Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green were each ranked on ESPN’s top 100 NBA players list for the 2021-22 season.
The list, which was released on Tuesday, used feedback from their reporters and analysts to rank the players. The first 50 players were unveiled on the initial posting with Cunningham checking in at No. 76 and Green at No. 96 as the two lone rookies on the list.
Cunningham logged three appearances with the Pistons in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He wrapped up his stay after recording his best game with 24 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.
The summary of Cunningham ranking 76th by ESPN:
How will Detroit use him? Cunningham’s versatility, on-court maturity and skill level make him a favorite for Rookie of the Year. Along with his ability to add value from beyond the arc (50% at summer league) and make the right reads offensively, it’s worth watching just how long the Pistons will try to pair him with last year’s top-10 pick Killian Hayes.
On the other hand, Green was named to the all-summer league second team after averaging 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and two assists. He was limited to three games after suffering a hamstring injury but impressed on the court prior to having his run in Las Vegas cut short.
The excerpt on Green sneaking into the top 100:
Given his immense talent and opportunity on a young Rockets team, expect Jalen Green to lead all rookies in scoring and make a strong case for Rookie of the Year, similarly to Anthony Edwards a season ago. Keep an eye on how quickly the explosive 6-foot-6 guard is able to impact winning on both ends, along with his efficiency.
Cunningham and Green project to be the front-runners to win Rookie of the Year and likely why they were the lone two first-year players ranked by ESPN. While they gave Cunningham the edge over Green on this list, they chose Green to win Rookie of the Year over Cunningham.
With training camp set to begin next week, we will soon have a better idea of how some rookies will make the transition to their respective new teams, including Cunningham and Green.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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