Cade Cunningham joins elite group after 20 games

I’m sure if you asked Cade Cunningham how his first season with the Detroit Pistons was going, he would probably say “not great.”

The Pistons have lost 11 straight, have the worst record in the NBA and Cunningham is a fierce competitor who is not used to all of this losing.

But this season is all about Cade Cunningham, as well as the development of the Pistons’ other young guys, so it won’t be totally judged by wins and losses.

Cade has been doing his part, as he has really come on after a slow start shooting the ball and is now near the top of nearly every category for rookies.

In fact, after his 20th game, Cunningham joined an elite group of players who put up outstanding all-around numbers in the first 20 games of their respective careers.

Cade Cunningham joins LeBron James in elite group

Though his first 20 games, Cade Cunningham has 305 points, 123 rebounds, 90 assists, 26 steals and 11 blocks, which puts him in some rare company that includes LeBron:

Ben Simmons, Larry Bird and Alvan Adams are the only other players to start with these minimum all-around stats, so Cade has put himself in good company with some of the games’ most complete players.

Of course, Cade would probably point to the number “4” which is how many wins the Pistons have right now after blowing another double-digit lead last night against the Pelicans.

If Cade can continue what he’s been doing over the last few weeks, he is on his way to winning Rookie of the Year, as every other player on the list did, although Ben Simmons was technically in his second season.

Cade is already one of the best rebounding point guards in the league, and if his teammates could make shots, he’d probably be averaging closer to 10 assists, but nonetheless, his overall numbers are impressive for a guy who started the season on a bum ankle.

The Detroit Pistons have finally found their star, now they just need to find the right complementary pieces to put around him.