Ranking Banchero’s rookie season among the five most recent No. 1 picks

2. Cade Cunningham, 2021 Detroit Pistons

Had it not been for a brutally-timed shin injury that’s kept Cunningham out all season, there may have been some all-star buzz for him in just his second season. He’d improved upon what was a great first campaign in the NBA in many of his statistical categories.

Although he didn’t win Rookie of the Year due to the sterling rookie years of Evan Mobley and winner Scottie Barnes, Cunningham was an offensive engine for an NBA team from the first game he played in Detroit. He was second on the team in scoring, third in rebounding, first in assists, first in steals, and third in blocked shots.

As a jumbo point forward, Cunningham’s versatility on both ends of the floor was immediately apparent and gave Pistons fans many glimpses at their bright future. His command of the game and ability to be a leading scorer on a professional team were too much for fans of the game to ignore:

https://twitter.com/Clapped_Dre/status/1470192949711433731

That’s what makes it such a shame that Cunningham missed virtually the entire season. In his stead, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren have had impactful rookie years, but it would’ve been a blast to watch Cunningham dish passes to them, Bojan Bogdanovic, and the other young big men on Detroit’s roster.

Despite his injury overshadowing his place in the game’s best young player rankings and the fact that he didn’t win rookie of the year, Cunningham showed that he can be a heliocentric offensive star for an NBA team, something that few players show by the end of their rookie contract.