NBA Writer Makes Underrated Case for Pistons Star Cade Cunningham

Is the Pistons star one of the more underrated players in the league?

Oct 13, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (4) during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images / Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Averaging career-highs in points (22.7) and assists (7.5) last season, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham showed he is on a path towards stardom. Despite this, he found himself with a rather low mark on ESPN's top 100 list.

As the results have started to come out, many fans and analysts have been outraged by Cunningham's placement. Coming in at No. 67, some have started to make a case that he might be one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

Among those whose feels strong about Cunningham being underrated is CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn. He took to social media to state how poor the young guard's conditions have been to prove how impressive his numbers really are.

I wanna plant my flag on “Cade Cunningham is really underrated” Island.

I don’t think people grasp just how shitty his situation is. The Pistons were the only team in the NBA last year to rank 25th or worse in both 3PA and 3P%. He. Has. No. Space. https://t.co/mGlQj1V40x

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) October 15, 2024

What makes Cunningham's 2024 campaign even more impressive is that it was essentially his second year on the court in the NBA. He played just 12 games in 2023 before sustaining an injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season. Thankfully for the Pistons, the former No. 1 pick didn't let it derail his trajectory.

By the time this season is over, Cunningham's ranking could look even more egregious. With all the changes the Pistons made this summer, the 23-year-old has been mentioned a lot as a possible breakout candidate in 2025.

For starters, Detroit brought in a new head coach in JB Bickerstaff. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell were both All-Star-level players during his time with the Cavaliers, so he has a proven track record with promising guards. He'll likely be aiming to get Cunningham in the echelon of players in the near future.

On top of the coaching change, the Pistons have also fixed their spacing issues. Trajan Langdon brought in multiple players who can open up the floor, giving Cunningham more room to operate.

The pieces are in place for Cunningham to get on the fast track towards stardom. If he is able to make the leap, he's surely won't be overlooked in the next top 100 ranking.