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Minutes after Sunday night’s game between the Detroit Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Las Vegas Summer League, Cade Cunningham caught a corner pass and knocked down an open 3-pointer. A few possessions later, he stopped and hit another dribble triple. With that, the last overall No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft was up and running.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game didn’t go so well for Cunningham. In his debut with the Pistons, he finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks, but only shot 5 of 17 and returned the ball five times. If you just looked at the box score you wouldn’t be that impressed, and it’s true Cunningham didn’t have a good game. He shot the ball badly and turned it over a bit too much.
But, of course, there is always more to the story. The shot numbers are kind of anything. Some games, you’re just going to miss shots, it happens. And even if he was a little loose at times with the ball, the assistance / turnover ratio is quite misleading. He generally did the right pick-and-roll read and made a number of great passes that his teammates gave up or couldn’t convert. Defensively too, he was quite strong. In fact, his most impressive moments came on this side of the ball, including a steal for a breakaway slam and a perfect close on a blocked shot.
Cunningham will be in action again on Tuesday night in a highly anticipated clash against No.2 pick Jalen Green and the Houston Rockets. After a busy first day in the Summer League, here’s how the rest of the top five picks in the 2021 NBA Draft fared. (Jalen Suggs and the Orlando Magic didn’t play.)
Jalen Green – No. 2 overall, Houston Rockets
Green spent last season with Ignite in the G League, so he was already prepared for this level of play. It showed as he recorded 23 points, five rebounds and two assists on 9 of 18 on the field. during his debut with the Rockets. His athleticism and shot were on full display, as he converted impressive workouts and knocked down a number of tough jumpers. He has the ability to score that will make him a favorite for Rookie of the Year.
Many analysts believe Mobley has a chance at being a generational tall man due to his rare combination of skill and versatility at his height. He showed this diversity of skills in his first game with the Cavaliers on Sunday, as he made plays at both ends of the field and finished with 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks. His strong offensive rebound and kick back, in particular, were very impressive.
The Raptors taking Barnes at No.4 were one of the surprises of last month’s draft night, as almost everyone thought they would take on Jalen Suggs. On his debut on Sunday, Barnes did his best to prove to the Raptors that they had made the right decision. Typically he was everywhere and impacted the game on every level. He had 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block for good measure.
The Summer League continues on Monday with eight more games. None of the aforementioned players will be in action, but No.5 pick Jalen Suggs will make his Orlando Magic debut.
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