Cade Cunningham believes the Detroit Pistons are being overlooked heading into the 2026-27 season. The star guard's comments come after an annual NBA GM survey projected Detroit to finish 5th in the Eastern Conference, a drop from their No. 1 seed and 60-win campaign last year. The Pistons are fresh off a 128-106 preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 14, 2026.
Cunningham feels the team's accomplishments from last season aren't getting enough respect. After securing the top seed in the East and winning 60 games, the Pistons fell in the second round of the playoffs. That exit, Cunningham suggests, has led some to doubt their ability to repeat that regular-season success. He directly stated the team is "a little slept-on" by the broader NBA world. It's the first time in nearly twenty years Detroit has entered a season with such high external expectations, making the perceived slight more notable.
The survey of league general managers placed the Pistons fifth in the Eastern Conference predictions. This ranking arrives just one season after the team finished with the conference's best record. The defending champion New York Knicks and other contenders are naturally getting more attention. But sliding to fifth after a 60-win year illustrates a significant gap between the team's recent performance and current external perception.
Detroit's exhibition games have shown a mixed bag of results. They opened with a tight 109-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns on October 5. A 114-108 loss to the Washington Wizards followed on October 10. Their most recent outing was a dominant performance, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-106 on October 14. These games are helping the team tune up their rotations and defensive schemes before the real action begins.
The immediate focus is their final preseason contest against the Toronto Raptors at home on October 16, 2026. After that, the regular season begins with the Pistons aiming to prove the GM survey wrong. Cunningham's message is clear: this team plans to build on last year's foundation. The core group, which found so much success, remains largely intact and motivated.
