Cade is as legit as a prospect can be. He has his holes; below average burst(for a top prospects), a shot that may need some development if this year proves to be flukey (I doubt that it does), and not elite point of attack defense. However that is overshadowed by what he can be; a multipositional defender, sharp shooting pick and roll maestro who controls the game to a tee. Don’t underrate his ability to create his own shot either; his isolation scoring is a revelation and something that I did not see coming.

Comparision: Luka

Ceiling: Harden with defense Floor: Rookie Lamelo

Projected draft range: 1

Cade is undoubtedly the best prospect in the draft with his potential to post triple doubles and play 1-4. He needs to clean up his turnovers and relies more on strength than speed or athleticism, but his isolating scoring, playmaking, and potential to be a lethal two-way weapon is appealing.

Height 6'8 Weight 220 lbs Wingspan 7'0

Offense

• Lots of attacking for pull ups, layups, floaters. Not the finisher he can be yet, but still pretty smooth. Needs to add strength in core.

• Very good on smaller matchups around the basket posting up, but also effected by lengthier players.

• Above average not great athlete.

• At times I wonder about his ability to create space.

• Unselfish passer, especially in transition where he is always a grab'n'go threat and his eyes always stay up.

• More turnovers than assists, but won't garner as much attention at the next level as he did this past year (tons of double teams).

• Handle needs to tighten up, high center of gravity allows for cookies against smaller quick guards with active hands.

• Just tremendous feel for the game and makes a plethora of passes in different situations - skip passes, wrap arounds, drop offs. The ambidextrous live dribble passer you want in today's NBA

• Sound perimeter shooting abilities, no worries here. 40% for 3 & 85% from FT. Comfortable and smooth pulling off the dribble.

• Could and should be special in PNR.

• Deceptive and efficient in triple threat to start attack before even taking a dribble.

• Gets the rarely awarded "Clutch Factor", but needs to be aggressive earlier in the game.

  Defense

• Uses his length properly. Defensive versatility to guard 1-4.

• Can be physical down low with larger matchups.

• Stays with his man, may get beat by speedier players but does a great job staying in the play and not giving up easy baskets.

• Constantly engaged defensively. Very good awareness and intuitive understanding of where to be and what to do.

• Good rebounder

• Looks for blocks on the defensive end.

• Good closeouts, solid team defense.

Swing Factors

• Tightening handle - If he begins work on this ASAP and has low TO rate he will blossom into a star quickly, otherwise he will be exploited for this too often, and may have some rough nights early.

• Decision Making - Needs to find the right scoring, distributing balance. Aggressively asserting his scoring will early in his career will remove any doubts about him not being an offensive star.

Role

• A two-way do it all positionless player who can help a team in any way he is asked.

• LOW: Struggling to find his role as a scoring and turning the ball over too often, Cade's lack of athleticism is more of an issue than originally thought. He finds himself still a borderline starter due to his ability to dabble in all areas of the game, but nowhere near the level originally thought.

• HIGH: A surefire two-way perennial all-star with the ability to wear multiple hats by hitting the big shots, distributing effortlessly, and defending nearly anyone on the court. He ends up giving a Naismith speech sometime in the 40's.

TIER 1 Floor - High level starter Bullseye - Perennial All NBA Ceiling - Best player on title team, MVP

OFFENSE

Pass - Grade: 90 Notes: Incredible passing arsenal, especially given his age and size. Elite level patience, understanding of angles, and exhibits amazing timing on his passes. Can count on him to make the right the read 85%+ of the time, which is crazy high for a young player with a high usage rate. Passing range is very deep, has displayed ability to make multiple kinds of passes at a high level: skip passes, outlets, one-handed passes with either hand, drive and kick, PnR, great at hitting shooters in stride and hitting bigs in position to score. Can make any kind of pass in the book with great poise and manipulation. Top 5 passer in the draft without question. Occasionally will force passes through windows that are that close too quickly, but usually come from good intentions and shouldn't be too big of an issue in the NBA.

Dribble - Grade: 83 Notes: Great patience and manipulation with his dribble, and dictates offensive tempo with his handle and poise. Great at using his handle to create space for his own shot, particularly in PnR. Very fluid dribbler with both hands. Very good at changing speeds, especially deceleration. Does not have a very diverse arsenal of dribble moves, and handle could be tightened a bit. These small flaws are maximized by the fact that Cunningham does not have an elite first step and is not particularly quick off the dribble. Overly reliant on his in-and-out dribble. Cunningham has the portion of ball handling that is much harder to learn in his game already (poise, tempo, control, changing speeds), he just needs to fine tune his handle and expand his arsenal to take that next level as a scorer and playmaker. Also struggles a bit with ball security when facing high pressure defenses. I expect Cunningham to progress in this area quickly within his first few seasons.

3pt shooting - Grade: 87 Notes: 41.2% on 136 3PA. Can shoot off the dribble and off the catch. Very smooth and fluid jumper with good mechanics. Has a slow gather but a pretty quick release.

Mid-range shooting - Grade: 86 Notes: Cunningham is a true three level scorer. Very fluid mid-range jumper, and very good at getting to his spots particularly in PnR. Can hit while fading away, leaning forward, or straight up. Great at always being squared up to hoop and rarely forces his shot. Solid elevation on his middies too.

Finishing - Grade: 90 Notes: Great and versatile finisher. Can use either hand at the rim and finish with power and finesse. Great at slashing and protecting the ball while driving, and doesn't get tunnel vision even when he puts his head down (something he does often). Great and initiating contact to draw fouls and find angles to finish. Knows when to initiate contact and when to avoid. As with the rest of the offensive game, is very poised and under control when attacking and finishing. Will rarely see him force a fling up or flail when missing a shot after contact. Extremely skilled in the post, and a great finisher from there.

Off-ball playmaking - Grade: 88 Notes: Comfortable playing off-ball. Rarely takes plays off. Good cutter, knows when to clear/relocate, and will even screen for guys. Is still very much a positive without the ball in hands, for the reasons listed above and his ability to be a good C&S three point shooter.

Offensive rebounding - Grade: 86 Notes: Crashes offensive glass often. Has a real nose for the ball and is proactive. Capable of above the rim put-backs and tip outs to his teammates.

Offensive Summary: 95 Cunningham is as polished of an offensive prospect as you will see coming out of the draft. The game already comes slowly to him, and he's rarely fazed by anything. Always under control, always poised, and always playing at his pace. Dictates the tempo of his team on offense. Is effective on and off ball. Already a true three level scorer with a post game, and is an elite passer in all facets. He will spearhead the Pistons offense immediately. So few weaknesses in his offensive game already. Can play however you need him to and he will be effective in that role.

Defense

Engagement - Grade: 90 Notes: Always engaged and very smart. While it may appear he is not the most vocal guy at times, he's constantly active and can be seen directing traffic quite often. Active and engaged on and off balls, very good at sniffing out plays and always super engaged in the gap and passing lanes.

Containment - Grade: 81 Notes: While a very versatile man-to-man defender with great body-up ability and core strength, Cunningham lacks lateral quickness to guard quicker players. Can get beat on close outs when he's too aggressive, but this doesn't happen often. Can check guards situationally but not for multiple possessions. Overall a good POA defender, and great at beating guys to the spot. Inconsistent as an isolation defender and gets screened easier than you would think as PnR ball handler defender.

Team Defense - Grade: 90 Notes: Amazing IQ. Calls out actions early, bumps runners, cuts off cutters, rotates on time, has a knack for making players second guess themselves in 2 on 1 situations, versatility allows him to be a free safety at times. Always knows where and he everyone else is supposed to be, and will let them know. A knowledgeable leader with great instincts.

Rim Protection - Grade: 86 Notes: Great timing on help around the basket, has displayed his knack for come from behind blocks as well as top-down blocks. Great rotator and often alters shots when he's down low. Also good at contesting with contact but not fouling. Will sometimes sell out to block a shot down low, resulting in an offensive rebound or dump off.

Playmaking - Grade: 84 Notes: Ability to hound the passing lanes, draw charges, and alter shots make him a good defensive playmaker. His hands are not consistently active on defense which is a bit odd, but may be due to his constant focus on team defense rather than individual defense. Capable defensive playmaker but not his main focus or ability on defense, and this is something Cunningham understands. Will gamble for blocks but not as much for steals, doesn't like being out of position particularly on the perimeter.

Versatility - Grade: 90 Notes: Extremely versatile man-to-man defender, will be able to switch everything in the NBA. Could get to the point where he will guard 3-4 guys on individual possessions at times.

Defensive Rebounding - Grade: 84 Notes: Active defensive rebounder, but will occasionally forgo boxouts. Nose for the ball though and is typically proactive. Likes to push the ball or outlet on rebounds.

Defensive Summary: 91 Notes: All defensive team potential. Offensive usage will have a big impact on how effective Cunningham will be on defense. Extremely versatile and high IQ, and has all the making of an elite defensive wing. Lateral quickness and active hands are the biggest needs of improvement. May be able to focus on his individual matchup and positioning more in the NBA.

Measurables: 98 19 6'8 220 7' wingspan

Functional Athleticism: 78 Covers a lot of ground but not laterally quick Doesn't have a quick first step Solid elevation on finishes and contests Solid open court speed, mainly with the ball compared to others his size. Strength and skill makeup for lack of elite athleticism

General Thoughts: There's a long list of reasons as to why Cade Cunningham is the clear cut #1 prospect in this draft, but the most outstanding trait that elevates him to a different tier than any other player in this class is his versatility. Cunningham is very good both on and off ball on offense, and is able to guard 1-4 on defense. I don't imagine he'll be guarding quick point guards right of the gate, but I do believe he'll be able to get there at some point as his core strength and balance improves. He already has the positioning and lateral ability to be able to guard quick penetrators. His defensive ceiling is being able to guard the opposing team's best offensive player that's a wing or guard. Cade is also an extremely active and high IQ off-ball defender. He draws charges, has a high deflection rate, is always on point with his rotations, and is great in the gap in passing lanes. Cade's knack for being in the right spot when crashing the defensive class should not be slept on either. Cunningham will be at least be a 16-5-5 guy for his career. Offensively, I think Cade can be a high usage work horse. I believe he will be best suited next to another on-ball creator, but that can range from the likes of a self creating big or wing to a crafty ball dominant point guard. Cunnigham is great in isolation from different spots all over the floor. Not only is he a three level scorer, but he's also got a great post up game that I expect will more than translate to the NBA. He's got elite touch and feel for scoring the ball, and once he's used as a PnR ball handler more and more and is surrounding by true pace and spacing I will feel for the team game-planning against him. Building a team around Cade should be easier than most other young stars due to the fact he fits well next to any type of player. I expect he'll be used on the offensive end in a large variety of ways, as he's so versatile. He's a three-level scorer and a fluid high IQ passer. Makes the right read 9/10, with and without the ball. Nothing more to say than that he'd be a great fit on all 30 teams. It's very rare to be able to say that about a player. Cade's fit in Detroit is great. He's got enticing young pieces of Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart around him. Killian Hayes' development alongside Cade will be fascinating, and I actually think Cade's presence will ease Killian's development significantly. I believe they will take significant pressure off of each other as they can take turns playing on and off ball, something they both like to do. Stewart is a great PnR big for both of them, but I do question if defensively he is a good enough rim protector to be a starting center on a playoff team. I cannot wait to the see the defensive presence of Cade/Bey/Grant as the 2/3/4 on this pistons team, that should be a dominant perimeter defensive trio that's crazy switchable. Detroit is quickly heading in the right direction.

Strengths

• Finishing at the rim

• Shooting

• Passing

• Basketball IQ

• Size

• Defence

Weak areas

• Average first step

• Average athleticism

Player Comp: Poor man's Luka Doncic/Shai Gilgeous Alexander

Comparison: Luka, Shai, and Ben Simmons

It is rare for a prospect to enter the NBA with the intangibles all that he has with his size, pull-up shooting, self-creation, and playmaking. It''s not worth overthinking it with Cunningham, who has all the makings to be an All-Star.

Strengths: Shooting, Basketball IQ, Court Vision

Weaknesses: Turnovers

Draft Range: 1-2

Cade Cunningham is an almost perfect prospect. He is a great all around player that could have a really big impact in the NBA. He really isn’t bad at anything. On offence, Cade is a 3-Level Scorer who has a high basketball IQ to go along with his court vision. He has a lot of size for a Pg, so he could multiple positions in the NBA. On defence, he projects to be the guy that guards the other teams best player. Overall, he is a really solid player. At this point, I think most people would agree that Cade is the best prospect in the draft. He may not turn out to be the player out of this draft class, but at the very least, he is going to have an impact on whoever drafts him

MVP caliber player, will be a Luka type

Ceiling-Luka or better SGA

Floor-SGA

Stat prediction at peak- 27 PPG - 6 RPG - 7APG

1: Cade Cunningham

Despite how good Mobely is, its also going to be hard to pass up on Cade. His scoring with his size, strength, 3 point shot, defense, rebounding, and passing with his all-around game will make it hard for the Pistons to pass him up.

Floor: Lamelo Ball this year but more closer to his prime

Comparison: Ben Simmons with a 3.

Ceiling: Luka with defense

At best, he should be a multi positional defender that can guard 1-4 and score 25 a night.

DRAFT RANGE: 1-2

Cade is not going any late then the 2nd pick, I guareeente. With his shot creation, defense, passing, and just scoring with his MVP ceiling and legit role player floor, he is going to be the 1st or 2nd pick.

Positives

-Amazing playmaker, assist numbers don''t show how good he was, thrived in the pick and roll and kicking out to shooters, unselfish in transition, wraparounds, pocket passes, cross court passes, lobs, has it all in his arsenal, very patient and hard to speed up, dealt well with double teams all year

-Used his body well in the paint, generally a good finisher, especially with the right hand floater/hook shot, will be a weapon in transition of a rebound

-Solid postup game, especially with the right hook shot, can take advantage of smaller guards and can pass out of double teams in the post

-Decent shot creating potential, his height + stepbacks/sidesteps/hesitations/pull back dribbles could make him really hard to guard

-Jumpshot was really good, hit great percentages off the catch and off the dribble, mechanics and FT% point to a good shooter in the league, has potential to be a movement shooter, hit a few off screens or pick and pop''s

-Uses his size/strength/length on on-ball defense, when locked in can stay with guards, defend wings well and get physical down low with big men, great instincts, especially off-ball as a help defender, routinely contested, drew charges, blocked shots or got into passing lanes

-Very clutch, wants the ball, even when he doesn''t have it going (ex. second Texas game)

-Great leadership by what we''ve seen, never had poor body language after a teammate mistake, and really wanted to succeed on Oklahoma State

Negatives

-Not an explosive athlete, average burst, can lead to lowering his shoulder and getting called for offensive fouls, slow driver and can struggle driving past bigs switched onto him

-High dribbler, handles need to be tighter, especially because of his lack of burst

-Does need to improve accuracy on his passes a bit

-Needs to be a bit more focused and careful with the ball, decision making had some rough moments but normal for the engine of a badly spaced offensive team

-Should improve effort defensively, looked a bit zoned out, most likely will improve with reduced offensive role

-Tended to be a bit passive in the first halves of games, needs to be assertive from the jump

Likely range: 1-2