Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether Cade Cunningham wins Rookie of the Year. He should, and he knows it: "I think I made a strong case for it," he said Monday as the Pistons wrapped up the season. "I had some big moments that I feel like will show that I'm the best rookie this year." But it won't change what the first overall pick proved in his first NBA season, that he is every bit the franchise player the Pistons envisioned.
"He’s already a star," veteran teammate Cory Joseph said. "He’s going to be a superstar in this league, sooner than later, for sure. He’s an amazing talent."
How amazing? How bout this: Cunningham just became the 10th rookie in NBA history to average at least 17 points, five assists and five rebounds. The first was Oscar Robertson. The last was Luka Doncic. How bout this: in March, Cunningham became the third rookie in NBA history to average at least 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds over a calendar month. The others were Robertson and Michael Jordan. This is the kind of company Cade's starting to keep.
Doncic was across from Cade in Cunningham's penultimate game of the season. The three-time All-Star racked up 26 points, 14 assists and eight boards for the Mavericks, and Cunningham responded with 25 points, nine assists and seven boards for the Pistons. This was a few days after he lifted Detroit over Joel Embiid, James Harden and the 76ers, a couple days after he went toe to toe with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.
Those guys are superstars. And on those nights, so was Cade.
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"When he steps on the floor, he changes the game for your team," said Kelly Olynyk. "He does so many things and he’s only going to get better. But there are times when you’re watching the game and he has 12 straight points in the 4th against Kyrie and KD in Brooklyn and you’re like, ‘This kid is 20 years old.’ It’s unbelievable to watch. There’s no ceiling for him going forward."
Cunningham can relate to Olynyk. While he always had big dreams in the NBA, he said he "never imagined I was actually going to be on the court with Kevin Durant, going at him and he’s going at me. It’s still surreal." Frank Jackson can relate to Olynyk, too. As he was praising Cunningham's maturity Monday, he paused and asked, "He's only 20, right?"
Jackson shook his head at the confirmation, laughed and said, "These kids are evolving, man. They're all mutants, I swear."
"I was super impressed to see how quickly how he was able to find his niche in the league," Jackson said. "That dude is a baller."
It's Cunningham's maturity, on top of his immense skill, that Troy Weaver and the Pistons were drawn to in the draft. And it was his maturity that allowed him to take on a leadership role in Detroit almost as soon as he arrived. Jackson, 23, said Cunningham's "humbleness" in conjunction with his talent -- indeed, almost in spite of his talent -- makes him "a guy I would want to stick by for as long as I can." (Jackson, who has a $3.15 million club option for next season after averaging a career-high 10.6 points per game, should get at least another year.)
"His maturity is through the roof, on and off the court," said Olynyk. "It’s refreshing to walk in the room and see him in the gym working, getting better, knowing that he wants to be great."
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Leadership wasn't forced upon Cunningham this season. He seized it himself. He commanded more respect in the locker room and on the floor than any rookie Olynyk can recall over his nine years in the NBA.
"Really, he’s the one who has to do it," Olynyk said. "That’s going to be his job. (The veterans) are obviously here to support and give our wisdom and IQ, but this is Cade’s room. And that’s what we need from him as a point guard, as a leader, as a future of Detroit and the Pistons. That’s what he’s gotta do, and he wants to do it."
If Cunningham sputtered out of the gate after missing most of training camp with an ankle injury, he surged down the stretch. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.5 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 20 games after the All-Star break. He had seven games total with at least 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, as many as the rest of the rookie class combined. Joseph, a point guard himself, was continually impressed by Cunningham's smarts and poise with the ball.
"We all know what he can do with the basketball, but he doesn’t get sped up," Joseph said. "Mentally, he’s there every possession, every play. And he wants it, you can tell, in those big moments. He led all rookies in clutch points, and that just goes to show you that he wants to be in those moments. He wants to be great, which he’s going to be.
"He just has that type of cerebral game where he plays beyond his years. He’s strong, and when he gets to that right hand it’s a problem. He knows how to get to where he wants to go on the court. He’s also drawing double-teams a lot, which is helping other guys get open for shots. As he continues to go through this league, he’ll just figure it out more and more because he works on his game endlessly. He’s going to be amazing."