When Rick Mahorn was an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks, the club asked him to compare draft prospects to former NBA players. Searching for inspiration, Mahorn once asked Isiah Thomas what he saw in an 18-year-old Tracy McGrady when the Raptors -- with Thomas calling the shots -- drafted the future superstar ninth overall in 1997.
"And he said, 'I saw a skilled Scottie Pippen that can shoot,'" Mahorn told the Stoney & Jansen Show. "And I was like, 'OK, I see that.'"
Which brings us to Cade Cunningham. Who does Mahorn see in the next face of the franchise for the Pistons?
"You look at a guy that can play multiple positions on the floor but also can assist, get people involved and also can shoot it -- reminds me a lot of Grant Hill," Mahorn said. "And I’m just using that comparison because when Grant came in this league, it was like, oh, shoot, this guy is about to do his thing like he did at Duke. His potential, his ability to jump, he’s 6’7, 6’8.
"I look at (Cunningham) like that. Could he be Grant? To be in Grant Hill’s company when he wasn’t hurt, that’s a good evaluation of a guy."
Sure is. And Mahorn isn't the first to draw the comparison. NBA Draft analyst and former Detroit Mercy star Rashad Phillips said the same thing the day after the Pistons won the lottery last month.
"When you look at (Cunningham) on tape, his fluidity, his aura, his ability to make everyone around him better, he lifts his surroundings and he carries himself in a manner that we want a franchise player to," said Phillips. "This is a kid that you can build around. He doesn’t take up a lot of space in regard to his character, he doesn’t take a lot of shots. He just plays the game the right way."
Drafted third overall by the Pistons in 1994, Hill won Rookie of the Year and was an All-Star in five of his six seasons in Detroit over which time he averaged 21.6 and 7.9 rebounds. Perhaps a similar track awaits Cunningham, who averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in his lone season at Oklahoma State.
"For me, it just goes back to the flashbacks of Grant Hill," said Phillips. "Anytime you have a kid that’s compared to the likes of a Grant Hill, I just think it’s a no-brainer (pick)."