The Detroit Pistons are likely to draft Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick, largely because of his strong overall game.
He’s a 6-foot-8 point guard who can score from all over and is a strong defender, but even the most complete prospects have weaknesses.
Cunningham talked about these on a recent appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast with J.J. Redick.
The host Redick, who is rocking an absolutely glorious mustache, asked Cade what he thought his biggest strengths and weaknesses were.
If you asked a fan or scout, they might say Cunningham’s biggest strengths were his size, passing and ability to score from all three levels, that’s easy.
They might say his biggest weakness was that he doesn’t have “elite” athleticism, which kind of makes me laugh, as most of us making these comments are pudgy dudes who couldn’t graze the bottom of the net telling a 6-foot-8 super human that his athleticism is not “elite.”
They said the same about Luka Doncic (a player Cunningham is often compared to) and that has worked out pretty well, so I am not at all concerned about Cunningham’s athleticism, as he makes up for it with a high basketball I.Q., slick handles, size and the ability to change speeds.
But I did think Cunningham’s answers to the question were really interesting and revealed a lot about how he views himself as a player. Let’s start with what he said was his biggest strength.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham’s biggest strength is that he makes his teammates better
I absolutely loved Cunningham’s response to the question “What is your biggest strength?”
His response was that his biggest strength is his ability to “elevate his teammates,” which is exactly what you want to hear from your future franchise point guard and team leader.
He also mentioned the ability to get his teammates good shots, again, something you love to hear from a guy who has the skill to be an elite scorer and passer. Cunningham was more known for his big shots in college, but if you look at the highlights, you’ll also see a guy who consistently collapsed defenses and got his teammates great looks.
They didn’t always knock them down in college, but he had a crazy number of potential assists, many of which will turn into points with a better cast of teammates.
I really love that Cunningham took a team first approach to this answer instead of just talking about his 3-point shooting or post game. This is a guy who wants to win and knows that the only way to do it is to make everyone around him better.
But what did Cade Cunningham say were his biggest weaknesses? He named two.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham can play better defense off the ball
If you watch defensive highlights of Cade Cunningham, you’ll see a guy with superstar potential on that end. He can guard at least four positions and has no problem on the perimeter or in the post.
He can play smothering on-the-ball defense, using his size and quick hands to make life miserable on guards as well as bigs in the paint.
But when answering to the question “what is your biggest weakness,” Cunningham immediately pointed to defense as an area he can improve, especially off the ball.
He mentioned the concept of being “locked in 24/7 off the ball” of having the “mental awareness on defense” even when the play was not in front of him.
Again, I loved this answer, as it not only shows a real understanding of team defense but also attention to the details and nuance that you need to be good on that end.
The Detroit Pistons are a team built around defense, as they already have several long, athletic defenders who are very switchable in Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Josh Jackson and Hamidou Diallo, which led to them being 10th in points allowed this season.
This is something they can build on, and Cunningham is going to fit right in, as he also fits that mold.
He also has an understanding of how team defense works and the importance of staying focused all the time. I absolutely loved this answer.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham needs to limit turnovers
The second thing Cunningham said he needs to work on is “limiting turnovers,” which is something a lot of people have talked about.
Cunningham averaged four turnovers a game in college, something he will need to clean up at the next level, especially if he is going to be the primary ball handler.
But let’s not forget that Cunningham had a ridiculous 29.1 percent usage rate as a freshman, second highest in the Big 12 and was often double and triple teamed every time he touched the ball.
He won’t be running the “Teen Wolf” oftense in the NBA where everyone stands around stunned while the “Wolf” does all the work. (It’s an old reference but look it up).
Cunningham mentioned that he was working on tightening his handles, but really decision making is the key to limiting turnovers in the NBA.
This was a problem that Killian Hayes had last season, as he would often jump before he knew what he wanted to do with the ball, which sometimes led to bad passes.
But Cade Cunningham is not Hayes, he will look to score when he gets into the paint, and isn’t as indecisive, so I expect him to be better at taking care of the ball.
Cunningham is a smart player who understands the game, and his answers to these questions reveal a guy who thinks about team first even though he has always been the best player on the floor.
I can’t wait for him to join the Detroit Pistons.