17-Year NBA Vet Picks Multiple Young Guards Over Pistons Star

Cade Cunningham or some other young star? Lou Williams makes his picks.

Mar 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (13) during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

With the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoff picture this year, Cade Cunningham is being talked about more than ever. After earning his first All-Star nod this season, Cunningham has established himself as one of the NBA’s top young guards.

How many young stars would a former 17-year NBA veteran like Lou Williams take over Cunningham? Quite a few, but Williams admitted that playing a “Cunningham or him” game was not as easy as it seemed.

Presented with six names, Williams went against Cunningham all but two times. The two guards he took Cunningham over were San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox and Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball.

Mar 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots against LA Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (10) during the third quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images | Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

As for the players Williams took over Cade, some are not really shocking. Currently, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is competing with Denver’s Nikola Jokic for the MVP award. Not many are playing better than SGA this season.

Then, there’s Luka Doncic, who recently packed up from Dallas to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Although the Mavs cut ties with Doncic, the rest of the NBA couldn’t believe their decision as he remains a dominant playmaker and scorer.

Some of the tougher decisions came for Williams when Ja Morant, Trae Young, and today’s version of Steph Curry were brought up. For Morant, Williams took a hard pause before selecting the high-flying guard out of Memphis. While Trae Young is sometimes a polarizing pick, he’s a multi-time All-Star and could finish the season off as the NBA’s assists champion.

Lou Williams on who he would take over Cade Cunningham

Luka Doncic
Ja Morant
SGA
Trae Young
Steph Curry

Via @RunItBackFDTV pic.twitter.com/w4kDVkKwNO

— Pistons Talk (@Pistons__Talk) March 11, 2025

As for Curry, Cunningham never had a shot. “I don’t care what day of the week it is, give me Steph,” Williams said. Curry might not be at his MVP level, but he’s still up there with the best of them, and legacy matters in this conversation.

While Cunningham still hasn’t surpassed these guys in the former veteran’s eyes, he’s still got plenty of time to change opinions about where he ranks. Considering Cunningham has been overlooked throughout his first few seasons due to the Pistons’ struggles, the 2024-2025 season is the first time Cunningham is getting this kind of attention in his career. He’s shined in the spotlight so far.

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