Cade Cunningham Calls Himself NBA MVP After Pistons' Win vs. Jalen Brunson, Knicks at MSG

After another dominant performance in a win over the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham believes he the NBA MVP award is his for the taking.

Speaking to ESPN's Vincent Goodwill after the Pistons' 126-111 victory on Thursday night, Cunningham declared himself the MVP right now.

"I think I am [MVP]," Cunningham said. "And if you don't agree with me, that's your opinion."

Cade Drops 42 on Knicks

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Cunningham's statement came after he put up 42 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds in 38 minutes. The Pistons have swept their regular-season series against the Knicks, with the three games decided by an average of 28.0 points.

Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Goodwill that this one game alone isn't the reason Cunningham should be the MVP because he has been doing this all season.

"I don't think you pick an MVP based off, you know, just one game or one statement," Bickerstaff said. "He's been this way for the entire season. He's dominated both ends of the floor and impacted winning in a major way."

After being on the receiving end of Cunningham's masterpiece, Knicks head coach Mike Brown simply said it's "not a fun feeling."

Pistons legend Isiah Thomas told The Athletic's Ian O'Connor that one big reason Cunningham and this Detroit team have been so successful is how different they play than the rest of the NBA:

"They're the one team in the NBA right now that is really playing a totally different brand of basketball than everyone else. They have gone back to what I would say the old Pistons DNA has been—defense, rebounding, shot blocking and taking good shots.

"It's a formula that goes totally against the grain of the NBA, and it's just like we did it in the 1980s and '90s. When Cade sees Stewart and Duren open in the post, he actually throws them the ball. They try to score two points rather than always shooting 3s. The way I was taught the game, you want to put at least one point on the board every time down the court, and the Pistons play that way. That's why the entire city of Detroit appreciates this team."

What started out as a fun novelty early in the season has quickly turned into a team that looks like a very real threat to win an NBA title. The Pistons (41-13) are percentage points ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best overall record in the league.

Detroit ranks second to the Thunder in defensive rating and net rating. The Pistons are a safe bet to be the No. 1 seed in the East with a lead of 5.5 games over the Boston Celtics.

Leading the way for the Pistons is Cunningham. The 24-year-old is averaging 25.7 points, 9.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in 48 starts. Nikola Jokić is the only other player who averages at least 25.0 points and 9.0 assists per game.

Despite their franchise's rich history, the Pistons are one of eight current NBA teams that have never had an MVP winner. If things keep going the way they have been, Cunningham could be the player who ends that drought.