How added bulk will take Cade Cunningham to the next level

The offseason is just getting underway for Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons, but already there have been some changes.

According to an interview with the Detroit News, Cunningham has added some extra muscle this offseason, bulking up to around 225-230 lbs, which is 10-15 lbs. heavier than he was for most of last season.

It’s a weight that he hopes to sustain for the entire season, though he admitted that his weight generally fluctuates throughout the course of a year.

It’s easy enough to put on weight (a fact I know all too well) but it’s the added strength that will really benefit Cade Cunningham next season.

Cade Cunningham: Turnovers, fouls and injuries

One area that Cunningham struggled in at times last year was turnovers. He averaged 3.7 turnovers to 5.6 assists, which is not a good ratio.

A lot of these came when Cade left his feet before knowing what he was going to do with the ball, which led to him trying to make tough passes or throwing it up for grabs. But a whole lot of them came when he faced double teams in the paint and had the ball stripped out of his hands or deflected away.

Extra strength should help Cade avoid the latter types of turnovers and power through some of the double teams he will face without losing the ball.

Additional muscle will also help Cade get more foul calls, something that didn’t happen for him much last season, as he shot just 2.6 free throws per game.

I thought a lot of it was just a rookie not getting calls, so familiarity with the referees will also help, but being able to finish through contact and draw fouls should be a benefit of more strength.

Cade Cunningham took plenty of abuse last season, as he plays as much in the post as on the perimeter and all of that physical play takes its toll.

Putting on some extra muscle will put him in a better position to withstand all of that contact without getting hurt, so will hopefully help him avoid any nagging injuries that come from taking a beating in the post.

All signs point to Cade Cunningham having a breakout season. He’s been working out with the NBA elite, and is changing his body in ways that will benefit him in the future and help take his game to the next level.