After a decent but ultimately frustrating rookie season, Cade Cunningham arrives even more determined for his second campaign. Third in the race for the best rookie trophy last season, behind Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley, the new Pistons boss is using it as a boost of motivation.
“I wasn’t upset, that’s not really the word. But I clearly took it to heart,” he explains in the Lowe Post. “It has to be so. I really wanted this award. It was a hard pill to swallow but it made me humble. I know that I still have to work and progress. »
Grant “out”, Bogdanovic “in”
With Detroit, Cade Cunningham starts from afar. Especially after the loss of several veterans, including Jerami Grant during the offseason…
“I hadn’t heard of it beforehand. It’s part of those NBA things… We build relationships with these guys. We are disappointed and saddened that he is gone and is no longer part of the franchise. I played a lot of minutes with him. His departure leaves a void but we just have to adapt, see who will arrive and why, and keep moving forward. It helped me understand the business side of the NBA. »
But the project set up since the Draft of the leader left Oklahoma State begins to take shape with Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey already in place, plus the rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren who must also bring their stone to the building. And Bojan Bogdanovic who has just arrived for training camp!
“Our goal is to go to the playoffs. And he’s going to help us do that. We’ve only been training for a week but it already feels like we’ve been playing together for years! He is one of those guys who can arrive in any team and find his place without problem. We are very happy that he is with us, he will be a huge plus for us. He will give us a lot of space with his IQ and his professionalism in the locker room. So many things we need. »
A cerebral leader à la Luka
A more cerebral than athletic leader, Cade Cunningham readily accepts stylistic comparisons with Luka Doncic, like him a rather beefy rear who likes to lead the game like a floor general.
“I always wanted to learn in all aspects of the game. And I’m still learning today. I’m still trying to learn how to master point guard in the NBA. My main goal is to make the game easier for my teammates. And that doesn’t necessarily mean accelerating to outflank my defender and creating play. I’m aware of who I am, how my body is and how my team is. »
In this vein, he follows in the heritage of other elegant full-backs, who stood out above all for their sense of the game and their natural fluidity. Fan of Dirk Nowitzki during his young years spent in the Dallas area, Cade Cunningham is more easily inspired by other legends of the game, closer to his morphotype.
“I watch a lot of Brandon Roy, Tracy McGrady, Jason Kidd. Big backs. I try to take the best part of their game, like Kidd, Nash and Paul on pick & roll. Or Chris Paul’s “snake dribble”. Or Roy on his left hand dribble; he could go where he wanted. These are things that fascinate me and that I try to incorporate into my game.”
The “pull-up 3”, key to his progress
Deprived of the playoffs for his first year, and very far from the account with the Pistons in the depths of the classification, Cade Cunningham for once had the opportunity to discuss with his former Montverde teammate, Moses Moody, who lifted the title to him. in his first year in the League: “We dreamed together of winning an NBA title when we were in the dorms [de Montverde]. And he deserves it, he’s a huge hard worker. A gym rat, who is always in the gym to improve. »
Head of an ambitious project in Detroit, Cade Cunningham knows he still has to raise his level of play in his second year. To do this, he focused his summer work on several axes, including balance on his shots, and shooting from distance, especially when leaving the dribble.
With 30% success at 3-point dribbling, the Piston knows he must spend the second, if he really wants to propel his team to the playoffs (or the “play-in”) this year. .
“It’s super important to me. Because it is one of the most difficult shots to defend. As a full-back, I think I can trigger him whenever I want. It’s just about doing the daily rehearsals, mastering it as best you can and taking it on the field with confidence. »
| Cade Cunningham | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2021-22 | TED | 64 | 33 | 41.6 | 31.4 | 84.5 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 17.4 |
| Total | 64 | 33 | 41.6 | 31.4 | 84.5 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 17.4 | |
