A generation will grow old, but someone will always be young. The 2021 talent show has come to an end, and a large number of fresh faces have begun to write their own stories. "

In the annual draft, the players elected first overall, no matter what position they play, the vast majority of them have one common feature, that is, unparalleled physical quality. For example, the first pick of the past two years, Zion Williamson and Anthony Edwards, are broad shoulders and thick back, the whole body of muscle mass, play the ball to fly away, let people see that his talent is several levels above the average player.

Cade Cunningham, the expected No. 1 pick in the draft, doesn't seem to have the physical talent to shock. It's rare to see lightning-fast breakthroughs or ground-breaking dunks in his collection.

In terms of hardware conditions, Cunningham is the most prominent height, as a point guard his height reached 2 meters 03, is the current league more popular high point guard. But the league's current two meters or more tall ball handlers, such as Luka Doncic, Ben Simmons, Lamelo Ball, have a good sense of passing, they can convert their height advantage into excellent passing vision. However, assists have always been a weak area for Cunningham, who averaged only 3.5 assists per game during college and only seven assists in three games in the summer league.

So why is such a point guard a no-brainer in a talented draft year?

Because the young man who just turned 19 years old has a comprehensive and no-dead offensive weapon, he is the offensive kaleidoscope of the point guard position.

Unlike those "born scorer", Cunningham was only a traditional pure point guard in middle school, and he was mainly responsible for the ball control organization on the court, and tore the opponent's defense line, and was a pace-setter. He averaged 14+6+4 in his senior season. But just a year into college, Cunningham's skills have improved by leaps and bounds, rapidly growing into one of the top scorers in the college league.

In high school, Cunningham's jump shot was terrible, his hand was unstable, his percentage was poor, and his three-point shot was basically non-existent. But in college, Cunningham not only had a consistent shooting percentage from mid-range, but also a variety of dribbles and feet combined with jump shots. Soon, roll back, stop dry pull, back step three points, Cunningham has been able to skillfully use. In his freshman season, Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 40% from three-point range and becoming an effective perimeter scorer.

We've seen how consistent Cunningham's mid-range shots are. His stop-the-lane three-pointer and fadeaway jumper have become his signature scoring tools.

It is not enough to master so many basketball skills in a short time. Cunningham's progress in the university, the speed of progress, shows that Cunningham has an unparalleled sense of the ball, and top basketball IQ, which is also one of the most valuable talents of the No. 1 draft.

Watching Cunningham's game, you always think that he does not seem to be too eye-catching performance ah, but a look at the data, he has scored 20 points. This is because Cunningham's playing method is more practical, and the impression of a move is not large. Cunningham is 2 meters 3 meters tall and weighs more than 100 kilograms, which is not many point guards can compete with even in the NBA.

So Cunningham doesn't have to shake his opponent down to score, and he doesn't have to run and glide to make a breakaway dunk. He just needs to rely on defenders, use size and strength to overwhelm opponents, use his steady touch to score on their heads, or take the initiative to create free throws for easy points.

In terms of defense, although Cunningham has not been known for defense, but in the NBA, his value on the defensive end may be more than most rookies of the same class. That's because of his size and ability to fight.

Given that Cunningham is only 19 years old, he will likely continue to grow after entering the league, and his height will even exceed some of the fourth positions. Even now, Cunningham doesn't lose by moving to the third spot. Whether Cunningham can be a proper defender in the NBA remains to be seen, but at least it can be said that he won't be a hole in the team's defensive system, as a No. 1 position, won't be a target for opponents to eat.

In the Pistons, how to find his own player positioning is Cunningham's first problem. In fact, Cunningham's current technical characteristics are somewhat awkward in the league. He has been playing point guard, but the ability to carry teammates is not strong. His passing vision and passing awareness have not been top, which has also made him more afraid of attacks.

Cunningham's singles are efficient, but he also relies on off-position attacks. Cunningham's advance speed in the transition attack is not fast, and possession of the ball is not his strong point. So Cunningham is in the No. 1 position and plays a little bit like a small forward.

As the biggest potential player in the Pistons team, the Pistons will definitely hand a lot of ball rights to Cunningham next season, when the No. 1 draft point guard who is neither like a top commander nor like a super breakup should deal with each round, it will be a great test for him.

In the summer league, Cunningham averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. But his weakness of sticking to the ball, fear of pinching, slow dribbling speed, and more turnovers has appeared, and the ability to make free throws is no longer an advantage. So this number one pick will "water drop"?

Since entering high school, Cunningham has never stopped improving. During his senior year and freshman year, Cunningham completed his transformation, learning new skills and strengthening his body. His rapid progress is also one of the reasons why he can be elected number one. Entering the professional arena, he will certainly not stop the pace of progress.

About Cade Cunningham, the media said he was like Luka Doncic, high school coaches said he was like Ben Simmons, Richard Jefferson said Cunningham reminded him of Brandon Roy, and Jalen Rose said he was more like Grant Hill. It seems that the 19-year-old Cunningham has the potential to become any player, he is a different No. 1 draft pick, is a young man to look forward to.