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Feb 27, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles against Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Imagesthe Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Former NBA Veteran Debates Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 3:59 PM ET

When it comes to the young stars of the NBA, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is in good standing. While the Pistons’ past struggles often overshadowed Cunningham’s progress as an NBA player, it took one solid season for the team to finally put Cunningham on the map.

Over the years, Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball has gained recognition as one of the best up-and-comers in the game. Even Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero was often gaining praise more than Cunningham over the last couple of years.

But former NBA veteran Lou Williams is convinced that of the three, Cunningham has the highest ceiling at this time.

On a recent segment on FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back,’ Williams was asked to rank the ceilings of the three young stars. The Pistons will be happy with the former Sixth Man of the Year’s pick.

“I’m gonna go as the pictures go. I got Cade still having the highest ceiling,” Williams said.

“Paolo was right there, and I gotta cut LaMelo Ball as having the highest ceiling. This was a tough one. All of these guys still got a lot of basketball to be played. A lot of things to accomplish in their careers, but for the most part, I feel like I got a good sense of where LaMelo Ball is in his career and what type of player that he’s going to be. We’re still writing the book on these other guys.”

Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, Lamelo Ball.

Who has the highest ceiling? @TeamLou23 & @ChandlerParsons both agree that’s it’s Cade! Would you agree? pic.twitter.com/IoNT3B7cWa
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 6, 2025

Banchero, a former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke, was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024. Leading up to the 2024-2025 NBA season, his one All-Star game, along with the NBA Rookie of the Year title for 2023, gave the Magic forward a more impressive resume than Cunningham.

After the 2024-2025 NBA season concluded, Cunningham added some more accolades to his list of accomplishments that could compete with Banchero and technically surpass Ball.

In 2025, Cunningham was a first-time All-Star. He also earned an All-NBA Third Team nod to match with his First Team All-Rookie acknowledgment for the 2022 class.

With some young homegrown players making positive strides and the Pistons’ front office adding a handful of well-fitting veterans to the mix, Cunningham took a major step in the right direction. Good health allowed Cunningham to play in over 65 games for the first time in his career.

The young veteran posted averages of 26 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. He shot 47 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.

Cunningham still has a lot to prove during the early stages of his career, but it’s clear that he’s continually gaining support as one of the best of his era.