Is Cade Cunningham Equipped for a Breakout Season?

Aug 8

After missing almost his entire second season with a shin injury, Cade Cunningham is set for a massive leap in his third NBA season. Many have forgotten about Cunningham’s extremely versatile skillset as a 6-foot-8 dynamic point guard. Not many point guards in the NBA have a combination of height and skill like Cunningham so that already puts him in a potentially elite category. He’s also a solid shooter and an improving defender, two things that can take his game to the next level as a taller point guard. Additionally, that height and skillset make him a multi-positional player, which increases his chances of being a top guard in the NBA one day. If Cunningham can follow a similar trajectory to someone like Luka Doncic (as their overall games are very similar) and take the type of leap that Doncic did in his second season, Cunningham could become a generational talent. He’s one of the most unique young players in the game today, and it’s unfortunate that his sophomore NBA season was cut short.

Now, Cunningham is fully healthy and has been playing on the USA Basketball Select Team in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has scrimmaged against some of the top young all-stars in the game, and not only did he hold his own, but he quietly dominated offensively. USA Basketball Head Coach Steve Kerr was very impressed by Cunningham’s play, which led to the Select Team beating the main squad in their two scrimmage matches. However, Cunningham did decline to join Team USA for the FIBA World Cup despite his impressive showing. Travel and rehab were the main reasons Cunningham decided not to play in the FIBA World Cup, which makes sense so that he can be fully healthy for the upcoming NBA season. Cunningham will have the keys to the Pistons as their franchise player, and it should be exciting to watch how he grows with the rest of the Pistons’ lottery picks over the next few seasons.

A young core of Cunningham, Jaden Ivy, and Jalen Duran will be intriguing to watch, while other young players like Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley, and James Wiseman provide many different options in the Pistons’ frontcourt. Despite the plethora of budding talent on this roster, it all starts with Cunningham. He will be crucial to any moves the Pistons make toward a play-in tournament appearance or a playoff spot, which could come as soon as this upcoming season. There are many young teams in the Eastern Conference trying to take the next step, and the Pistons have a golden opportunity to make a giant leap if their young players continue developing. Cunningham should take a massive jump in his game in 2024, which should directly correlate with his outstanding play on the USA Basketball Select Team.