Lakers veteran on who will be the NBA's best breakout superstar
In recent months, there has been a lot of talk that the NBA is supposedly in bad shape and putting out a poor product. One reason people feel that way is that LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry are nearing the end of their careers.
People feel there is no young superstar who is fully capable or qualified of being the next face of the league. However, others feel there are a few such players who will make sure the league and its product remain in good hands.
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Los Angeles Lakers big man Markieff Morris just finished his 14th season in the league, and he won an NBA championship with James in 2020. On an episode of ESPN's "Get Up," he was asked which player has the best chance of being the next breakout superstar, and he went with Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons.
'I'm going with Cunningham from Detroit,' said Morris. 'Cade Cunningham from Detroit. He had a great year.
'He led them guys to the playoffs. He took a step every single year. This is his third year. He's going to sign that big contract. I think he's the next guy. The next great point guard—scoring point guard in this league.'
When Cunningham was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he was compared by some to James. While he doesn't have James' freakish athleticism, his size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds had people thinking big when it came to his potential.
He struggled mightily with his shooting in his first two pro seasons. But last season, he showed improvement, and this season, he became, at worst, a borderline superstar.
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He averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists and 6.1 rebounds a game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 35.6% from 3-point range. With some help from an improved supporting cast, he has made the Pistons into a rising playoff-caliber team that everyone respects now.
At age 23, he should still have significant room for improvement moving forward.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers veteran on who will be the NBA's best breakout superstar
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