Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham will be better than these 3 All-Stars
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham has some similarities to Paul George but could be better
Paul George is one of the best players in the league, even though he has had several playoff blunders. Looking at his career numbers compared to Cunningham’s at OSU, they are almost identical across the board.
During his time as an Indiana Pacer, Paul George was a good player and made four All-Star appearances. His numbers were very good, remarkably close to Cade’s college numbers, and then he absolutely took off when he joined the Thunder and the Clippers.
What explains this jump in production? He nearly won an MVP award, for crying out loud! He went from All-Star and then immediately got even better.
Related Story. 3 player comparisons for Cade Cunningham. light
Similar to Bulter’s move to Miami, Paul George got help. In Indiana, he played with Roy Hibbert, sure, but Hibbert was one of the weakest All-Stars in recent memory. He sort of just rode George’s coattails. In Oklahoma City, he teamed up with Russell Westbrook, who was at the time one of the most unstoppable players in the league. Oh yeah, and future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony was on that team too.
In Los Angeles, he had the help of Kawhi Leonard. Joining other MVP-caliber players will do wonders for someone’s career.
Cunningham is 19 years old, already playing at the level George was when he won Most Improved in 2013. As a Cowboy, he had no help. On the Pistons, he has a great cast of role players to surround him and allow him to take over without the pressure of a double team. Even if he is double-teamed, he will have options, unlike at OSU.
I don’t really like Paul Goerge, in case you can’t tell. I think he’s overrated and unreliable. I hope Motor Cade overtakes him as soon as possible, and I think he will. At OSU, his blocks, assist, rebounds, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage are all better than George’s throughout his 11-year career. Cade also averages only .1 point fewer per night, .1 steal fewer, and .1% worse on free throws. Good start to a career that hasn’t even debut yet.
These are only college numbers but Cade has a chance to be even better in the pros with a better supporting cast.