Carmelo Anthony Believes That Cade Cunningham Can Win An NBA Title This Season

When Cade Cunningham entered the NBA in 2021, pundits had huge expectations for the no. 1 overall pick. Now, one scoring legend believes that the time has come for Cunningham to have his crowning moment.

On a recent episode of his “7 PM in Brooklyn” podcast, Carmelo Anthony expressed his belief that Cunningham can lead the Detroit Pistons to the promised land in a few months’ time.

“Bro, they gon’ win a championship this year,” Anthony said. “So far this season, he [Cade] has figured it out.”

Anthony’s praise for Cunningham came about as he and special guest PJ Tucker were discussing the best point guard in the league today. While Melo and PJ gave props to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, and Tyrese Maxey, they had a great deal to say about the Pistons’ franchise player.

“Cade is hitting the switch right now, [and] he will surpass those guys,” Anthony claimed. “[He can] shoot, defend, post, middy…he plays similar to how we played.” Tucker went on to add, “He’s got it now.”

Elite scorers tend to have tremendous respect for one another, and unsurprisingly, Anthony might as well have been describing himself as he enumerated Cunningham’s skill set. Two decades before Cunningham made a name for himself in the NBA, Melo was wowing the world with his unlimited bag of tricks on the low block, in the midrange, and beyond the arc.

It should be noted, of course, that Cunningham has shown more proficiency than the one-time scoring champion in two areas: playmaking and defense. The 6-foot-6 guard’s passing skills and hustle on the defensive end have allowed him to control games in ways that Anthony couldn’t pull off on a consistent basis.

Perhaps the most impressive part about Cunningham’s stellar play is the fact that it has translated into team success. Midway through January, the Pistons (28–10) have maintained their grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference, putting them in a prime position to go on a deep playoff run.

Can Cunningham help the Pistons win an open-ended East and eventually prevail over a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals? If you ask Carmelo Anthony right now, that’s money in the bank.