Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham fits guard mold for USA Basketball

Fans of the Detroit Pistons have been waiting since last November for the return of Cade Cunningham, who missed most of last season after undergoing surgery on his shin.

So far we’ve had to settle for glimpses of him in scrimmages against Team USA, as Cunningham and Jalen Duren are part of the Select Team that is helping the US prepare for the FIBA World Cup that begins on August 25th.

It’s a great opportunity for Cunningham and Duren, who will get a few weeks of high-level practice and scrimmages against top players from the US, as well as input from a coaching staff led by Steve Kerr.

Cunningham returned from injury looking stronger and has so far dominated in scrimmages. That extra strength is helping him get wherever he wants on the floor while securing the ball. And it’s also the reason that Team USA wanted him on the roster.

Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham fits guard mold for USA Basketball

Team USA reportedly approached Cade Cunningham about a spot on the roster, but Cade turned them down in order to focus on the upcoming season, a welcome decision for most Pistons fans, who just want to see Cunningham healthy and on the court in Detroit.

The team seems to have a mold for the type of guard they were looking for and Cunningham certainly fits it. Here’s what insider Marc Stein (SUBSCRIPTION) had to say about how Team USA viewed Cunningham as a potential key piece for the team:

"“League sources say USA Basketball indeed wanted Detroit’s Cade Cunningham on its World Cup roster this summer — long before Cunningham looked so good in a number of scrimmages last week as a member of the Select team assembled to practice against the World Cup squad……When you consider Cunningham’s game and look at most of the guards on the World Cup squad, it becomes evident what USAB officials were after in putting this team together: Guards suited to physicality.”"

One of the reasons is that Team USA knows they will eventually face Luka Doncic and Slovenia and will need guards that can match up with Luka’s size, strength and physicality.

Cade has been compared to Luka, and Steve Kerr was using him in a similar role to help his team prepare for the inevitable Luka matchup.

Neither Cade nor Luka are lightning fast, but both use their strength and cerebral approach to get where they want. It’s more about pace, hesitation moves and brute strength than quickness, and both have the size to see over most defenders to get off their shot or make plays.

Cunningham may not have been on the FIBA World Cup roster for Team USA, but don’t be surprised if he ends up on the Olympic Team, as he has the kind of physicality USA Basketball is looking for.