The 2020 NBA Draft is in the books and the Detroit Pistons walked away with what some are calling “4 first-round caliber picks.”
That being said, as I always do, I have already started looking towards the future, specifically at the 2021 NBA Draft, where unlike the 2020 draft, there will be a clear-cut No. 1 prospect.
That prospect is freshman SG Cade Cunningham out of Oklahoma State.
Well, guess what? The very first 2021 NBA mock draft I came across just so happens to think the Pistons will have the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 and that they will select Cunningham.
That mock draft comes from CBS Sports and here is what they had to say about the pick.
1. Pistons: Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State)
Cade Cunningham could consistently flirt with triple-doubles in what should be his first and only season at Oklahoma State. If he develops a reliable jumper, the potential for stardom exists.
Here is what SB Nation has to say about Cunningham.
Cunningham feels like the type of player who would be a legitimate No. 1 overall prospect in almost any NBA draft. At 6’6, Cunningham is a big and strong lead guard whose top attribute might be his overall feel for the game. Cunningham doesn’t have outlier, dunk contest-worthy explosiveness, but he can make every read on the floor while scoring efficiently himself. He absolutely dominated the Nike EYBL circuit as a rising senior, posting ridiculous 66 percent true shooting, flashing remarkable passing chops, and forcing his way to the foul line at will. His swing skill will be his three-point shot, but he’s already showing plenty of improvement in that area over the last year.
While the 2020 NBA Draft didn’t have a consensus No. 1 prospect, Cunningham will become that player a year from now even in a class that includes bigger names with more mixtape hype. His game is perfectly suited for the modern NBA, and the team that gets him should have the league’s next foundational young star.
Here are a couple of highlight videos from Cade. As you can see, this kid is going to be special!
That being said, do the Pistons really have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick? I would be surprised if they are that bad.
