Cade Cunningham has been recognized by many as a elite NBA prospect since his junior year of high school. NBA draft analyst Mike Schmitz was highly impressed with his ability when grading him. Calling Cade “arguably the most complete prospect I’ve ever evaluated and it’s really his versatility on both ends of the court” Schmitz said on ESPN. It was his obvious skill set that made him the number one for the Detroit Pistons.
When you’re recognized as the best player by many, experts start comparing the player to current and former NBA players. We all heard the Grant Hill or Luka Doncic comparison when it came to Cade. Neither Doncic nor Hill were considered consensus number one picks like Cunningham. They actually were both selected third overall twenty five years apart in their respective drafts.
Grant Hill’s Crossover and Experience will be tough to match
They do it in totally different ways Grant Hill being faster, athletic, and possessing one of the most deadly crossover moves the league has seen. This single move virtually made him unstoppable with his ability to hit mid range jumpers or get to the basket. Defenses were at his mercy he picked apart teams with his god given ability. On most nights he was just flat out better than his opponent in a era where man to man defensive schemes were common.
He was a two-time college champion, and two time NCAA All American at Duke in his four years. Playing for one of the greatest coaches of all time coach Mike Krzyzewski, compiling one of the greatest resumes in college basketball history, earning a place in the college basketball hall of fame.
In his rookie season he hit the ground running averaging 19.9 points 6.4 rebounds 5.0 assists to go with his 1.8 steals. Starting in all but one game he played for the Detroit Pistons, he won co-rookie of the year honors alongside fellow hall of famer, and now head coach Jason Kidd. After being drafted in 1994 Hill was a five-time All Star and three-time All NBA player before 2000. Hill was one of the most exciting players in the league before his career was derailed by injuries.
Cade Cunningham, like Grant, can fill a stat sheet while providing suffocating defense. Their abilities to orchestrate a offense should also be noted. However it’s unfair to expect similar production from anyone to what Grant was able to provide. His rookie season was one of the best in Pistons’ history. So it’s not a knock on Cade to suggest his play wouldn’t be that of Grant Hill’s. I know Detroit Pistons fans are optimistic but this kid will need time to grow into that type of player.
Remember, Grant Hill was two years older than Cade Cunningham when he entered the league.
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.
Detroit Pistons: More realistic comparisons for Cade Cunningham
Now that we discussed two of the most common names associated with Cunningham, let’s look at some more realistic options. I’m basing this off production, impact on winning, and overall skill set. Cade Cunningham will be better than these players long term, but this is based off the player’s rookie year in comparison to what Cade’s rookie season may look like, not the overall career. After giving it some thought these are the players who come to mind.
Lamar Odom? Comparison makes sense as primary ball handler
Lamar Odom was a exceptional basketball player. Just like Cade Cunningham, he only played one season of college basketball. He was a one and done prospect before the term was coined. In his one year at Rhode Island he was a All Conference player in the competitive Atlantic 10. He was a highly touted college stand out with the body of a forward and the skills of a guard. When you think of playmaking wings he might not come to mind but he should. He never developed into a elite scoring threat, but he had all the making’s of a modern day ball handler.
Odom had size, passing ability, and the ability to score as well. He made a big splash after being drafted fourth overall in the 1999 NBA draft. His combination of skills and size allowed him to be productive out the gate. He averaged 16.6 points 7.8 rebounds 4.2 assists 1.2 steal and 1.3 blocks a game. Filling up the stat sheet in way most rookies would only dream of. He had the drive, toughness, and the vision it took to be successful.
With that type of production you can see why he made the list. He’s a realistic comparison to Cade right now. The almost eight rebounds could be hard to match although he’ll be needed on the glass in Detroit. The other areas are pretty obtainable to say the least. Odom also shot the three ball well at 36 percent. This forced defenders to push out on him allowing driving lanes for himself and other’s.
He can play on ball off ball and still be effective. Many laugh now at the thought of Lamar Odom but when he was on the court contributing he was no laughing matter. Especially for the coaches trying to create defensive schemes to combat his skill set. He’s a two-time NBA champion for reason and he played a key role in going back to back in Tinsel Town.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham is similar to Brandon Roy at the off guard
Brandon Roy was everything a franchise could want in a guard. Unlike Cade he wasn’t the consensus top pick or even top three for that matter. The 6’5 guard out of Washington was selected sixth overall pick in 2006. Roy finished on the All Rookie Team, and won the Rookie of The Year award. He was considered by many to be the steal of the draft.
A natural scorer who was capable of getting buckets at all three levels, he also was a valuable play maker for the Portland Trailblazers. He picked apart defenses rarely forcing the action, his patience and IQ were his biggest strengths. He was never considered a freak athlete, yet he got to his spots. Sounds similarly eerie to what critics say about Cunningham. Roy proved that he was able to score effortlessly. When defenses focused on him he made the right plays consistently getting teammates open looks. He averaged 16.8 points 4.4 rebounds 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals as a rookie. He shot 37.7 from deep before the emphasis on the three point shot.
Now that we talked a little bit about Roy, it’s easy to see the similarities in him and Cade. Both player’s can isolate defenders or create of out pick and roll. Cade is a high IQ player with natural leadership qualities as Roy once was. Their offensive repertoire are almost identical how they get into their shots. Although Roy only averaged four assists he was a good playmaker. Cunningham is well known for his ability to facilitate and make the right reads also. Both can score or facilitate providing versatility in many ways. Cunningham will likely see a lot of the same looks that Brandon Roy received. As he did with Luka he has probably watched plenty of footage on this player. The similarities are their in their games, and the numbers will reflect.
Like Roy, Cunningham will rely on his unselfish play to dictate things early on. For a young player like Cade he could be in a similar environment playing more off ball. This could be a reason his production could be similar to Roy. Expect Cade to have a solid impact for the Detroit Pistons. All eyes are on Cade as he makes his case for Rookie of The Year.
Conclusion
At first glance hearing these player’s mentioned in comparison to Cade might sound bad, but both of these player’s had successful NBA careers and outstanding rookie season’s by anyone’s standard. I could see Cade’s production and skill set translating as we did with Odom and Roy. These two player’s are different that is a testament to how versatile Cade is. If he needs to handle the ball and facilitate look for his stats to be that of Odom. If he’s playing more off ball we could see the production of Brandon Roy’s rookie year. That’s why these are the two realistic comparisons for Cade’s rookie season.
Cade Cunningham will be a long term fixture in Detroit. The 20-year-old has good basketball instincts and court awareness. Mix that with a polished offensive package, and vocal leader he could be a superstar immediately. Either way the Detroit Pistons have the face of the franchise for years to come.