The Detroit Pistons are likely to draft Cade Cunningham with the overall number one pick, which will give them one of the youngest backcourt duos in the NBA.
He and Killian Hayes will both be 19 and this is the duo the Detroit Pistons will build around along with Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Jerami Grant.
The NBA has a LOT of good young guard duos, with at least 9 teams who are projected to have two starting guards who are both under 25-years-old.
When trying to rank a potential Hayes and Cunningham backcourt against the other “young” guard duos, I only looked at teams that had two guys under 25 who played a lot of the time together.
Teams like the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets obviously have one great young guard each but don’t have a backcourt mate who fits the criteria, so they were left off the list. I also left off Lonzo Ball and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, as they barely played together.
I also factored in potential as well as where they are now, as there are a few guard duos who might be better presently but don’t have as high a ceiling, especially when you are looking at Cunningham’s potential with the Detroit Pistons if that’s where he ends up (he will).
The future of the NBA is in good hands, as this generation of guards is already very good and about to get even better once Killian Hayes and Cade Cunningham are running the show for the Detroit Pistons.
Here is where they stand against the other young backcourts.
No. 9 young backcourt in the NBA-Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz, Orlando Magic
The Magic actually have a trio of young guards if you also count RJ Hampton, but Fultz will be coming off another injury, so it’s hard to rank them higher even though Cole Anthony had a very good rookie season.
The Magic will also have the 5th and 8th picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, so will be adding even more young talent. I have to give the Magic credit, as they were able to reset after trading Vucevic and Gordon and have to be more excited about their roster than they were at this time last year.
No. 8 young backcourt in the NBA- Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker
The Spurs have quietly stockpiled a lot of young talent though these two are not the flashiest names on the list. Murray is a well-rounded point guard who scored over 15 points per game while also getting seven rebounds and five assists. Walker is only 22 and already scores in double digits on decent 3-point shooting numbers.
The Spurs have a ton of money potentially coming off the books and could make a big move to add to their young core.
No. 7 young backcourt in the NBA-RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks
I’m breaking my own rule here since Quickley didn’t start with Barrett, but since he made the All-Rookie team I’ll make an exception. Barrett took a huge leap on both ends and looks like he’ll be one of the top shooting guards in the league at some point. He can defend and knock down long range shots and has plus size for the position.
Quickley is already a knock-down 3-point shooter off the bench and will probably assume a larger role next season depending on what the Knicks do with their roster, which is loaded with potential veteran free agents.
No. 6 young backcourt in the NBA-Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia 76ers
If this list were only based on defense, these two would easily be number one.
Simmons has been one of the most polarizing players in recent history but you can’t deny the dude can defend, rebound and makes plays. In fact, he does everything well but shoot, which it turns out is pretty important.
Thybulle is also an elite defender who can’t shoot. The 76ers had three elite defenders when you add Embiid, which shows how the game has changed, as they still couldn’t make the Eastern Conference Finals largely because of injuries and their inability to score against the Hawks.
The NBA is an offensive league now, which is why this duo ranks so low even though they are very talented.
No. 5 young backcourt in the NBA- Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
These two are the opposite of Simmons and Thybulle in that they are dynamic scorers who can’t defend, but when you look around the league, scoring guards are dominating and good offense is beating good defense.
This may not be the starting backcourt next season, as there are rumblings that the Cavs are trying to move on from Sexton, which makes zero sense to me since he is a 22-year-old who scores 24.4 points per game.
Garland adds another 17, making them one of the higher scoring backcourt duos in the NBA and they are both under 23-years-old.
No. 4 young backcourt in the NBA- Killian Hayes and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons
HOMER ALERT! HOMER ALERT!
Yes, I am in fact Homer #1 for the Detroit Pistons and proud of it, but I think Cunningham has the potential to be the best player on this list, maybe not next season, but soon after, as he has all of the tools to be a superstar on both ends.
Killian Hayes didn’t play much last season after injuring his hip, but showed potential as an elite defender and playmaker. If he just improves his outside shooting, these two are going to take over the league at some point, as they are both plus-sized guards that are going to create mismatches all over the place.
Things are finally looking up for the Detroit Pistons, and while it may be crazy to rank them this high before they have even practiced together (or even been drafted in Cunnigham’s case) it’s easy to project them as a very good defensive backcourt right away and Cunningham will be the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
No. 3 young backcourt in the NBA-Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings
The Kings weren’t able to have much success (shocker!) even though they had one of the best young backcourt duos in the NBA, but their fans at least have something to be excited about.
Haliburton was one of the top rookies this season and plays like a veteran already. Fox is an electric scorer who already averages over 25 a game to go along with seven assists.
Fox will likely play more off the ball as these two get more minutes together, as Haliburton is more of a traditional point guard.
Now if the Kings can just get the rest of their roster sorted out. Good luck with that.
No. 2 young backcourt in the NBA-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have not only amassed about 8,000 draft picks over the next few seasons, but already have some very good young players as well.
There have been rumblings that they are going to trade SGA, but this is wishful thinking on the part of other fanbases, as the Thunder have absolutely no reason to break up what they are building.
SGA is one of the most dynamic young scorers in the NBA, a guy who gets 24 a night from all over the floor and is still only 22-years-old.
Dort is just 20 and has already shown himself to be an elite defender and a guy who can knock down 3-point shots as well. His defense against LeBron James got him a lot of national attention but I feel like these two are flying under the radar overall.
The Thunder are quietly building another homegrown superteam and hope to add even more talent in this year’s draft or make more trades.
No. 1 young backcourt in the NBA- Tray Young and Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks
I know there will be some people who will argue this, as this ranking is largely based on Trae Young, but is harder to argue when you remember that the Hawks are three wins away from the NBA Finals.
Trae Young has emerged as a superstar this season, scoring 25 a game and racking up nearly 10 assists to go along with it. No, he can’t defend but his scoring is enough to carry a team to the Eastern Conference Finals, so it doesn’t really matter.
It’s crazy that Young is only 22-years-old and is already one of the top point guards in the league.
You could argue Reddish is better than Huerter but I am going with offense here, as Huerter can shoot and has shown he can step up in the big moments.
Young has the chance to be an MVP candidate in this league and is already one of the most dynamic scorers who is definitely not afraid of the spotlight.
I actually found these rankings quite difficult to do, which shows you just how much young guard talent there is in the NBA.
Can Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes rise to the top of this list for the Detroit Pistons? I think it is a distant possibility.