Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons will soon get to test themselves against the other elite prospects from the 2021 NBA Draft.
Cunningham, the overall number one pick, has gotten off to a slow start, but has looked much better in his last two games as he works on getting his legs back into game shape after missing weeks with an ankle injury.
It’s far too early to tell which 2021 NBA Draft pick will emerge as the Rookie of the Year, but most of the lottery picks are off to a good start in their respective rookie seasons.
Cade Cunningham will get a chance to show why he was taken number one in the upcoming schedule, which will feature many of the best young players from his draft class.
Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham vs. the 2021 NBA Draft
November 10th @ Houston Rockets and #2 pick Jalen Green
This is a game many of us have had circled on our calendar since Cunningham was taken ahead of Green in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Green took this personally, and has run his mouth non-stop about how he should have been taken number one and how Detroit would eventually regret their choice.
This beef mostly seems one-sided as Cunningham just talks about trying to make his team better and doesn’t seem overly concerned about individual accolades, which is what you want from your team leader.
But Green’s talk has angered Pistons’ fans and even an enforcer from the Red Wings.
The Cunningham vs. Green rivalry is going to be a great one to watch and I really look forward to this game, as both guys are super talented and ready to prove themselves.
November 12th @ Cleveland Cavaliers and #3 pick Evan Mobley
Mobley has been one of the best players from the 2021 NBA Draft so far, putting up 15 points, eight rebounds and 2.5 assists while playing versatile defense for the suddenly frisky Cavs.
Mobley probably feels slightly overlooked in all of this, as the focus has been mostly on Green and Cunningham but Evan has had a great start to the season.
Since the two are divisional foes and are on a similar timeline for rebuilding, I expect this to blossom into a very good rivalry as well. It will be interesting to see if Cunningham ends up defending Mobley at some point if the Cavs go jumbo against the Pistons’ undersized bigs.
Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham vs. the 2021 NBA Draft
November 13th @ Toronto Raptors and #4 pick Scottie Barnes
Many people were surprised when the Raptors took Barnes with the 4th pick overall, as he was projected to go much lower.
No one is questioning this pick now, as Barnes is the current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
The Raptors are a surprising 6-5 to start the season and Barnes looks amazing, averaging 16.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and playing lockdown defense all over the floor.
He’s wowed fans in transition and the Raptors are thinking playoffs now that Pascal Siakam has returned sooner than expected.
This will be the Detroit Pistons’ 3rd back-to-back of the season already, which seems a bit excessive for the middle of November.
November 15th vs. Sacramento Kings and #9 pick Davion Mitchell
Mitchell was projected to be one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the 2021 NBA Draft and so far he hasn’t disappointed for the Sacramento Kings.
It will be interesting to see if Mitchell ends up guarding Cunningham, as Cade has a big-time height advantage but Mitchell is used to that and will welcome the challenge.
Mitchell uses his strength and foot speed to keep offensive players in front of him and not let them get to their spots, so it will be interesting to see if Cunningham can take advantage of him in the post if Mitchell does get the assignment.
Detroit Pistons and Cade Cunningham vs. the 2021 NBA Draft
November 17th vs. Indiana Pacers and #13 pick Chris Duarte
Duarte has been one of the bright spots for the Indiana Pacers, who have gotten off to a disappointing 4-7 start.
As advertised, Duarte has been a lights-out shooter who came into the NBA ready to play and contribute, as he is scoring 16 points per game while hitting 42 percent of his long-range shots.
This was a guy many thought would fall into the second round and that the Pacers might have reached by taking him in the lottery, but Duarte has been very good so far.
Cade Cunningham will likely be tasked with stopping him and Duarte will present a unique matchup challenge for the number one pick, as you cannot give him an inch of daylight or he’ll make you pay.
November 19th vs. Golden State Warriors and #7 pick Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga started his season in the G-League and the youngster has so far only played in four games for the Warriors.
Unlike all of the rest of the teams on this list, the Warriors are actually good, so neither Kuminga or Moses Moody have been able to get on the floor.
What a problem to have for the Warriors, as they are a title contender now and have a bunch of young players in the pipeline, so they are likely to be good for years to come. The Warriors continue to be one of the model franchises of the NBA.
Since the Detroit Pistons are likely to get blown out in this one (sorry but it’s true), it may be a game where Kuminga makes an appearance and gets some run.