The Pistons had a disappointing loss in Utah on Friday night behind defensive struggles, but their offense was humming with Cade Cunningham at the helm. He finished the game with 17 assists but was on track for even more earlier in the game. His brilliant display of playmaking has fans wondering if he break Scott Skiles' 35-year-old record of 30 assists in a game.
Cade Cunningham is one of the best passers in the NBA
Early in the game, Cade was completely dominant with his playmaking. He had 8 assists at the end of the first quarter and 13 at halftime. It looked like he might easily surpass his career-high of 18 (from earlier this season in Mexico City) and even 20 assists. But he got more involved scoring the ball in the second half and ended up with "only" 17.
It's very important to note that Cade is putting up gaudy assist numbers without having great shooting around him. The majority of his assists are the most valuable kind in basketball, leading directly to layups and dunks. He's a savant of passing angles and body movements, allowing him to hit teammates perfectly in stride.
With better shooting around him, Cade could rack up more kick-out assists. He often finds teammates wide open at the three point line only to have them miss or pass up shots. As the Pistons develop more in their shooting or acquire upgrades in that attribute, Cade will have an easier time helping his teammates score.
If the Pistons trade for a true co-star, his job of distributing the ball gets even easier. Cade can focus on hitting him teammates in opportune spots and selectively taking good shots rather than forcing the issue with isolation buckets down the stretch.
As a playmaker, there's not much for Cade to add in his game. He's brilliant feeding teammates in both the halfcourt and transition. He also showed high levels of manipulating the defense against the Jazz by looking off defenders towards outside shooters before delivering no-look passes for open layups.
Cade is able to rack up assists in a flurry when he gets in a rhythm because of his supreme chemistry with the entire team. He seems to know the best finishing angles for all his teammates, and his excellent deliveries reflect that. He can also pick up the pace when appropriate and turn good defense into quick offense with outlet passing.
With his combination of scoring and playmaking, Cade Cunningham is a special talent. As the Pistons develop more potent offensive threats, he will have plenty of opportunities to tally shocking assist totals. Don't be surprised if he comes close to breaking the all-time record one day.