In a recent survey of 20 NBA coaches, scouts and executives on ESPN, Cade Cunningham was completely ignored when it came to the best American players.
The first question on the topic asked, “Who is the best American player right now?” and only three players received votes in Stephen Curry (11), Anthony Edwards (8) and Donovan Mitchell (1).
This is certainly debatable already, as there are some who might prefer Cade’s all-around game over Donovan Mitchell, so I was somewhat surprised that Cunningham didn’t get any votes, but not shocked.
The more shocking question asked, “Who will be the best American player in five years?” as Cunningham still didn’t get a single vote.
Anthony Edwards was the most popular choice with 11 votes, with Cooper Flagg (5), Jayson Tatum (2), Paolo Banchero (1) and Jalen Williams (1) rounding out the rest of the list.
Flagg’s inclusion is a joke, as the guy hasn’t played a single minute in the NBA, so this is just the bias of hope attached to a recent top draft pick. Flagg may end up being very good but it’s a bold prediction to say he’ll be better than the players below him, and Cade Cunningham was not even included.
It’s surprising after Cunningham made All-NBA last season, and I may be super biased (I am) but I would put his chances of being the best American player above all of these guys except maybe Anthony Edwards.
It’s an interesting question that shows how the game has radically changed over the last decade.
The American MVP drought and Cade Cunningham
International players have won the last seven MVP awards, a sentence that was unthinkable even 10 years ago.
But the rest of the world has caught up and is producing elite talent, as we’ve seen over the last seven seasons. Odds are that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic or Giannis Antetokounmpo will win the award next season, so there’s little chance the MVP drought is broken.
I did find it interesting that Cade Cunningham had the second-highest MVP odds for any American next season (just behind Anthony Edwards) yet was unable to impress this group of NBA insiders.
Players look for motivation everywhere, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Cade saw this poll and wondered why he was left off of it, especially after he was in the top 12 American players in just his 4th season.