become better. So I think to myself, it’s a no-brainer. He’d be the guy for me,” Bickerstaff added.

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The Pistons are by far the best team in the Eastern Conference right now. They are over five wins ahead of the second-seed. Crediting his “superstar ” player for the Pistons’ success this season, the Pistons coach put Cunningham among the top five impactful players in the league.

“He guards the other team’s best perimeter player. Offensively, the ball is in his hands, and his usage rate is through the roof,” the Pistons head coach told reporters. “He never says no, and he never complains. He goes out and gets the job done. It’s impacted winning, and I think that’s what superstars do.”

In line with Bickerstaff’s analysis, Cunningham’s impact on the Pistons has truly been remarkable. The top-seed in the East is +10.1 points per 100 possessions with Cunningham on the floor. It drops to +3.3 when he is off the floor. Bickerstaff’s message was simple: Cunningham was playing at a “Hall of Fame” level, and the Pistons star deserved better recognition.

While Bickerstaff’s MVP praise highlights Cunningham’s immense value, the path to that award and a deep playoff run requires him to shore up a few key areas of his game

Cade Cunningham can certainly be the MVP by fixing these flaws in his game

Cunningham has been an All-Star this season and played at an All-NBA level through this season. Among the 99 best players in the league listed by Bleacher Report after the All-Star break, Cunningham ranked 7th in the NBA and 2nd among all American stars. While he has grown more confident in his game compared to his past seasons, he still needs to address obvious flaws in his game if he wants to lead Detroit back to its glory days by the end of this season.

One of the leading concerns in Cunningham’s game has been his turnovers. He is only behind nine players on the list of eligible players with an average of 5.1 turnovers per game. It would eventually cost the Pistons when the playoffs arrive. While his impact has been undeniable, his offensive impact hasn’t been on the same level as Nikola Jokic and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.

Perhaps the weakest part of Cunningham’s game has been his 3-point shooting. He is shooting 33.5% from beyond the arc, which is below the league average. In the modern NBA, even a player with Cunningham’s playmaking talent can’t afford a below-average outside shot. At 33.5% from three, it’s a clear area for improvement.

The MVP Award might not be out of Cunningham’s reach if he can fix these issues. Do you think Cunningham will ever win the award and lead the Pistons to glory?