Cade Cunningham must master a skill that has nothing to do with basketball

After averaging 8.2 free throws per game during the playoffs, Cade Cunningham managed just five attempts total in the final two games as the Detroit Pistons flamed out against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Cavs had a historic free-throw disparity, but this isn’t going to be me whining about the refs, as the Pistons committed endless stupid fouls and were over-aggressive in ways that almost always get called. 

I will say that the Cavs got way more 50/50 calls and were the beneficiaries of a tighter whistle on their guards. Some of this is on the refs, but some of it is on Cade Cunningham, who has to do a better job of selling the fouls he’s taking. 

Cade Cunningham doesn’t need to flop, but he needs to be a better salesman 

I have to give James Harden credit; the man knows how to draw a foul. Is it fun to watch? Absolutely not. Is it one of the main problems the NBA never addresses? Yes, yes it is. But it doesn’t change the fact that Harden is very good at working the rules in his favor. 

And when you see that the three biggest foul grifters in the league are all in the conference finals, it's safe to say this is a "skill" that gets rewarded.

Harden has taken nearly as many free throws per game as Cade in the playoffs even though he hasn’t had the ball in his hands nearly as much. As we’ve seen many times throughout his career, Harden is one of those guys who can dominate a game while going like 2-of-8 from the field just by getting to the line. 

I absolutely do not want Cunningham to be a shameless foul baiter, but he has to find ways to get more of the calls he deserves. Cunningham gets fouled as much as any player in the league, but time and time again doesn’t get the calls. 

Cunningham has to put the refs on the spot at times 

Complaining after the fact rarely works in the NBA, as just about every player complains about every call and no call, so Cunningham has to take a page out of Harden’s book and learn how to put the ref on the spot. 

Harden is tough to officiate because he makes defenders foul him in ways that are tough for the refs to ignore. Again, I don’t want Cunningham to turn into an unethical hooper, as I love the fact that he isn’t, but there are times when a little salesmanship goes a long way. 

Harden is still punishing players for reaching, and if you bite on his pump fake, he’s going to the line. These are both areas where Cade could be a little better, especially on the rip throughs where defenders are getting into him. 

Cunningham led the entire playoffs in points, assists and 3-pointers made while playing terrific defense, so he’s a superstar, but the final piece is for him to get a superstar’s whistle so that he can carry the Pistons even on nights when his shot isn’t falling. 

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