Intentions week 8 rookie ladder recognizes definitive top 5
No. 3 – Cade Cunningham: Detroit Pistons
After a slower start to his rookie campaign and cold shooting Cade Cunningham has hit a groove. With top scorer Jerami Grant out with torn ligaments in his thumb it expands Cunningham’s opportunity.
Dwane Casey will likely make him the primary scoring option with Grant out and evidence that logic is on point was his 26 point effort versus the Nets on Sunday. With that, he’s climbed to the top of the rookie leader board for points per game.
More impressively he’s shooting better now although his turnovers remain an issue. There is no denying he checks off multiple boxes but he’s not (yet) impacting winning.
Rookie category rankings:
- Points: 15.8 – first
- Turnovers: 3.9 – first
- 3-pointers made: 2.3 (7.2 attempts) – first
- Assists: 4.6 – second
- Steals: 1.5 – first
- Field Goals Made: 5.8 – second
- Minutes per game: 32.1 – third
- Rebounds: 6.2 – fourth
- Blocks: 0.6 – three-way tie for sixth
- Offensive rebounds: 1.0 – tenth
- Triple-Doubles – one
- Double-doubles – four
- Field goal percent: 38.2%
- 3-point field goal percent: 32.2%
Detroit played four games in week eight with CC averaging 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds (1.3 offensive), 4.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, 4.5, and turnovers.
His shooting splits improved to 41.8 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the perimeter with Cade attempting an average of 7.8 deep balls.
Grant’s injury while not ideal works to CC’s benefit because he’ll get ample run and exposure now. That experience will pay dividends and likely pad all his stats. Similar to what I mentioned last week about Barnes if the Raptors decide to tank his numbers would explode.
Although Cunningham is feeling more comfortable we’ll need to keep an eye on whether he can consistently shoot at the levels he displayed in week eight. He’s taking almost 20 shots per game (19.8) which confirms his new position but he’ll need to get his teammates more involved for the Pistons to start winning games.
Most concerning is only Saddiq Bey is taking double-figure shot attempts other than him (with both Grant and Kelly Olynyk out).
That’s why Cunningham doesn’t knock the top two off their perch on the ladder because they ARE impacting winning. Instead, the Pistons have lost 12 matches in a row.