3 Reasons Cade Cunningham will be an All-Star next season

#2: Cade Cunningham’s assists are going up 

Cunningham was 12th in the NBA last season in potential assists at 12.9 per game, which is the combined number of assists and assists that could have been. That means Cunningham was losing more than five assists to missed shots last season, a number that should go down with better shooters around him. 

The four best 3-point shooters on the Pistons last season were Bojan Bogdanovic (41.5 percent), Isaiah Stewart (38.3 percent), Simone Fontecchio (42.6 percent) and Alec Burks (40 percent), guys who barely played. 

Bojan played 28 games, Stewart played 46, with Fontecchio playing just 16 games and Burks 43. 

So, two of Cade’s best shooters were washed veterans who couldn’t get open and were hurt, a small-ball center who just starting taking 3’s last season and a guy who played 16 games. 

Next season, Cade will have Fontecchio for the whole season and will also be kicking out to guys like Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. Beasley has been one of the best high-volume three-point shooters in the league over his career and both Harris and Hardaway Jr. are respected veterans that teams have to honor. 

With improvements from Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and more dunks from Jalen Duren, Cunningham should raise his assist total to closer to 10 per game, which will immediately put him in the All-Star conversation. He was 8th in the NBA last season in assists per game with one of the worst shooting teams in the league.

Tyrese Haliburton averaged 20 points, 10.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game last season, his 2nd as an All-Star and first time on the All-NBA team. There is no reason Cunningham won’t get similar or better numbers next season with an improved cast around him. 

Cunningham was surrounded with some of the worst shooters in NBA history last season, just having Killian Hayes gone might be enough to boost his assist total. 

But he will need more than individual improvement to get an All-Star nod.