Jason Kidd gives high praise to Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham
Ahead of his first matchup of the season versus Dallas, Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham earned high praise from Mavericks head coach and Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.
Cunningham, who missed the first meeting against the Mavericks on Feb. 8, recorded 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot in the 131-113 loss on Wednesday. It was his eighth game of the season with at least 25 points, five assists and five rebounds.
The No. 1 pick is in contention to win Rookie of the Year behind a strong season with the Pistons. Kidd believes it should be Cunningham that wins the award.
He has done an incredible job in his first year. I think he has had some injuries but I think the big thing is to be so young and so talented, it matches this league. He is probably the favorite to win Rookie of the Year but to be able to be a point guard and do the things he has done on a nightly basis is very impressive.
Cunningham, in 63 games, is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals. He currently leads the rookie class in scoring average and is second in assists and third in steals. He was also the youngest player in team history to register a triple-double at 20 years, 57 days.
The Rookie of the Year race projects to be tight this season with several other players in the mix to win, including Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner. But in Kidd’s eyes, it may very well be Cunningham that is the eventual winner.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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