MIAMI >> Before Wednesday night’s thrilling victory over Miami, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised Detroit Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham during his pre-game media availability.

His words turned out to be prophetic, more than he knew.

“J.B. (Bickerstaff) has built a culture, and Cunningham is one of those guys who can control a game,” Spoelstra said. “For a young player, he has always been super poised. He is big, which allows him to play at his own pace.”

Cunningham’s production and leadership got the national spotlight Wednesday, with a national audience on ESPN, and got some eyeballs on the Pistons’ turnaround. It could lead to some All-NBA recognition for Cunningham, who also had his first All-Star selection this season.

“We are still trying to make a case for that?” center Jalen Duren said. “If you don’t know that by now, not only are you not watching us, but you are not watching basketball. He has been the best guard in the NBA all year, if you ask me. Just watch the games. There isn’t a case that needs to be made. Who doesn’t know? Who hasn’t seen it yet?”

Wednesday was just one more highlight added to the reel.

With the score tied at 113 with five seconds remaining, Cunningham banked a game-winning 3-pointer over Bam Adebayo to lift the Pistons to a 116-113 win at Kaseya Center. His game-winning basket was the pinnacle of an exceptional nationally televised performance.

Cunningham notched his ninth triple-double of the season, with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He became the third player in Pistons history to register two or more 25-point triple-doubles in a single season — joining Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas (1984-85) and Grant Hill (1995-96, 1996-97).

“It’s a great feeling; it is hard to put into words,” Cunningham said. “That was my first 3-ball game-winner. It’s fun because it is the stuff you always dream of in the driveway as a kid. To be on the biggest stage and doing this is what I love to do. I know I am blessed, and I try to represent God’s light, represent him as much as I can. Glorify him with everything.”

Cunningham, a former No. 1 overall pick, has put together a breakout season amid the Pistons’ renaissance. He is averaging 25.6 points per game, 9.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds while leading the franchise to one of the most remarkable turnarounds in league history.

With 12 games left in the season, the Pistons (39-31) sit as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. At this time last year, Detroit was the NBA’s laughingstock at 12-59.

After injuries derailed his first three years, Cunningham has reached a career-high in games played at 65. He is now eligible for regular-season awards. His importance to Detroit’s success should make him a candidate for league MVP. However, his play this season has positioned him as a lock for All-NBA Team honors, and there is a strong argument that he should make the first team.

All-NBA honors the best players in the league at every position, dating back to the inaugural season (1946). The recognition is divided into three different teams, leading to the top six guards making up each respective backcourt.

This season, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only guard who is a lock to make the first team. He is the frontrunner for MVP, averaging a league-best 33 points per game. However, when compared to the rest of his peers, Cunningham has a compelling argument.

Due to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ success, one could argue that Donovan Mitchell (24.1 ppg, 4.8 asts and 4.4 rebs) deserves first-team honors. However, his contributions have not been as valuable as Cunningham’s, especially considering that Cleveland’s accomplishments have been more of an overall team production than about one player.

“The engine of that team is Cade,” Clippers guard James Harden said on March 5. “I know the last few years, he hasn’t been healthy, for the most part. But this year, He has been healthy; he has been an All-Star. They are a very tough team, and led by Cade, who can do everything.”

Among the elites

Jalen Brunson (26.3 points per game), Stephen Curry (24.3 points per game), Anthony Edwards (27.6 points per game) and Damian Lillard (24.9 points per game) have all provided compelling arguments as All-NBA selections. However, neither of their franchises met the high expectations they had at the beginning of the season.

Edwards earned second-team honors last year after the Minnesota Timberwolves finished the regular season as the No. 3 seed, with 56 wins, marking their best season in two decades. This year, the Timberwolves (40-31) have declined and are in position for the Play-In Tournament.

“He has grown with his playmaking and his ability to see defenses and see the floor,” Curry said of Cunningham. “He is tough. You cannot take anything away from him. You can’t even speed him up. He seems very composed every time he has the ball in his hands. There’s a reason they (the Pistons) are way better than they were last year — because he has taken that leap.”

Cunningham’s performance has made him a leading candidate for All-NBA honors. He ranks third in the league in assists this season and is tied with Domantas Sabonis for the third-most triple-doubles.

Since the loss of his backcourt mate Jaden Ivey to injury on Jan. 1, Cunningham has helped elevate the Pistons to the league’s fifth-best record (25-13). In Ivey’s absence, Cunningham has averaged 26.8 points and 9.0 assists across 38 games.

However, his contributions off the court have been even more valuable than his performance on it. Cunningham’s leadership has been instrumental in helping the Pistons transform the negative culture that had plagued the franchise for five years. For coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Cunningham’s leadership has become the highest characteristic of his young star.

“Cade is a special leader, and if you’re not around him, you just don’t get to see it, obviously, the stuff that he does behind the scenes,” Bickerstaff said. “His ability to grow and push people to grow also is just amazing to me … I just think that’s unbelievable for a kid, 23 years old, to be able to do that, not to just his peers, but guys that are older than him, veteran players.”

Blake Griffin was the last Pistons player to record an All-NBA season, in 2018-19. That year, Griffin averaged a career-high 24.5 points per game, along with 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists. The Pistons finished the season with 41 wins, coinciding with their last postseason appearance.

Earning All-NBA honors — especially a spot on the first team — would be a remarkable achievement for Cunningham, validating the star potential that the Pistons recognized in the former Oklahoma State prospect when they selected him with the No. 1 pick in 2021. The recognition would come as the team experiences a significant resurgence four years later.

“We have put ourselves in a position that not a lot of people saw us doing, and we are all so proud of it,” Cunningham said. “But at the same time, we understand that there is a lot more work to do in order to get the respect that we want in this league.

“We don’t feel like we have accomplished anything yet. I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything yet as an individual. A lot more work to do. We are still hungry. We are still committed to this process and this grind. I am excited to see what’s to come.”