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Cavs’ Evan Mobley drops a spot in Rookie Ladder following absences

By Justin Brownlow

Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images) /
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Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Cade Cunningham is playing great, but does it matter?

It’s fair to say that Cade Cunningham is now playing like a number one overall pick. With a pretty terrible supporting cast around him, opposing defenses have been able to try and lock down Cunningham. However, he’s finding other ways to beat them.

The former Montverde Academy star has 29 assists and 19 rebounds over his last three games, which shows that he’s finding ways to be effective. On top of that, this year he had 375 points, 147 rebounds, and 121 assists through 24 games. Those numbers, are only matched or surpassed by LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Chris Paul, Alvan Adams, and somehow Ben Simmons, as h/t NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner, who writes the Rookie Ladders. Whether those stats were hand-picked or not, Cunningham is finally playing like an elite player in the making.

When I think about how well Cunningham is playing of late, I start to get the feeling that it really won’t matter. The Pistons have won five games this year. You read that right, five games this season. Jerami Grant has been good this season, averaging 18 points per night, but he’s only played in 24 games, one less than Cunningham’s 25. Kelly Olynyk has also been sidelined for most of the season because of injury. He’s only appeared in 10 games for the Pistons.

It’s tough to look at the current Detroit Pistons team, and see future success. Saddiq Bey is averaging 14 points per game this season, but his play has dipped of late. Grant and Cunningham could be a great 1-2 duo, but there’s uncertainty surrounding Grant’s future. It’s possible that he could be traded at or near the deadline, considering that per a report from veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, there’s a “rising belief” he’s dealt by then.

To me, the situation in Detroit with Cunningham is a lot like an NFL team with a rookie quarterback. You throw him out there because you have nothing else, and just hope he doesn’t destroy his confidence. With that being said, the NBA and NFL are very different, but the Pistons would do well to try and find some help for Cunningham.