In the 1960's, a man known as Mr. Triple Double made it look normal to record at least 25 points, nine assists and five rebounds per game. NBA history would tell you it is not. Oscar Robertson last achieved those averages in the 1967-68 season. It would take another 50 years for anyone to do it again, with Russell Westbrook and James Harden joining his company in 2016-17. Only three other players -- LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic -- have done it since.
There might be a fourth: Cade Cunningham is averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game with two months to go in his fourth season with the Pistons.
Forget the All-Star nod that came earlier this month. Cunningham is having an All-NBA-caliber campaign. His eighth triple double of the season Sunday lifted the Pistons to a win over the Hornets, a 4-2 homestand and the sixth seed in the East -- with the Bucks and the Pacers within striking distance. Only Jokic and James, with their seven combined MVP awards, have more triple doubles this year than Cunningham. And put aside the rebounds for a moment: only Jokic and Cunningham are averaging at least 25 points and nine assists.
And then there's this: among those averaging at least 25 points, Cunningham is the only one doing it with fewer than five free-throw attempts per game.
J.B. Bickerstaff almost balked at the question, because it comes with so many answers. What's the best thing that Cunningham does on the court?
"I would say his ability to get to his spot and create his shot is elite. And that’s what you look for in a guy who you want to be your No. 1 guy and the guy that can close games for you," Bickerstaff said on 97.1 The Ticket. "That’s the thing that I think is most important, being able to give him the ball in different spots and no matter the size of the defender, no matter the double team, no matter the spacing, he has the ability to get to his spot and create the shot that he wants."
Bickerstaff and Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon made it a priority to support Cunningham in their first season together in Detroit. Langdon put accomplished shooters around him for the first time in Cunningham's career, and Bickerstaff gave him the reins of an offense in which his many talents can shine.
Both of them have been blown away by Cunningham's ability to put a team on his shoulders at age 23. With their next win, the Pistons will double their total from last season and take another step toward their first playoff appearance in six years and perhaps their first playoff win in 17 years.
"The thing that I’ve been amazed by is his leadership ability," Bickerstaff said. "To understand how he can do his thing and be great but not at the expense of his teammates has been mind-blowing for me, to see him in his fourth year, have the understanding of what it takes to do that. Like, having empathy for 14 other guys while at the same time knowing and displaying how great you can be as an individual.
"There are leaders or best players on teams that we’ve seen who do it at the expense of everybody else and don’t bring others along with them. What Cade does is, it’s so amazing, because he does his thing but he helps everybody around him become a better player and helps the team become a better team. Again, that’s just something you don’t see regularly anymore."
Langdon called Cunningham's leadership "the biggest thing that isn’t seen" in his gaudy numbers, "outside the lines, in the locker room, when we travel, on the bench." It absolutely shows up in the Pistons' 27-26 record a year after the worst season in franchise history.
"He’s done a really nice job of supporting teammates and holding them accountable at the same time," Langdon said on 97.1 The Ticket. "When you hold people accountable, you also have to hold yourself accountable all the time. As a leader, you can’t ask your team or your teammates to do a certain thing and then not do it yourself. You have to do that every night. And that’s what he talked about, the step he wanted to take this summer. The fact that he’s doing it and really taking pride in being the leader of this team has been fun to watch."
The Pistons have two more games -- Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bulls -- before the All-Star break, where Cunningham will get to soak in the spotlight Sunday in San Fran. He belongs among the best players in the NBA; few, if any, have been more valuable to their team this season than Cunningham. Not only did he make his first All-Star Game, but "to get voted in by the coaches is a tremendous accomplishment," said Langdon.
"And very well-deserved with what he has done to help take this team to the level we’re at," Langdon said. "But for him, I think he’s very happy but he’s also really focused on getting this team to the playoffs, which shows who he is, shows his character and his competitive spirit. Very lucky to have a player and a person of that caliber here with us in Detroit leading this franchise."