Cade Cunningham dominated the preseason and shot plenty of 3-pointers and free throws in the process, which is the key to him entering the MVP discussion for real.
Cunningham finished 7th in the voting last season and the exciting thing is that he still has clear areas of improvement. He needs to be a more efficient finisher at the rim, needs to get to the line more and needs to shoot and make more 3-point shots. Sounds simple.
He’s not terrible in any of these areas, but these are the things that currently set him apart from the perennial MVP candidates who average over 30 points per game.
He has plenty of time to get there, but Cade is already knocking on the door, as his same-age numbers are actually better than those of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and if his preseason stats hold true, he might catch him soon.
Cade Cunningham stats: 3-pointers and free throws
The best players all get to the line at a high rate, something Cunningham improved last season, but he’s due for even more calls in this one.
In a small preseason sample, he was shooting eight per game, which would be two more per game than he shot last season, enough to make a big difference in his scoring average, especially if he continues to shoot them at 90+ percent.
Cunningham also increased his 3-point volume in the preseason, shooting eight per game extrapolated from his three halves of basketball. He was clearly looking for the step back three when defenders sagged off the pick and roll and if he starts taking and making more of those, it will help the offensive spacing tremendously. He’s not going to make 58 percent of the for the regular season, but a bump closer to 40 percent would be a big boost.
We’ve talked a lot about how the Pistons’ lack of 3-point shooting could be a problem for Cunningham, but it’s one he can help himself by taking a few more per game, which he talked about in the offseason and has done so far.
Cunningham is going to be under increased pressure with Jaden Ivey out, but he looks well equipped to handle it and is already making the tweaks to his game that will get him further into the MVP discussion this season if he stays healthy.
Having a player who is perpetually in the top five of the MVP voting is the hardest commodity to come by in the NBA, and if Cunningham puts himself there, the Pistons are in good shape even though they have three starters going into the season on expiring deals.