Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey on Tuesday commended rookie Cade Cunningham on the progress he has made since debuting with the team on Oct. 30.
Of course, Cunningham missed the first four games of the season due to an ankle injury suffered in training camp. He was forced to start behind after missing practices and scrimmages and needed a few games to knock off the rust.
However, Cunningham is beginning to show why he was so highly touted.
The No. 1 overall pick has scored in double figures in eight straight games, including four 20-point performances. He is averaging 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and four assists during that span on 44.6% shooting from 3-point range.
Casey and the Pistons knew the shooting would improve after a slow start.
His 3-point shooting has come around, which we expected it coming around pretty quick. I think his feel for the game in certain situations. The passes he is making, the reads he is making have jumped out quicker than most rookies.
There are still areas where he has to continue to get used to that, it’s not something that is a negative but how fast can that closeout get there? Can he block my shot from there? All of those things he has to get a feel for on the fly. … He is coming along at a really good pace as far as his growth and understanding of the league.
Cunningham had a historically tough start shooting the ball this season. Despite those struggles, he continued to look confident on the court and that work is beginning to show as he is slowly developing into a franchise cornerstone.
He leads the rookie class in scoring average (15.8) and 3s per game (2.3) while he is second in field goals (5.8), second in assists (4.6) and fourth in rebounding (6.2). Cunningham also has the only triple-double by a rookie and was the youngest Pistons player to accomplish the feat.
The Pistons knew Cunningham would need a few games to get his feet under him and perform at a high level after missing so much time in training camp. He looks to have completely rebounded from that slow start and is beginning to show why he was a consensus No. 1 pick.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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