Cade Cunningham is one of the most hyped prospects to enter the NBA in recent memory, and of course, with his talent come the comparisons. Cunningham is a wing-sized point guard who is great both as a facilitator and a scorer, and there have been many who have compared him to Detroit Pistons legend Grant Hill.
Richard Jefferson went with a slightly different take on Cade Cunningham. Jefferson compared the No. 1 overall pick to Portland Trail Blazers legend Brandon Roy. That is certainly a new comparison for Cunningham. (1:10)
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.
Jefferson references Cade Cunningham understanding the game at a high level and having no glaring weaknesses as his similarities to Roy. Prior to his injuries, Brandon Roy was one of the best shooting guards in the league, and he was an extremely talented shot-creator whose game just looked smooth and natural. Cade Cunningham is also a solid shot creator who doesn’t rely on otherworldly athleticism, and it’s easy to see why Jefferson likens the two.
The Detroit Pistons will certainly hope that Cade Cunningham is league-ready, and perhaps he will be able to lift their franchise and make them a competitive team once again. While obviously, that won’t happen in one season, Cade Cunningham does project to be a star-level player if everything goes right. It will certainly be exciting to see how Cunningham fares in his rookie season, and he will likely be a candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.
