When it comes to young NBA stars, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is recognized as one of the league’s future superstars. The same can be said for Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
As young stars emerge in the social media and podcast era, their names tend to spark debate. Who’s better than who? In this case, former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague, recently discussed Cade Cunningham versus LaMelo Ball.
With Cunningham earning his first NBA All-Star nod this past week, Teague is confident that Cunningham is proving to be above Ball at this time.
“[LaMelo Ball] is not better than Cade Cunningham. On my Momma, I love LaMelo, but he’s not better than Cade Cunningham,†Teague claimed.
Why Cunningham over Ball? It’s not the player stats. It’s the fact that Cunningham is helping the Pistons put together a potential playoff run while coming off of a season where the Pistons held the NBA’s worst record.
“You are exciting, and you’re greatâ€"but can you make your team a winner? Cade Cunningham, we’ve been saying, how long have we been saying Detroit sucks? We were talking about Killian Hayes last year â€| They done had draft pick after draft pick. Now, Cade Cunningham has come into his own. [The Pistons] are damn near in the playoff hunt. They might be like sixth in the East,†Teague finished.
The former third-overall pick has played for a Hornets team that often finds itself on the outside looking in at the postseason. Ball’s only postseason experience came in 2021 and 2022 when the Hornets participated in one Play-In game.
For now, Ball has that advantage over Cunningham, but the Pistons are clearly on the path to postseason contention. After a big win against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, the Pistons sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 25-24 record.
Meanwhile, the Hornets place just above the Washington Wizards, 14th in the East. The two young veterans have plenty of time to change the outlook, but for now, Teague is rolling with Cunningham in that debate.
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