Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green knows what it takes to win it all. He says Cade Cunningham has it -- and will deliver for the Pistons.
"I’ma say it here first," Green said on the most recent episode of his podcast. "Cade Cunningham will bring a championship back to Detroit. I think he will, I think I see it happening. He got the mentality, he got the talent, he got the demeanor, he got the size, which a lot of people underrate, he got the size to put a team on his shoulders and actually carry it. Cade Cunningham will bring championship basketball, championship rings — at least a ring — back to the Detroit Pistons.
Cunningham has dropped 30-plus in his last three games against Green and the Warriors and has the Pistons positioned to do damage in the Eastern Conference playoffs this spring -- for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Green went on to say that he understands "how important the franchise and the organization and ownership" is to winning championships, and that the Pistons "bringing in Trajan Langdon" last summer as president of basketball operations "is a big deal.
"Trajan is ready to take that next step," said Green. "So, I don’t know when it’s going to be, because I think they still got some fine-tuning of the roster and different stuff that needs to happen over the course of time, but Cade Cunningham will bring a championship back to Detroit."
Former NBA All-Star Baron Davis was a guest on the podcast and said, "I can’t deny that. With his game and what they’re building over there, they got the talent, so look out there for the next five years, we gotta keep a close eye on what’s about to start happening in Detroit."
"One million percent," said Green, who was born and raised in Saginaw. "Shoutout to the city. Motor City, 313, shoutout to my Detroit people."
Green also brought up Cunningham's buzzer-beating game-winner against the Heat last week -- in a game that was broadcast on national TV -- and said that "it was great to see him have that moment. As you know, I’m always rooting for the Detroit Pistons when they ain’t playing against us. So I was happy to see Cade have that moment. That was big-time."
Davis said that Cunningham "has an SGA type of aura," referencing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 26-year-old MVP candidate in his sixth season with the Thunder.
"He’s nice, bro. He’s so nice and poised and mature," said Davis. "If you want to be great, you have to figure out pace, how to dictate pace, and Cade is settling into his flow and into his pace, like Luka Doncic, SGA, Steph (Curry). Everybody has their own kind of pace. (Those guys) look like they’re moving slow, but it’s because you can never get them too fast, too slow, it’s always in their comfort zone. And that’s where Cade Cunningham is right now, man. 6’7, he can shoot the three, big body, get to the bucket. I like his maturity."
"He looks like and feels like he belongs in the position," said Green, "and that’s big time."