Detroit Pistons: 3 things to watch rest of season

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cade Cunningham (Rookie of the year)

Cade Cunningham has had an up-and-down first year, no different than most rookies. The 20-year-old point guard is averaging 15.6 points 5.4 rebounds 5.1 assists for the Pistons. That is despite missing all of training camp, and the first few games of the regular season due to a sprained ankle.

He’s in the the rookie of the year race, and a strong finish will likely tip the votes in his favor. He’s the only rookie in his class to average 15/5/5, showcasing his ability to do everything on the court.

In betting circles, Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers is the current favorite but thee are plenty of games for Cunningham to outshine him.

Cunningham will have to improve on his shooting efficiency. He’s currently shooting 39% from the field. If he wants a shot at the rookie of the year award, finishing at a better clip would help him tremendously.

He’s shown flashes of being able to score efficiently but he needs to avoid those 5 for 16 performances as often as possible. The high volume of attempts, and low scoring outputs, all but cripple any chance to win games as well as awards.

Another way to impact the voters would be getting to the free throw line more often.

Cunningham has a usage rate of 26.1%, which is, by far, more than any other rookie. With that usage, he ranks dead last in free throw attempts only shooting two a contest.

If he was getting to the foul line, he could easily be a 20 points a game scorer, and then be the front runner for the rookie of the year. This will be the main focus in his development, all great scorers get to the line (whether a foul was actually committed or not), and Cade won’t be a exception.