20-year-old Cade Cunningham was the first pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. Coming out of Oklahoma State, he was hailed as the next great NBA star.
And while the jury is still out on what kind of player he’ll become, he is starting to impress his peers.
Ahead of Golden State’s game against the Pistons on Tuesday, Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins spoke very highly of the PIstons youngster, lauding his potential.
“He’s a really good player. He came in ready and can do it all. He can score the ball. He can play make, defend. So, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s a good young player.”
Andrew Wiggins on Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham:
"He's a really good player. He came in ready and can do it all. He can score the ball. He can play make, defend. So, the sky's the limit for him. He's a good young player."
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) January 18, 2022
This season Cunningham is holding his own as a rookie. With averages of 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, he is showing flashes of stardom.
Of course, Wiggins isn’t the only one to notice. A while ago, Richard Jefferson likened him to Brandon Roy — a former star for the Blazers known for his exceptional scoring ability.
“When I look at Cade Cunningham, I see Brandon Roy. Like Brandon Roy was one of the most impressive, right away NBA players that you could see. He was like fast, but not that fast. He was quick but not that quick, he was athletic but not super athletic. But what he did was he just understood the game at an extremely high level and he didn’t have any deficiencies in his game.”
In Detroit, Cade is the future. Without Blake Griffin or Andre Drummond, they’re in a complete rebuild that has them sitting as one of the worst teams in the league.
The hope is that, with time, Cunningham will develop into a star and the team can surround him with players best suited for his talent. It remains to be seen what the future holds in store, but there is plenty of reason for Pistons fans to feel optimistic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5oakw3duN4
