Cade Cunningham

[Marcus]

why is it so hard to stay on topic about this kid? he's actually a pretty wonderful prospect to talk about.

[shotsquatch]

why is it so hard to stay on topic about this kid? he's actually a pretty wonderful prospect to talk about.

Seriously. I guess Lebron haters just can't help themselves.

Newsflash: yes, NBA players probably use performance enhancers, especially when coming back from injury. But PEDs are not the reason Lebron is a once-in-a-generation athlete. He's been jumping out the gym since high school. I'm personally all for PED use. Makes for a better product on the court.

Every "skinny" NBA athlete could look like Giannis if they wanted to. Genetics plays a role, but ultimately your strength training program determines your body composition. Giannis bulked up because it was good for his game. With the right program KD could be just as beefy as Giannis - but that's not his game. Not everyone is looking to bulk up. There are only so many hours in a day, and players have to prioritize how they train. Steroid use isn't the real difference maker here.

Anyways, Cade is a fine athlete. Athleticism isn't a one dimensional measurement. Cade has a decent vertical, excellent hand-eye coordination, but isn't particularly fast or explosive. Overall, any physical weaknesses he may have are far out-shined by his skill as a floor general and scorer.

[PhilLeotardo]

The kid is incredible. I cannot remember such a well-rounded player coming out since Lebron. He has everything you could ask for on offense. If he decides he wants to be an elite defender he could be up there with the greatest of all time. I know this sounds like hyperbole but sometimes kids like this come around, every couple of decades or so, and deserve it. I wouldn't compare him to Magic or Luka because both had major flaws in the games (shooting, defense, athleticism (whether vertically for Magic or vertically and laterally like Luka) where Cade does not. He still has to show he has leadership and the clutch gene but on paper he's ridiculous like Lebron was as a prospect. Of course Lebron was 6'8" 250 and aided by PEDs so he can't quite reach those heights. He's worth tanking for like with Lebron and Duncan. And the 2021 class might be the GOAT so even if you lose out on Cade there are going to be multiple stars to choose from in the lottery.

lol. what a stupid and unnecessary comment. also, while cunningham is a good athlete, he's not an elite athlete which is why he's not a kobe, tmac, lebron, mj, type prospect.

Good grief, this comment is so poorly thought out, and makes about as much sense as oceanfront land in Austria. I think you might be being sarcastic, but if not,

I’ll just say what everyone reading this is thinking: wut

Kobe Bryant wasn’t an elite prospect. At all. He was drafted 13th, and most people thought that was too high

Mcgrady went 9th

Cade Cunningham is projected to go #1 in a potential GOAT draft

The blazing sh** are you talking about lmao

[SeattleJazzFan]

The kid is incredible. I cannot remember such a well-rounded player coming out since Lebron. He has everything you could ask for on offense. If he decides he wants to be an elite defender he could be up there with the greatest of all time. I know this sounds like hyperbole but sometimes kids like this come around, every couple of decades or so, and deserve it. I wouldn't compare him to Magic or Luka because both had major flaws in the games (shooting, defense, athleticism (whether vertically for Magic or vertically and laterally like Luka) where Cade does not. He still has to show he has leadership and the clutch gene but on paper he's ridiculous like Lebron was as a prospect. Of course Lebron was 6'8" 250 and aided by PEDs so he can't quite reach those heights. He's worth tanking for like with Lebron and Duncan. And the 2021 class might be the GOAT so even if you lose out on Cade there are going to be multiple stars to choose from in the lottery.

lol. what a stupid and unnecessary comment. also, while cunningham is a good athlete, he's not an elite athlete which is why he's not a kobe, tmac, lebron, mj, type prospect.

Good grief, this comment is so poorly thought out, and makes about as much sense as oceanfront land in Austria. I think you might be being sarcastic, but if not,

I’ll just say what everyone reading this is thinking: wut

Kobe Bryant wasn’t an elite prospect. At all. He was drafted 13th, and most people thought that was too high

Mcgrady went 9th

Cade Cunningham is projected to go #1 in a potential GOAT draft

The blazing sh** are you talking about lmao

HS prospects didn't get drafted #1 in those days. try to keep up. Kobe was the #1 high school player in the country - he was elite in every sense of the word. good hell.

[babyjax13]

I think he's being a bit overhyped in this thread. I think he's sure to be a top 5 point guard at some point in his career, but I hesitate to compare anyone to Luka or LeBron.

[Almond2Oak]

lol. what a stupid and unnecessary comment. also, while cunningham is a good athlete, he's not an elite athlete which is why he's not a kobe, tmac, lebron, mj, type prospect.

Good grief, this comment is so poorly thought out, and makes about as much sense as oceanfront land in Austria. I think you might be being sarcastic, but if not,

I’ll just say what everyone reading this is thinking: wut

Kobe Bryant wasn’t an elite prospect. At all. He was drafted 13th, and most people thought that was too high

Mcgrady went 9th

Cade Cunningham is projected to go #1 in a potential GOAT draft

The blazing sh** are you talking about lmao

HS prospects didn't get drafted #1 in those days. try to keep up. Kobe was the #1 high school player in the country - he was elite in every sense of the word. good hell.

KG went #5 the year prior and T-Mac went #9 the year after and no Kobe wasn’t the #1. Odom and Fields were the absolute consensus top 2 prospects in 96’ and Schea Cotton was the dude ‘falling’ after being labeled the next beast, after he himself was considered the best prospect for multiple years in that class.

[PhilLeotardo]

lol. what a stupid and unnecessary comment. also, while cunningham is a good athlete, he's not an elite athlete which is why he's not a kobe, tmac, lebron, mj, type prospect.

Good grief, this comment is so poorly thought out, and makes about as much sense as oceanfront land in Austria. I think you might be being sarcastic, but if not,

I’ll just say what everyone reading this is thinking: wut

Kobe Bryant wasn’t an elite prospect. At all. He was drafted 13th, and most people thought that was too high

Mcgrady went 9th

Cade Cunningham is projected to go #1 in a potential GOAT draft

The blazing sh** are you talking about lmao

HS prospects didn't get drafted #1 in those days. try to keep up. Kobe was the #1 high school player in the country - he was elite in every sense of the word. good hell.

This is seriously some of the most asinine rhetoric I’ve read on this website. You’ve got to be having a laugh with this

Kobe Bryant wasn’t elite anywhere, at anything, save for perhaps his athleticism at the 2. He was considered a boom or bust project player. His improvements shocked everyone, and didn’t even begin to materialize until his 3rd season

Neither Tracy McGrady nor Bryant were even in the same remote ballpark as Cunningham as prospects coming into the NBA. Totally ludicrous statement

The initial comment was beyond comical, as was the second one. Total gibberish/nonsense

[PhilLeotardo]

Good grief, this comment is so poorly thought out, and makes about as much sense as oceanfront land in Austria. I think you might be being sarcastic, but if not,

I’ll just say what everyone reading this is thinking: wut

Kobe Bryant wasn’t an elite prospect. At all. He was drafted 13th, and most people thought that was too high

Mcgrady went 9th

Cade Cunningham is projected to go #1 in a potential GOAT draft

The blazing sh** are you talking about lmao

HS prospects didn't get drafted #1 in those days. try to keep up. Kobe was the #1 high school player in the country - he was elite in every sense of the word. good hell.

KG went #5 the year prior and T-Mac went #9 the year after and no Kobe wasn’t the #1. Odom and Fields were the absolute consensus top 2 prospects in 96’ and Schea Cotton was the dude ‘falling’ after being labeled the next beast, after he himself was considered the best prospect for multiple years in that class.

I’m fairly certain he’s/she’s trolling. The assertion was so impossibly dumb, in that “I’m going to say something totally bone-headed & ridiculous, that can easily be proven wrong, just to obtain a reaction” sense. Just a heads up

[clyde21]

thoughts after first couple of games?

[MotownMadness]

thoughts after first couple of games?

Honestly I dont really see him as a cant miss star that he was hyped as. Kinda like Suggs better than him at the moment.

[kobyz]

Deni Avdjia clone!

[clyde21]

i don't see the Deni comps at all

[peZt]

Man from the way NBA Twitter talked about him you would've thought this guy was the second coming of Jesus. He looks good but with all the hype I would've expected to see glimpses of generational talent from the get go

[babyjax13]

thoughts after first couple of games?

Really unique blend of size and skillset, opinion hasn't changed, he is going to be a really nice player in the league, probably top 5 point guard/lead guard in his prime.

[nolang1]

It's a really good class and 'preseason #1 vs. the field' isn't nearly the lock for the #1 player people tend to think it is. That said, Cade has looked really good so far; if you just looked at his offensive or defensive numbers separately, he'd be an intriguing prospect based on each side of the ball alone. Passing is probably the best part of his game, which he hasn't even been able show that much due to playing alongside another point guard who offers zero spacing.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

Really like his maturity and feel for the game. He seems to be a vocal leader, but at the same time is fitting in within the system at OK St and making sure that system succeeds, getting guys involved. Not a lot of hero/iso ball from what I've seen unless he feels his team needs a bucket, and then he attacks.

He's basically doing everything correct, even at the cost of inflating his own stats.

[retrobro90]

It's a really good class and 'preseason #1 vs. the field' isn't nearly the lock for the #1 player people tend to think it is. That said, Cade has looked really good so far; if you just looked at his offensive or defensive numbers separately, he'd be an intriguing prospect based on each side of the ball alone. Passing is probably the best part of his game, which he hasn't even been able show that much due to playing alongside another point guard who offers zero spacing.

Yeah playing next to Likekele isn't ideal. Really hard to compare and contrast him and Suggs when their teams are in different universes talent wise. If you put Cade on Gonzaga instead of Suggs I think he'd have a significant uptick in his assist totals and he'd have a much easier time getting to the rim. What worries me about Cade is the amount of shots he's getting in the post vs what he's able to do on the perimeter. He's just bigger than every matchup so far so I don't blame him for scoring that way but I don't see him being Andre Miller on offense at the next level. Would really like to see more burst on his first step. All that said Cade in the open floor and as a live dribble passer is can't miss. Think he's really been underrated defensively too. He's had foul trouble so I think people see soft closeouts or him trying to take charges when he could jump to contest at the rim and think "oh this kid doesn't wanna play defense". Really though he's gonna have the smarts/tools to be a major factor on that end.

[KembaWalker]

he is so slow, i'm not seeing it

[clyde21]

he is so slow, i'm not seeing it

he's not slow at all, he's just methodical in his movements because he processes information quickly, very deliberate and doesn't rush, he doesn't need to outrun anyone.

if I had to isolate an issue for him offensively it's his first step, but he's so good with the ball that he'll still have no issues creating space.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

thoughts after first couple of games?

As someone who'd only seen his highlights before the college season, I've had to adjust my expectations somewhat. They aren't lower, just different. Cade isn't explosive from a standstill, first step-wise or vertically. The fact he didn't drive past defenders threw me in the UT Arlington game. But he's so fluid that he can take any angle at any time. That's a harder quality to appreciate, especially on a crowded college floor with mediocre teammates, so it took me a sec' to catch up to it.

My way, way, way too early judgment is that he's comfortably #1 but it isn't bullet-proof. I'm not sure Suggs can be explosive enough or exciting enough to overcome the fact Cade's 6'7", and no one else in college has entered the #1 convo yet. I haven't seen Green and Kuminga, obv, so I'm holding off judgment there.

In the multi-class picture, he strikes me as a worse prospect than both Luka and Zion. His "it" is more subtle than those guys' it, and probably less impactful too.