Potential No. 1 Pick Cade Cunningham Has 'Quarterback Mentality'

The Detroit Pistons are likely going to add a foundational piece to the roster, as they have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Get ready, Detroit. 

Despite all the posturing that will surely take place just before the start of the NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons are the odds-on-favorite to land Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall selection. 

Despite being on the verge of a long and promising NBA career, it was actually football that was Cunningham's first love, as his father Keith was a standout high school quarterback in Texas, before a freak accident cut his career short. 

In a recent profile featured in The Ringer, Cunningham has clearly demonstrated a "quarterback mentality" out on the basketball court.

"Keith’s quarterback mentality lived on, however, through Cade. When Cade transferred to Montverde for his junior year, his presence was what opened the coaching staff’s eyes," Danny Chau wrote.  

Rae Miller, Montverde Academy’s associate head coach, raved about Cunningham's communication and his leadership skills. 

"His ability to really galvanize his group, no matter what the score was, no matter what the situation was, he was always the leader,” Miller said in the profile piece.

Pistons general manager Troy Weaver told SiriusXM NBA Radio last month, "He's a big time competitor, and that's what we are looking for here in Detroit. A big-time competitor that is selfless, and he embodies that. You can talk about skill level, but I like the intangibles that he brings to the game."

The 2021 NBA Draft is set to take place Thursday, July 29, at 8 p.m. from the Barclays Center.

“He's a big time competitor and that's what we are looking for here in Detroit.”

The @DetroitPistons have the first pick in this year's draft & GM Troy Weaver tells @RickKamlaSports & @badboyhorn44 how he feels about Cade Cunningham as the potential number one pick. #DetroitUp pic.twitter.com/nuJqRgJp7v

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 25, 2021

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