Cade Cunningham is putting up MVP-like numbers for the Detroit Pistons this season but has a glaring flaw when it comes to 3-point shooting.
Cunningham is averaging career highs in just about everything, with a 27/9.2/6.5 stat line that most players would dream of. He’s carried the Pistons’ offense and been great on defense as well, averaging 1.5 steals, which is also a career high.
There’s not much to complain about except his 3-point shooting, which has been flat-out bad.
Cade Cunningham from 3-point range
Cunningham is currently shooting 29.2 percent from long range, worst of his career, while launching 6.3 per game, which is the most of his career.
He’s in the bottom five percent of just about every 3-point shooting category whether it’s pull-ups, catch-and shoot or even wide-open shots.
Even though he’s been scoring a ton over the last 10 games, averaging nearly 30 points per game in that span, he’s shooting just 27 percent from 3-point range, and he’s shooting enough of them that it’s a problem.
Cunningham is the Pistons’ only volume 3-point shooter other than Duncan Robinson, so even though the Pistons have a few capable shooters, they don’t have enough volume to make up for Cade’s inaccuracy so far, which we saw in the last loss against Milwaukee.
Cunningham has been so dominant in other areas, that you have to wonder what his stat lines would look like if more of these were going in, as it not only adds points to the board, but would force teams to respect him more from that range and open up other parts of the floor.
As it is, teams are just packing the lane and happy to give up a Cunningham 3-point attempt as long as he’s not operating in the paint, where he and the Pistons are far more dangerous.
There’s been a lot of talk about trading for a shooter, and the Pistons will have to explore that option at the trade deadline, but they still need internal improvement, mostly from their best player.
We know Cade Cunningham can shoot the long ball, as he was a 40 percent 3-point shooter in college, but it hasn’t translated to the NBA consistently thus far, as Cade is only 33.5 percent for his career.
A reliable 3-point shot would help unlock Cunningham’s game and open up the Pistons’ offense. He’s been incredible this season, and it’s scary to think how much he can still improve, especially from long range.
Part of this also comes down to workload, as Cunningham has been tasked with a mighty burden in the Pistons’ offense and tends to leave 3-point shots short, which could be a sign of tired legs.
That’s not an excuse, and Cunningham would be the first to say he has to be better, and he will be, but right now his 3-point shot has abandoned him.