Cade Cunningham was 1st-team All-NBA last season after leading the Detroit Pistons to 60 wins and the top seed in the Eastern Conference, so it may sound strange to say there could be another level to his game, but he flashed it in the playoffs.
Cunningham improved in nearly all aspects of his game last season, with his field goal percentage around the rim and in the mid-range both going up. The only thing that didn't was his 3-point shooting, at least in the regular season, but his playoff performance showed us what the next stage of his evolution will look like, and the rest of the league should be scared.
Cade Cunningham is going to be impossible to defend
Cunningham is already a handful, as he has the size and strength to get wherever he wants on the court, and he's always been very good in the mid-range.
He added increased foul shots last year, so he's tough to keep out of the lane and even tougher to stop once he gets there. Teams have been content to back off him, which has left the step-back 3-point shot there for him for most of his career.
Cunningham shot just 34 percent from 3-point range in the regular season on 5.7 attempts per game, both numbers that were actually down from the year before, when he shot a slightly better percentage on more attempts.
But playoff Cade Cunningham was a different player, as he launched over seven 3-point shots per game in the postseason and knocked down over 40 percent of them, which is one of the reasons his scoring average in the playoffs shot way up to 28 points per game.
When Cunningham is hitting 3-point shots, he's nearly impossible to defend, as he will attack closeouts and take advantage when teams press up on him. They haven't had to for most of his career, but if that 3-point shooting from the playoffs can carry over to next season, the league is in trouble.
The playoffs were a small 14-game sample size, but this isn't just about the numbers, as Cunningham looked more confident shooting from range and was actively hunting 3-pointers when Orlando and Cleveland were able to effectively cut off the paint.
Cunningham should already have more space to work next season with better shooters around him, but he can help his own cause by continuing to shoot and hit the 3-point shot at a high rate. It's the next evolution to his game and the one that will open up all other aspects of it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google