The pre-draft process is so often filled with empty-gym shooting, 1-on-0 workouts, polished pro days and most every prospect looking like a lottery pick on social media. But for all the warranted buzz surrounding what could be a historically special 2021 NBA draft, we haven't seen much of Cade Cunningham since he last took the floor March 21 in the NCAA tournament. But just because Cunningham won't be seen jumping 40 inches on Instagram doesn't mean he isn't the clear-cut top prospect in what has been billed as a generational draft.
In 2018, many talent evaluators wondered whether Luka Doncic would simply be a really good starter, as opposed to the all-time great he's on track to become, largely because of his frame and perceived lack of quickness. Even with Cunningham's incredible skill level, maturity and productivity, you get the sense that -- like Luka in 2018 -- not everyone sees him as the type of franchise-changing star he's bound to become.
With that in mind, it's important we shed some light on exactly why Cunningham should absolutely be considered a future star and one of the young faces of the NBA for years to come. The best way to do that is to show you what makes Cunningham -- the NCAA's most efficient isolation scorer -- so difficult to defend, what his go-to moves are and whose NBA moves those most resemble.
