It has been obvious for a while that Cade Cunningham is going to be a special player for the Detroit Pistons. However, the rest of the NBA world is really just learning about him. The Philadelphia 76ers learned the hard way.
While Pistons fans have realized for a while that Cade Cunningham is a heckuva player, and is only going to get better, the rest of the NBA universe is still pretty much in the dark. The 76ers found out by having him drop 27 points on them in a 102-94 Detroit victory.
Yes, Cunningham was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, so he is not exactly a sleeper. However, a slow start due to an ankle injury, plus an absolutely horrible start to the season by the Pistons, kind of took him off the radar of many NBA observers.
The last time the 76ers saw the 6-foot-7 Oklahoma State product was back in November. Cunningham shot just 4-for-17 in a Pistons loss to the Sixers. It was just his third game after sitting out the entire training camp and preseason with a sprained ankle.
Well, lookie here at Cade Cunningham now. The 76ers beat writers were changing opinions quickly on his potential.
When the Sixers were in Detroit earlier this season, I thought Cunningham was going to be an NBA bust. Boy was I wrong. This dude has skills. He's up to 18 to points on 9-12 shooting against the Sixers.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) April 1, 2022
Personal note: I know Keith and he is a good guy, don’t be nasty to him, he has seen the light.
And considering the Sixers took Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons when they recently had No. 1 picks, Cunningham looks even better.
Other Sixers media also noted how Cunningham was taking it right to the Sixers, even though they have one of the best one-on-one defenders in Matisse Thybulle.
Haven't seen Cade Cunningham in a while but boy he looks great
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) March 31, 2022
Cunningham certainly burnished his Rookie of the Year credentials.
Cade Cunningham out-duels MVP candidate Joel Embiid in leading the league-worst Pistons to a win over the 76ers. Pretty good for the third-best rookie in the NBA, amirite?
— Brady Fred (@Brady_Fred) April 1, 2022
I happened to watch the Warriors-76ers game early in the season, where Thybulle completely shut down a healthy Steph Curry. Have to admit, even I was impressed how Cunningham was able to score on him.
Cade absolutely torching Matisse Thybulle, who shut down Steph Curry one-on-one earlier this year. #Pistons
— PistonPowered (@PistonPowered) April 1, 2022
Is the 76ers local press discovering Cade Cunningham is really good important?
Actually, yes.
Reputations are made not by the hometown media, unless in a major hub like Los Angeles or New York, but by out-of-town reporters exchanging notes and observations.
Cade Cunningham can’t win what should be a close vote for Rookie of the Year without outside reporters noticing him. This is also important for future honors, like making the All-Star Game or All-NBA, things that Cunningham should be a candidate for in the coming years.
If you are having a great season and no one covers it, did you really have one? (Well, you did but the rest of the country just won’t know it.)
No one can bad-mouth Cade Cunningham in front of 76ers players and media anymore.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been impressed with the play of Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham. https://t.co/BQ1rNMAC4s
— Sixers Wire (@SixersWire) April 1, 2022
As Cunningham continues his break-out end to the season, more recognition for him, and the Pistons, can only help looking ahead to the future. And maybe, just maybe, he will get a foul call (probably not, but one can hope)?