by Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons are off to one of the best starts in basketball, sitting at the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. For years, this team has not been taken seriously, and its abundance of young talent has amounted to very few wins. This has changed; since the start of last season, Detroit has been 61-44.
Along with the team’s rise to success, Cunningham has become one of the best players in the NBA and is making a strong case for an All-NBA first team spot.
One of the NBA’s Perennial Playmakers
The Oklahoma State product has become one of the best playmakers in the league. He is second in assists per game (9.3) and can hit anybody on the court. Many of his assists come from his high pick-and-roll volume; he averages the second-most pick-and-roll possessions per game (11.7).
His exceptional passing has been indispensable for the Pistons. Due to their lack of on-ball creators outside of Cunningham, he needs to create open opportunities for them. These opportunities could come from cutting to the basket, moving off screens, or from the easy lob passes to Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
His passing has been one of the key reasons Detroit’s offense is not among the league’s worst.
Elite On-Ball Scoring
Cunningham’s scoring has always been his most intriguing asset, with his ability to create space and get up shots in the paint that most big men struggle with, and this season, he is continuing to prove why.
He is averaging over 28 points per game and is third in pick-and-roll points per game (11.1). With his supreme size and athleticism, he can get to any spot on the court, especially his signature short hook shot.
He has elevated his scoring in the fourth quarter; he is second in the league in fourth-quarter points (169) and points per game (9.9). His efficiency rises significantly as well, with 52.7/41.4/79.6 shooting splits and 63.3% true shooting. This has been pivotal for Detroit, given their lack of on-ball scorers outside of Cunningham, who has carried their offense in late-game situations.
Strong Positive Defensively
To go with Cade’s terrific offensive game, he is no slouch on defense. He is second in blocks per game among point guards this season (0.8), to go with his 1.5 steals per game. His ability as a secondary rim protector has been tremendous for the Pistons, as he is holding opponents to 5.4% below their expected field goal percentage at the rim.
(Stats via craftednba.com)
Though his defense is not the headline of his game, it is impressive how much effort Cunningham can put into defense while maintaining his offensive load.
Still More Room to Improve
Even though Cunningham has put together a spectacular season, there is still much to improve on. He is still extremely turnover-prone, ranking second in the league in turnovers per game (4.2) and fifth in turnover percentage among 25+ point-per-game scorers (14.3%).
To go with his turnover issues, he has efficiency issues. Although his fourth-quarter scoring is excellent, his overall shot-making has room for improvement. Among 25+ point per-game scorers, Cunningham is last in true shooting percentage (55.8%), is last in three-point percentage (30.1%), and is shooting just 59% at the rim (34th percentile in the NBA).
As amazing as Cunningham has been this season, his turnover and efficiency issues are leaving him out of the discussion of the best players in the world.
