Cade Cunningham is a unique specimen in today’s NBA, but he does have one historical comparison that often pops up. Brandon Roy is often posed as a counterpart, and Cade has no complaints about the comparison. In an interview with journalist Landon Buford, Cade said that “[he] would love to be compared to [Roy].”
It’s no surprise to hear Cade pay his respects to a former player; he’s always been a humble guy. However, Cade also mentioned that he’s “tried to implement things” from Roy’s playstyle. It’s not immediately obvious but some of Cade’s improvements this season may come from Roy’s game.
Cade Cunningham is carving his own path
As Pistons fans can tell you, Cade has been a top guard for years. He’s still largely the same player he was last season, but taken major strides in the clutch. This season, Cade has been one of the league’s most efficient clutch players while leading the Pistons to a dominant record in close games.
It’s a big improvement from last season, when Cade shot poorly from the field and frequently turned the ball over in the clutch. Now, his composure in crunchtime is more reminiscent of Roy. During his own All-Star days in Portland, Roy was a steady hand in the clutch.
Although his career was hampered by injuries, Roy has earned the respect of his peers. And his clutch performances played a huge part in that respect. Roy was able to go toe-to-toe with NBA legends like Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant in close games by using his large frame and tough shotmaking ability. As Cade enters his prime, he’s displaying those same attributes.
Despite the similarities in their physical stature and playstyles, Cade is a more complete player than Brandon Roy ever was. He’s a better playmaker and has flashed higher potential as an outside shooter. This season, Cade has also played better defense than Roy did during his career.
But there’s still a lot that Cade can learn from the underrated legend. It’s good to see that Cade has the right mentality to glean learnings from past players. It’ll be important for him as he develops and the Pistons continue to rely on him heavily.
The Pistons hope that another star can emerge from their young core to lessen the offensive burden on Cade Cunningham. But if that doesn’t come to fruition, it’ll be on Cade to continue developing his game. The Pistons will welcome any new additions he can make to his game, whether it’s through his own experimentation or borrowing from other players’ arsenals. In the playoffs, those subtle additions could make all the difference.