Pistons’ Cade Cunningham is getting 100% real against fellow NBA draft pick Jalen Green

Recently the rise of Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets comes thanks to the development of their 2021 first-round draft picks, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green.

Both teams have emerged as two of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season. Cunningham shared his assessment Green’s recent performance after Detroit 107-96 win via Houston.

“He’s having a great year. That’s something I expected. I knew he was going to be a big player in high school. I knew he was going to find his footing in the NBA, just like I did,” Cunningham said. “I think we’re just on our paths and I’m not surprised at all.”

Cunningham finished with a shutout in Monday’s game against Greene. The Detroit star finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Houston guard finished with 19 points, four assists and four rebounds.

Cade Cunningham vs. Jaylen Green: A New Rivalry?

The two young stars have been constantly compared since the formation and results of the 2021 NBA Draft. Cunningham was a complete prospect coming out of Oklahoma State with franchise player upside. Green was a hyper-athletic scorer coming out of the NBA G-League Ignite. Their draft selections in Detroit and Houston were the starting point for the reconstruction of their teams.

Green was very open during the rehearsal dinner about the desire prove the pistons wrong to transfer to him. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard campaigned to be the No. 1 draft pick even said he wanted to live in Detroit. Instead, the Pistons decided to move forward with Cunningham as their development selection.

Both players have been impressive throughout their four-year careers. Cunningham is averaging a career high and could be in line for his first NBA All-Star selection this year. Green’s game continues to expand in Houston, and he was recently named Western Conference Player of the Week.

Despite being in the NBA for four seasons, the two young guards played to a 2-2 tie. Injuries limited the number of times they could participate in each competition. Both made their mark in every match with a stat-filling performance or a viral highlight. Featured events are usually tracked heavy trash talkwhich raises the possibility of a growing rivalry between the two.

Green was part of a faster timeline of team success, which helped his professional development. The Rockets have complemented Green well with their roster throughout his career. Their intelligence has lifted the franchise to the second seed in the Western Conference.

Houston put together a successful post-Green draft by adding prospects like Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Taree Eason, Cam Whitmore and more. Their free agency moves have also been beneficial to their growth with the presence of veterans like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet.

Cunningham’s path to victory has been made a little tougher by passive moves from Detroit’s front office during his tenure. Last season’s 14-68 record required a reset for the Pistons with new leadership with the addition of current president of basketball operations Trajan Landon and head coach JB Bickerstaff.

After a three-year 54-192 record, Detroit turned things around this season with a 22-21 record and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Cunningham is at the center of that turnaround, averaging 24.5 points, 9.3 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game. Acquiring veteran talent in Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. made a big difference for young talent in Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Aussar Thompson and the Pistons thrived as a result.