Where does Cade Cunningham rank among NBA’s best young point guards?

Detroit Pistons: Where does Cade Cunningham rank among NBA’s best young point guards?

Before you come at with pitch forks, I tried to do a decent mix between NBA resume as it stands today and future projections.

The top three names listed – Luka, Ja, and Shai – are set in stone. These are franchise superstars. Trae Young was hard name to place, but I think his resume speaks for himself regardless of what else is out there.

The Giddey hype is real, I just don’t completely see it yet and he plays alongside one of the other guys on this list so can they both be considered point guards?

Also, don’t rule out Scoot Henderson in this group a year from now.

Bringing it back to Cade, his contemporaries on this list are Hailburton, LaMelo, Garland, and Giddey. I would challenge someone to make an argument for any one of these guys over him.

I know three of them have All-Star appearances or All-NBA nods, but that will come with time for Cade.

In his 12 games before injury last season, he was averaging almost 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, on very cold shooting by Cade’s standards (42% from the field, 28% from three). We know these shooting splits will be higher next year.

He will also see these overall numbers jump as his free throw attempts increase. Right now, Cade is averaging a measly 2.8 free throw attempts per game. Compare that to SGA’s 10.9 per game last season and that’s over 8 points that could be tacked on.

However you break it down, Cade Cunningham belongs in any short list of the best young guards in the league. When he was drafted some said his ceiling was a “Luka Doncic type” creator and franchise centerpiece.

I believe we caught a glimpse of that ceiling during the scrimmage last week and if things go accordingly from here on out, we should see Cade topping this group before we know it.