Latest news with #CadeCunningham
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee's Chaz Lanier Predicted to Join $269 Million Star in NBA Mock Draft
Tennessee's Chaz Lanier Predicted to Join $269 Million Star in NBA Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tennessee Volunteers leading scorer from the 2024-25 men's basketball roster didn't hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. But he is expected to come off the board in the second. Advertisement ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo projected it to be early in the second round. In a 2025 NBA second-round mock draft, ESPN predicted Volunteers shooting guard Chaz Lanier to land with point guard Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons at No. 37 overall, or seventh in the second round. "A true late bloomer who averaged 3.7 points per game over his first three collegiate seasons, Lanier turned a corner with his jumper as an upperclassman to complement his solid size, frame and 6-foot-9 wingspan," Givony wrote. "He is not much of a ball handler and will need to use his tools better defensively, but he has a clear niche to fill with the way he can space the floor and shoot off screens." Tennessee Volunteers shoot guard Chaz Lanier© David Banks-Imagn Images Lanier led the Volunteers in scoring last season with 18 points per game. The shooting guard shot 43.1%, including 39.5% from the 3-point line. Advertisement Lanier also averaged 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals per contest. Behind those efforts, Tennessee advanced to the Elite Eight. Lanier played one season for the Volunteers. During his first four college seasons, he played for the North Florida Ospreys. As Givony explained, Lanier was a "true late bloomer." The guard didn't earn a regular starting role at North Florida until 2023-24. In his last two college seasons, Lanier averaged 18.8 points per game while shooting 46.4%. In Detroit, Lanier could play significant minutes next to Cunningham, who signed a five-year, $269 million extension with the Pistons. Cunningham isn't eligible for free agency until 2030. Advertisement The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft begins at 8 pm ET on Thursday. Related: Tennessee Gets Strong Message From Coveted Five-Star This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Pistons player evaluation: Draft pick Chaz Lanier's strengths and weaknesses
When a 5-feet-6 Chaz Lanier began his freshman year of high school at Ensworth in Nashville, Tenn., hearing his name called during the NBA Draft may have seemed far-fetched. But for a now 6-feet-4 Lanier, who watched the draft surrounded by family, that was his reality when the Detroit Pistons selected him at No. 37 Thursday. Advertisement Lanier, 23, recently concluded a five-year collegiate career in which he shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range. He led the Volunteers in scoring and made 59 more triples than any of his teammates in his only season at Tennessee. So, who is Lanier as a player, and how can he contribute to a Pistons team seeking more playoff success than they had last season? Let's break down some of his film from Tennessee to find out. Lanier's most obvious asset is his ability to knock down long-range shots. He shot 41.5 percent from 3 on 7.9 attempts over his last two seasons, one at North Florida and the other with the Volunteers. Apart from the impressive numbers, the variance in 3s Lanier took last season was impressive. He was effective moving without the ball, and Tennessee ran him off plenty of off-ball screens that led to catch-and-shoot triples. His comfort level in off-ball actions to find open shots could make him valuable alongside Detroit's cornerstone in Cade Cunningham. Although Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said Thursday that Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr., two proven 3-point shooters entering free agency, didn't factor into Detroit's decision to draft Lanier, he offers insurance on a role similar to Beasley and Hardaway's. Lanier has also shown he's capable of making 3s off the dribble as well. He doesn't have the greatest handle, but it's sufficient enough for him to get to his spots and connect on triples off the dribble. Although he was Tennessee's primary scorer that opposing defenses would consistently game plan for, Lanier had 15 games with at least four made 3s last season. His season-high came in a Feb. 22 win over Texas Tech, when he went 8 of 13 from long range to score 30 points. Lanier is no stranger to deep 3s as well, so there shouldn't be much difficulty for him to adjust to the NBA 3-point line. Advertisement Given how coveted consistent 3-point shooters are in the league, Lanier could potentially carve out a niche role that earns him rotational minutes solely based on his jumper. It's tough to gauge if he'll have that opportunity, considering the Pistons could either retain or acquire new, elite 3-point shooters. While Lanier has rightfully earned the title of a 3-point shooter, he occasionally showed signs of being able to create his shot as well. In addition to his handle allowing him to create space, Lanier used his body and balance well at the collegiate level to aid in the process. To be clear, this isn't exactly a consistent strength yet, but more an area he showed signs of being able to build on at the next level. Lanier is listed at 6-5 in shoes and 207 pounds with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, and he gets good elevation on his jumper. His strength and overall frame, coupled with his high release point, make him a rather effective midrange shooter as well. Defenders often closed out hard on Lanier, giving him opportunities to pumpfake and get to his midrange spots — even if he had a defender on his hip. Certified bucket on the way#DetroitBasketball | @Swaggychaz — Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) June 27, 2025 His athleticism seems limited, so it remains to be seen if Lanier will be capable of creating for himself off the dribble with the Pistons the way he did against college players at Tennessee. It is, however, encouraging that Lanier displayed a knack for doing so with the Vols. Lanier has a good overall feel for the game that shines through in his shot creation, which could potentially translate to the NBA level. For all of the tools Lanier possesses when it comes to shooting, defending in the NBA could come with quite a learning curve. He has decent height and weight with a solid wingspan, but he doesn't have the best lateral quickness and can look stiff at times. Advertisement During his four years at North Florida, Lanier had a minus-1.2 defensive box plus-minus. The stat tracks how much a player is estimated to contribute defensively to their team's point differential per 100 possessions. Lanier's defensive box jumped to 2.7 in his season at Tennessee, which could have had more to do with the overall dominance of the Volunteers. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes 'benched' Lanier during the Vols' Jan. 11 win over Texas, although he still logged 34 minutes. Barnes was more upset that Lanier didn't take a shot on a play designed for him, but something Barnes said postgame stuck out as to why Lanier could have trouble defensively in the NBA. 'Texas did a great job guarding him, and I thought his teammates did enough to get him separation to be effective,' Barnes said. 'But he's got to learn to get his hips twisted so he can get downhill quicker.' Barnes recognized Lanier had issues twisting his hips to get downhill against collegiate defenders, albeit in the SEC. If Lanier has already shown he's had difficulty twisting his hips to get past Texas defenders, twisting his hips to defend NBA athletes could become a problem. What works in Lanier's favor here is that he is now surrounded by world-class NBA trainers who can potentially help him improve his lateral quickness, twist his hips with more quickness and build on his overall athleticism. Lanier has averaged 2.7 assists per game while in college, but playmaking hasn't seemed to be a strong suit. And frankly, it may never need to be. Lanier certainly wasn't drafted by Detroit to be a facilitator; it's just one area he can seek to improve as he expands his game. If Lanier can become a knockdown shooter, he can then create advantages by attacking closeouts and potentially finding teammates for open layups or shots.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pistons Named Best Fit for Timberwolves' Free Agent Big Man
Pistons Named Best Fit for Timberwolves' Free Agent Big Man originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After seeing what Cade Cunningham did in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons now understand the value of putting spacing around their rising superstar. Their desire for more has been noted by insiders across the league. Advertisement Marc Stein reported a while back: "The Pistons are among the teams with interest in [Minnesota] Timberwolves big man [Naz] Reid, league sources is known to covet a floor-spacing big man and, according to sources, is likewise said to hold interest in Indiana's Myles Turner." Stein is not the only man who believes there is a natural fit between the Timberwolves center and the Pistons. Bobby Marks of ESPN thought the same was true. Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Osentowski-USA TODAY Sports Marks tried to play matchmaker in his latest write-up for ESPN. The well-respected writer had the Pistons as one of the two best fits, alongside the Timberwolves, for the versatile big. Advertisement Marks projected Reid's next deal to be around three years, $57 million. The last year of the new contract includes a player option. "Because of the Timberwolves' finances and the majority of other teams with no more than $14.1 million to spend in free agency, Reid's next contract is difficult to project despite the former Sixth Man of the Year having his best season," Marks noted. He continued, "By declining the $15 million player option and signing a three-year, $57 million contract with the Timberwolves or a team that has cap space, Reid gets a slight increase in salary. More importantly, he has the option to extend or become a free agent in 2027." Marks explained how the Pistons can easily get themselves into the mix here. There would, however, be a price to pay for that. Advertisement "The Pistons, meanwhile, could create up to $17 million in cap space (or possibly more with a trade) but at the expense of free agents Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder and Malik Beasley," Marks concluded. If Detroit is hell-bent on spacing the floor at the five spot, Reid is a great candidate to do that. However, to Marks' point, that will not come without sacrifice. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jaden Ivey's strengths and weaknesses: Detroit Pistons player evaluations
A major crux of the Detroit Pistons' offseason plans is gauging what type of player Jaden Ivey can become. He started all but one of the games he played during his rookie season, then averaged fewer points, assists, rebounds, steals and minutes the following year in a role that fluctuated and left questions about his potential and fit. Advertisement In the 30 games Ivey played before fracturing his left fibula in 2024-25, he began answering questions with his play. The 23-year-old was on pace for career bests in points, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and rebounds. The game was seemingly beginning to slow for Ivey, as he was playing with better pace to provide more offensive impact. His 3-point shooting, at 40.9 percent on 154 total attempts, was one area that improved, helping to make Detroit more dynamic. Although Ivey has a much smaller sample from 2024-25 than the rest of his teammates, let's look at where he was best and which areas of his game he can fine-tune. Similar to his backcourt running mate, Cade Cunningham, Ivey's highest percentage from behind the arc comes on catch-and-shoot 3s. Slotting Ivey back in along with Cunningham should immediately create more spacing for Cunningham, assuming Ivey can remain around 45.2 percent on catch-and-shoot triples. Opposing defenses would be forced to stay more attached to Ivey, which should allow Cunningham more room to create for himself and others. Although Cunningham shot significantly more, Ivey is a better 3-point shooter off the dribble. Ivey became more comfortable coming off screens and drilling 3s when defenders were in drop coverage. Given Ivey's speed, his 3-point shooting progression could eventually open his offensive game beyond what we have seen from him so far. Scoring downhill has been a skill for Ivey since before even making the NBA. But his knack for aggressively attacking the rim has only progressed. He converted roughly 60 percent of his attempts in the restricted area, and his simply getting into the restricted area can lead to spray 3s for his teammates. Opposing players are often cautious with closing out too closely because of Ivey's ability to blow by defenders. If his jumper continues to improve, defenders will be forced to decide between properly closing out and potentially being blown by or giving cushion and then perhaps giving up an easier look at a triple. Advertisement No matter how proficient Ivey becomes behind the arc, his instinctual downhill scoring capability will always keep defenders on their toes. During the early stages of Ivey's career, like most young players who have relied on their speed for the majority of their lives, it seemed as if he had only one speed. Though moving fast in the NBA has its advantages, there's a need for changes of pace. Ivey's speed last season almost seemed more potent than the prior two because he implemented more pace and learned how to slow down. Ivey's developing patience was obvious in pick-and-roll situations. Rather than barreling around screens at top speed looking to get to the rim or create for others, Ivey has become more nuanced in how he approaches pick-and-roll actions. Getting defenders on your hip in pick-and-rolls as the ballhandler, as Ivey did against Jared McCain, allowed Isaiah Stewart to roll and forced Andre Drummond to be on his heels as Ivey scooped in for a lefty layup. These plays still aren't consistent from Ivey, but look for the Pistons to put him in more pick-and-roll situations to encourage more growth in that department. There are clear limitations to Ivey's becoming a playmaker, given Cunningham averaged the second-most assists in the league last season. That said, the only time Ivey has averaged more than 4.0 assists per game was during his rookie season, when he was good for a career-best 5.2. Dating back to Ivey's days at Purdue, facilitating was never his strong suit. His career best in two seasons at the university was his sophomore year, when he averaged 3.2. Although Ivey has been gradually adding more pace and nuance to his game, there are still times when he can move a bit too fast, become out of control and create unforced errors. If Ivey can continue evolving as a better overall scorer, his assist numbers should naturally begin to increase as he draws more attention from defenses. Ivey could also alleviate Cunningham of some playmaking duties to allow Cunningham to further expand on his offensive game. Although Ivey's defensive rating was a career best, given his athletic gifts, it's simply not enough. He possesses all the physical tools necessary to be a high-level perimeter defender. In the majority of his matchups, Ivey is quicker and faster than the players he guards. The Purdue product is 6 feet 4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, which allows him to play the passing lanes well. This isn't to say Ivey is Detroit's worst defender, but there is potential for Ivey to be so much more defensively. He has a quick-twitch type of athleticism that not many of his peers do. It's time Ivey takes a leap on the defensive side, similar to the one he took offensively last season.
New York Times
16-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cade Cunningham's strengths and weaknesses: Detroit Pistons player evaluations
Cade Cunningham is roughly a month and a half removed from his best professional season. He posted career-high numbers across the board in 2024-25, was an All-Star, made an All-NBA team and had 10 total triple-doubles, including the postseason. Behind the accolades Cunningham racked up last season was the growth of his game in a multitude of ways. Let's examine what led to this level of production. And, in the name of offseason improvement, let's identify areas of Cunningham's game he can ameliorate. Advertisement • 50-of-84 (59.5 percent) on hook shots • 36-of-73 (49.3 percent) on fadeaway jumpers inside the 3-point line • 17-of-33 (51.5 percent) on non-layup bank shots • 16-of-27 (59.3 percent) on turnaround fadeaways I've written many times about Cunningham's effectiveness in the post and midrange, and these regular-season numbers drive home that point. He's listed at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and takes advantage of size disparities he faces against other guards who are matched up against him. Cade Cunningham jump hook — Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 12, 2025 By now, Cunningham and Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff are aware of the advantages when Cunningham operates out of the post. He often forces double-teams, which inevitably frees his teammates up for opportunities to create for themselves and others. When defenses don't converge, Cunningham, as shown above, has a knack for finding ways to score, whether it's hook shots, fadeaways or turnarounds. The more Detroit explores actions with Cunningham as the focal point from the post, the better. Look for Bickerstaff to build on this growing area of effectiveness and comfort for their franchise cornerstone. • 39.2 percent on 2.1 attempts per game Cunningham had his best season shooting from long range on his highest volume. While 35.6 percent overall is respectable for a lead guard, he was even better in catch-and-shoot situations from behind the arc. Catch-and-shoot 3s are more difficult for Cunningham to get a healthy diet of because of his role on this squad. He's usually initiating offense for Detroit, looking to find others in a position to score. Depending on how Jaden Ivey progresses as a playmaker, the Pistons could look to increase the volume of catch-and-shoot looks for Cunningham to see how much more his 3-point shooting can improve. Advertisement • Fifth in blocks per game for guards (0.8) Cunningham has averaged 0.6 blocks per game during his career, so blocking shots isn't a new strength for him. But 53 is his highest total in any season thus far. Cunningham also had a handful of timely, momentum-swinging blocks this season. Cade Cunningham had the game-winning bucket AND the game-winning block in a Pistons win over the Hawks😤 🎥 @SportsCenter — The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) November 9, 2024 While he may not become an All-Defensive team-level defender, he's becoming a formidable player on that side of the ball, particularly getting chase-down blocks or blocks from the weak side. Cunningham has the physical tools to be a successful defender beyond blocking shots, which we'll get to briefly. Of Cunningham's career-best 9.1 assists per game last season, 2.0 came by way of his big man, Jalen Duren. As a result, Cunningham dished a total of 129 assists to Duren. And as flashy as the lobs between the two can be, they seem to generate real jolts of energy for Detroit. Apart from the lobs, Cunningham and Duren have developed chemistry in pick-and-roll situations in general. Duren even began setting what have become known as 'Gortat screens' (in honor of Marcin Gortat) for Cunningham in the lane as the season progressed. The duo can, and likely will, continue exploring the limits of Duren's scoring capability, especially in these actions, moving forward. Duren took 546 field-goal attempts last regular season, with 478 coming less than five feet from the rim. Although it's a small sample size relative to his attempts within five feet, Duren was an efficient 32-of-65 between five and nine feet from the rim. Maybe next season, the Pistons can add a more consistent wrinkle in their offense for Cunningham to seek Duren out just a bit further from the rim to keep defenders honest. Advertisement • Second in the NBA in turnovers (4.4 average per game) behind only Trae Young It's no secret Cunningham must cut down on his turnovers. Although turnovers are inevitable, to a certain extent, because he's a lead guard, Cunningham turned the ball over too much last season. A decent portion of Cunningham's turnovers came as a result of his carelessness rather than defensive pressure. Still, he had a little more than a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. His assists can become even more valuable next season if they aren't being compromised by turnovers and the potential points they can lead to for opposing teams. The more Cunningham continues to tighten his handle and limit his turnovers, the easier life becomes for himself as a scorer and his teammates as he looks to create for them. • Defensive rating: 112.2 While Cunningham's defensive rating was the lowest it's been in his career, he has the physical tools to be a better, more consistent on-ball defender. He's showcased his ability to meet taller opposing players at the summit for blocks. Now, it's time for him to take that next step as a perimeter defender. Cunningham has showcased stretches of playing inspired on-ball defense, but he's yet to do so consistently. His footspeed and lateral quickness don't stand out in a league full of elite athletes, but with his size and athleticism, there's no reason he can't become a better defender overall. From being a better point-of-attack defender to fighting over screens, there's room for Cunningham to improve as an overall defender.
