Rockets: 2 reasons why Cade Cunningham is worth tanking for

Houston Rockets fans have been divided on whether the best option for the franchise is to simply tank or try to remain competitive. The fanbase has been much more unified on the desire for the Rockets to land a top draft pick, as the Rockets need to add young talent.

Unfortunately, tanking doesn’t guarantee the Rockets a top-four pick, as they don’t have control over their own draft pick this year. As a result of the Chris Paul/Russell Westbrook swap in 2019, the Rockets are only able to retain their draft pick if it lands in the top four.

Otherwise, the Oklahoma City Thunder will maintain the right to swap it with Miami’s first-round pick. And ensuring that the Houston Rockets’ pick falls within the top 4 is not as simple as it seems.

2 reasons why the Houston Rockets should tank for Cade Cunningham

Due to new lottery rules, even the three worst teams in the league only have a 52.1 percent chance of landing in the top four. So even if the Rockets truly bottom out, there is no guarantee that they will retain their pick.

But there is enough doom and gloom associated with the team as it is, so let’s think optimistically and say that hypothetically the Rockets do in fact land in the top four. In that case, they will have a multitude of strong prospects for the choosing.

After all, the 2021 draft class projects to be one of the strongest, at least in terms of high-end talent, in recent memory. Although this year’s class is loaded with talent, Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham stands out, for several reasons.

With that in mind, let’s look at two reasons why Cunningham is worth tanking for.

Next: No. 2

2. Cunningham’s Uncanny Court Vision

When starting any 2021 NBA draft list, the best place to start is always Cade Cunningham. Since the beginning of the college season, the 6’7″ point guard has perpetually held the number one spot on nearly every expert’s big board, and for good reason.

When evaluating Cade’s game, there is not a single glaring hole. His most apparent strength is his ability to be a primary ball handler and facilitator.

He shows flashes of Luka Doncic in the way he hits skip passes to teammates in the corner with pinpoint accuracy. As a passer though, he is most deadly in the pick-and-roll. Cunningham is comfortable making pocket passes to the roll man, no matter how small the space is.

The comparisons to Doncic don’t stop there though. Coming in at 6’7″ (the same height as Luka), Cade is a supersized point guard. He does not exhibit freakish athleticism, but his control over the game and size allows him to manipulate the game to his speed.

He won’t blow by his man, but his size and skill allows him to always get his shot off or make the right play.

Next: No. 1

1. Cunningham’s Ability to be a Two-Way Player

Going into college, if there was one question about Cade’s game, it was his jump shot. However, since coming to Oklahoma State this year, Cunningham has been shooting nearly 44% from three on about five shots per game.

On defense, Cade shows flashes of brilliance. With his excellent size, he is able to guard four out of five positions, and is comfortable playing defense on any area of the court.

With his superb lateral quickness, when he gets into solid position, he can be absolutely smothering on the ball. Whether it be swatting the ball away, getting a hand in the shooters face, or blocking the ball altogether, he can wreak havoc.

He does have a slight tendency to get lazy and not sit down quite low enough on occasion, but that is the case for nearly every player.

If Cade is able to continue to hone his skills on defense, he could end up as an All-Defensive team selection one day.

All of these skills come together to paint the picture of a nearly unassailable prospect. If the Houston Rockets are able to land him with the number one pick, they will be set up for success for the next decade at the very least.