Detroit Pistons: Realistic player comparisons for Cade Cunningham’s rookie season

Detroit Pistons: Luka’s rookie season is a hard bargain for anyone

Luka Doncic was a world-renowned basketball phenom before he every stepped on American soil, accumulating six championships in international play and becoming one of the most accomplished players in Europe by the age of18. After being drafted in 2019 then traded to the Mavericks he quickly showed why winning follows him. He like Grant Hill was also awarded Rookie of The Year. He averaged 21.2 points 7.8 rebounds 6.0 assists in his rookie campaign starting in 72 games, followed by back to All-Star appearances and two first-team All NBA selections as well. He has emerged as one of the best players in today’s game. Some consider him a top five player. The crazy thing is he’s still young and growing into the player he can be.

Doncic is known for utilizing an array of crafty moves and ball fakes. He has an uncanny ability to create space by changing speeds, stop and go action, along with a step back dribble that keeps defenders off balance. He takes advantage of his opponent while they are playing the guessing game. It’s hard trying to figure out what he’ll do next and that’s his advantage. He’s a cerebral player with a extremely high IQ and there may never be another Luka.

Cade Cunningham has said several times that Luka Doncic is someone who he has studied. Luka’s ability to get shots off and create space is a reason why. Like Luka, Cade doesn’t have extreme athleticism or mind blowing quickness, he relies on outwitting his opponent. He has all the tools to do so and studying a player like Doncic can show him creative ways of getting to his spots. These two players are more similar than the Cade and Hill due to their similar skill set and similar playing style. I just think being able to have the production that Luka has shown and the impact on winning may be the issue with this. Luka has been a staple in the playoffs since arriving in the league. Package that with some of the best statistics to start a career, Luka is in a class of his own.