Cade Cunningham - Any Concerns?

[zero rings]

Cades TS% sucks because he can't get easy looks because hes a terrible athlete. I expect it to improve as he learns the game better but I think its pretty unlikely it ever gets to be good because he doesnt have a bag and doesnt have NBA #1 option athleticism. He absolutely needs his shooting to come around because he was billed as an elite shooter and that hasnt materialized at all.

The only 'comparing' between LeBron and Cade I'm doing is pointing out how stupid it is to compare them, which other people brought up. I should have just ignored it, because it was a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) point and a classic BS debate technique - its easier to smear poop on the walls than it is to clean it up. And when you see people smearing poop on the walls its a good sign to just leave.

I sure as hell dont think there are any similarities between their game, circumstance, talent level, ability, or anything like that. Comparing Cade to LeBron is like comparing Aaron Carter to the Beatles because the Beatles had a few bad songs too.

This idea that you need to be an elite athlete to be a number 1 option is so absurd and has been debunked a thousand times now. It's laughable that people out there still believe this.

Cade is an athletic freak compared to Luka.

What? Luka physically dominates in a way Cade could never dream of.

NBA fans need to stop disregarding size and strength when talking about athleticism.

[7r5ur]

Cades TS% sucks because he can't get easy looks because hes a terrible athlete. I expect it to improve as he learns the game better but I think its pretty unlikely it ever gets to be good because he doesnt have a bag and doesnt have NBA #1 option athleticism. He absolutely needs his shooting to come around because he was billed as an elite shooter and that hasnt materialized at all.

The only 'comparing' between LeBron and Cade I'm doing is pointing out how stupid it is to compare them, which other people brought up. I should have just ignored it, because it was a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) point and a classic BS debate technique - its easier to smear poop on the walls than it is to clean it up. And when you see people smearing poop on the walls its a good sign to just leave.

I sure as hell dont think there are any similarities between their game, circumstance, talent level, ability, or anything like that. Comparing Cade to LeBron is like comparing Aaron Carter to the Beatles because the Beatles had a few bad songs too.

This idea that you need to be an elite athlete to be a number 1 option is so absurd and has been debunked a thousand times now. It's laughable that people out there still believe this.

I absolutely don’t think you need to be an elite athlete to be a number one option

I think Cade is a horrible athlete for someone who is supposed to be a number one option; so to compensate he either needs to be a gifted tough shot maker, shooter, or playmaker.

My concerns are that his shooting hasn’t translated well. His handle and first step is extremely poor which really limits his playmaking because he’s never going to make defenses scramble.

Cade will be good if he starts splashing jumpers and potentially great if he gets better at making tough buckets.

I don’t think there’s line of sight for him to be someone who generates easy scoring opportunities for himself, so if Cade is going to be great it’s going to be harder for him than it is for others.

The doubters said he wouldn’t be able to get to the rim in the league and that’s simply not been the case, even with the worst spacing in the entire league and the paint totally clogged. 12th in points on drives. Imagine when he isn’t playing with 3 total non-shooters and 1 guy who defenses happily give open shots (Stewart).

He has a lot to work on in terms of efficiency and lazy turnovers (I’m more worried about the latter) but a lot of this automatically improves when he’s not forced to be the only guy on the floor that can score. To act like this doesn’t matter or isn’t a huge factor is just ignoring reality to push an agenda.

If even 1 or 2 of Bojan, Burks, Monte Morris, or Ivey were healthy the Pistons would be 4-5, Cade wouldn’t be going 1-on-5 every night on offense, and this would be a different conversation entirely. Even just the Burks and Cade combo is +28 differential per 100 possessions this year. Good players still need SOME space to operate.

[cgf]

This idea that you need to be an elite athlete to be a number 1 option is so absurd and has been debunked a thousand times now. It's laughable that people out there still believe this.

I absolutely don’t think you need to be an elite athlete to be a number one option

I think Cade is a horrible athlete for someone who is supposed to be a number one option; so to compensate he either needs to be a gifted tough shot maker, shooter, or playmaker.

My concerns are that his shooting hasn’t translated well. His handle and first step is extremely poor which really limits his playmaking because he’s never going to make defenses scramble.

Cade will be good if he starts splashing jumpers and potentially great if he gets better at making tough buckets.

I don’t think there’s line of sight for him to be someone who generates easy scoring opportunities for himself, so if Cade is going to be great it’s going to be harder for him than it is for others.

The doubters said he wouldn’t be able to get to the rim in the league and that’s simply not been the case, even with the worst spacing in the entire league and the paint totally clogged. 12th in points on drives. Imagine when he isn’t playing with 3 total non-shooters and 1 guy who defenses happily give open shots (Stewart).

He has a lot to work on in terms of efficiency and lazy turnovers (I’m more worried about the latter) but a lot of this automatically improves when he’s not forced to be the only guy on the floor that can score. To act like this doesn’t matter or isn’t a huge factor is just ignoring reality to push an agenda.

If even 1 or 2 of Bojan, Burks, Monte Morris, or Ivey were healthy the Pistons would be 4-5, Cade wouldn’t be going 1-on-5 every night on offense, and this would be a different conversation entirely. Even just the Burks and Cade combo is +28 differential per 100 possessions this year. Good players still need SOME space to operate.

TBF Burks + anyone will have insane #s, the old timer is just a beast.

[LarsV8]

I'd be extremely concerned if I was Detroit.

You got these "Can't Miss" surefire future all stars like Cade and Scoot, and yea, not good so far.

[God Squad]

If Cade were to end up a good #2 option on a contending team, it would not make him a failure as a #1 pick. That is still a very good outcome especially in a draft that honestly did not yield a #1 option. The concern should be how fast the Pistons FO realizes what Cade is and adapts their rebuild to finding that #1 for Cade to compliment rather than building around Cade.

Now this is a good answer IMO. Much better than "the stats don't matter, watch the games" i've seen from some Piston fans in this thread. I personally think he's just ill suited for the offensive hub role.

[Roger Murdock]

This idea that you need to be an elite athlete to be a number 1 option is so absurd and has been debunked a thousand times now. It's laughable that people out there still believe this.

I absolutely don’t think you need to be an elite athlete to be a number one option

I think Cade is a horrible athlete for someone who is supposed to be a number one option; so to compensate he either needs to be a gifted tough shot maker, shooter, or playmaker.

My concerns are that his shooting hasn’t translated well. His handle and first step is extremely poor which really limits his playmaking because he’s never going to make defenses scramble.

Cade will be good if he starts splashing jumpers and potentially great if he gets better at making tough buckets.

I don’t think there’s line of sight for him to be someone who generates easy scoring opportunities for himself, so if Cade is going to be great it’s going to be harder for him than it is for others.

The doubters said he wouldn’t be able to get to the rim in the league and that’s simply not been the case, even with the worst spacing in the entire league and the paint totally clogged. 12th in points on drives. Imagine when he isn’t playing with 3 total non-shooters and 1 guy who defenses happily give open shots (Stewart).

He has a lot to work on in terms of efficiency and lazy turnovers (I’m more worried about the latter) but a lot of this automatically improves when he’s not forced to be the only guy on the floor that can score. To act like this doesn’t matter or isn’t a huge factor is just ignoring reality to push an agenda.

If even 1 or 2 of Bojan, Burks, Monte Morris, or Ivey were healthy the Pistons would be 4-5, Cade wouldn’t be going 1-on-5 every night on offense, and this would be a different conversation entirely. Even just the Burks and Cade combo is +28 differential per 100 possessions this year. Good players still need SOME space to operate.

Cade absolutely needs space and this roster isn’t doing him any favors. I don’t get the Bey trade, he’s not world beater but Wiseman just compounded the Pistons problems

Good for Cade for getting to the rim and scoring buts he’s second in the league in drives and 12th in points of drives. He is tied with Zion for the lowest FG% on drives of anyone in the top 12 and has the second worst turnover rate of and below average assist rates of the top 12.

Getting to the basket efficiently is still a problem

I like Cade a lot so I hate that this thread is making me bash him. I just view him as someone extremely talented and good at basketball but obviously miscast.

I don’t think he’s a Wiggins type who obviously doesn’t have it and needs a change of scenery. I think he’s someone who needs a more appropriate role so he can thrive. If Cade Cunningham can be a Joe Johnson level player; which I think he’s got a decent shot to achieve, that’s a good outcome.

[Bakomagic]

This idea that you need to be an elite athlete to be a number 1 option is so absurd and has been debunked a thousand times now. It's laughable that people out there still believe this.

Cade is an athletic freak compared to Luka.

What? Luka physically dominates in a way Cade could never dream of.

NBA fans need to stop disregarding size and strength when talking about athleticism.

Luka is a skilled bully, he has that “Fatleticism”.

[Kalamazoo317]

Bey didn't play defense, didn't rebound, and wanted to expand his offensive game (which meant he was playing a lot of iso ball instead of just being a catch and shoot guy). He's bought into a role in Atlanta in a way that reports suggest he wasn't willing to in Detroit. The trade for Wiseman was an upside swing. Was it worth it? Probably not. But not having Bey hasn't been a huge loss, IMO.

I don't think anyone is arguing Cade is a clear #1 option on a title team. Very few players are, regardless of draft position. He's not a bust either. He's a good player who can be a good building block and part of a winning situation. But do we need more around him? Of course. Does he need to improve in some areas, of course? Would I still take him over any players drafted behind him? Personally, yes.

[God Squad]

Bey didn't play defense, didn't rebound, and wanted to expand his offensive game (which meant he was playing a lot of iso ball instead of just being a catch and shoot guy). He's bought into a role in Atlanta in a way that reports suggest he wasn't willing to in Detroit. The trade for Wiseman was an upside swing. Was it worth it? Probably not. But not having Bey hasn't been a huge loss, IMO.

I don't think anyone is arguing Cade is a clear #1 option on a title team. Very few players are, regardless of draft position. He's not a bust either. He's a good player who can be a good building block and part of a winning situation. But do we need more around him? Of course. Does he need to improve in some areas, of course? Would I still take him over any players drafted behind him? Personally, yes.

Here's my thing with Cade. I don't think he'll ever be a DPOY candidate like like Mobley, or impact the game across the board like Barnes. I'm not even sure if he's better than Sengun to be honest, and I don't mean that as a slight because Sengun is really good.

I'll give Cade more time due to injury, but the same concerns in college persist now. I think he's going to be fine and a good player(#2-3), but this Luka role the Pistons have given him isn't doing him any favors.

[Kalamazoo317]

Bey didn't play defense, didn't rebound, and wanted to expand his offensive game (which meant he was playing a lot of iso ball instead of just being a catch and shoot guy). He's bought into a role in Atlanta in a way that reports suggest he wasn't willing to in Detroit. The trade for Wiseman was an upside swing. Was it worth it? Probably not. But not having Bey hasn't been a huge loss, IMO.

I don't think anyone is arguing Cade is a clear #1 option on a title team. Very few players are, regardless of draft position. He's not a bust either. He's a good player who can be a good building block and part of a winning situation. But do we need more around him? Of course. Does he need to improve in some areas, of course? Would I still take him over any players drafted behind him? Personally, yes.

Here's my thing with Cade. I don't think he'll ever be a DPOY candidate like like Mobley, or impact the game across the board like Barnes. I'm not even sure if he's better than Sengun to be honest, and I don't mean that as a slight because Sengun is really good.

I'll give Cade more time due to injury, but the same concerns in college persist now. I think he's going to be fine and a good player(#2-3), but this Luka role the Pistons have given him isn't doing him any favors.

Cade will never be an offensive/spacing liability like Mobley, or be difficult for other players to fit around like Barnes. I'm not sure if 2023 Lebron is better than Sengun. I definitely don't think Mobley is the #1 player on a championship team and while Barnes has a nice toolbox, I don't really think he will be either.

[UcanUwill]

I'm much more concerned about Wagner, Green, Mobley, and Giddey from that draft class..

Cool Story, Giddey and Franz already exceeded expectations considering their draft position, and they showed what they can do in the NBA already, which is plenty, they just started this season missing some shots. Mobley already almost won DPOY. Cade was picked first and he proven nothing up to this point. I like him, but it is getting very concerning.

Cade will never be an offensive/spacing liability like Mobley, or be difficult for other players to fit around like Barnes. I'm not sure if 2023 Lebron is better than Sengun. I definitely don't think Mobley is the #1 player on a championship team and while Barnes has a nice toolbox, I don't really think he will be either.

Oh, so other guys arent all time greats..? Cool, then who is Cade?

[ocelot17]

This idea that you need to be an elite athlete to be a number 1 option is so absurd and has been debunked a thousand times now. It's laughable that people out there still believe this.

Cade is an athletic freak compared to Luka.

What? Luka physically dominates in a way Cade could never dream of.

NBA fans need to stop disregarding size and strength when talking about athleticism.

Watch on YouTube

;si=UU8U-nEgDIXgxyLH

[reanimator]

Cool Story, Giddey and Franz already exceeded expectations considering their draft position, and they showed what they can do in the NBA already, which is plenty, they just started this season missing some shots. Mobley already almost won DPOY. Cade was picked first and he proven nothing up to this point. I like him, but it is getting very concerning.

What in the hell has Giddey proven? He doesn't shoot it well or draw fouls even worse than Cade and does so in a much easier role.

[UcanUwill]

Cool Story, Giddey and Franz already exceeded expectations considering their draft position, and they showed what they can do in the NBA already, which is plenty, they just started this season missing some shots. Mobley already almost won DPOY. Cade was picked first and he proven nothing up to this point. I like him, but it is getting very concerning.

What in the hell has Giddey proven? He doesn't shoot it well or draw fouls even worse than Cade and does so in a much easier role.

He is elite passer, superb vision and constant subtle triple double threat. He already can run a team as a good old school point guard.

[Sixers in 4]

The question is can he be efficient and still score because players who average 24 PTS on 21 shots are just not that valuable in today's NBA.

The talent is there but right now he isn't a very good basketball player. I mean he doesn't play any defense either. So at some point the impact has to match the talent or he is going to be viewed the same way as guys like Oubre.

[7r5ur]

The question is can he be efficient and still score because players who average 24 PTS on 21 shots are just not that valuable in today's NBA.

The talent is there but right now he isn't a very good basketball player. I mean he doesn't play any defense either. So at some point the impact has to match the talent or he is going to be viewed the same way as guys like Oubre.

huh? He's not some all-defensive team guy, but he's pretty decent, especially for a young guard with that kind of usage on offense.

[Kalamazoo317]

I'm much more concerned about Wagner, Green, Mobley, and Giddey from that draft class..

Cool Story, Giddey and Franz already exceeded expectations considering their draft position, and they showed what they can do in the NBA already, which is plenty, they just started this season missing some shots. Mobley already almost won DPOY. Cade was picked first and he proven nothing up to this point. I like him, but it is getting very concerning.

Cade will never be an offensive/spacing liability like Mobley, or be difficult for other players to fit around like Barnes. I'm not sure if 2023 Lebron is better than Sengun. I definitely don't think Mobley is the #1 player on a championship team and while Barnes has a nice toolbox, I don't really think he will be either.

Oh, so other guys arent all time greats..? Cool, then who is Cade?

Cade is better than them

[UcanUwill]

I'm much more concerned about Wagner, Green, Mobley, and Giddey from that draft class..

Cool Story, Giddey and Franz already exceeded expectations considering their draft position, and they showed what they can do in the NBA already, which is plenty, they just started this season missing some shots. Mobley already almost won DPOY. Cade was picked first and he proven nothing up to this point. I like him, but it is getting very concerning.

Cade will never be an offensive/spacing liability like Mobley, or be difficult for other players to fit around like Barnes. I'm not sure if 2023 Lebron is better than Sengun. I definitely don't think Mobley is the #1 player on a championship team and while Barnes has a nice toolbox, I don't really think he will be either.

Oh, so other guys arent all time greats..? Cool, then who is Cade?

Cade is better than them

So far, there is no evidence to back up that claim at all. I hope he ENDS up better than them, but not looking likely.

[Kalamazoo317]

None of them contribute to winning as a number one option

[MrBigShot]

Nobody wants to wait 2 seconds for young players to develop anymore, happy to write guys off like 80 games into their career.

Coming from a pistons fan that's been one of the most critical of cade on our board, this thread is mostly just a cirlcjerk for people that disliked cade to begin with to pile on. Yeah his efficiency sucks and he turns the ball over a crap ton right now. I remember the narrative around Devin booker in his 2nd year where everyone said he's just a chucker, will never be an impact player.

Not saying Cade will become an all star, but I am saying he's not a finished product and it's too early to say he'll never get there.