Cunningham looked flat-out brutal in his first few outings, but he’s put up averaged of 18.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in his last three contests. An ankle injury is early limiting him early on, but when Detroit takes the training wheels off, he’ll be ready to make his mark on this team.
Cade Cunningham has already shown an aptitude for initiating offense from the perimeter and navigating his way to the rim due to his size and sharp basketball IQ. Rough start aside, it’s clear that Cunningham is supremely talented, and good things are in store for the Pistons.
NBA Rookie Ladder: Cade Cunningham will improve in 2021-22.
Mitchell’s tenure in Sacramento has been flying under the radar, but he’s already emerged as a high-level on-ball defender in this league. Mitchell is clamping veteran guards in an effort to help turn around a Kings defense that was clearly one of the worst such units in the league last year.
His shooting percentages aren’t the best right now, but considering the veterans that the Kings can lean on, Mitchell doesn’t need to score 20 a night. As long as he continues to get marginally better over the course of the season, Mitchell should be in line for a potential All-Rookie selection.