"He can be what Ben Simmons was supposed to be" - NBA fans react to Cade Cunningham ranking over Austin Reaves on 'underrated' list

The Athletic released the results of its annual poll, and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham came out on top on one list. It asked who the most underrated player in the league was, and out of 136 anonymous voters, the Pistons guard received 8.8% of the votes.

Among the players he beat were Boston Celtics' Derrick White (7.4%), LA Clippers' Norman Powell (4.4%) and LA Lakers' Austin Reaves (3.7%).

Several NBA fans agree that Cunningham is an underrated player. Some are excited about what else he can bring.

"He can be what Ben Simmons was suppose to be," one fan said.

"He should be All-NBA 1st team and he will probably be 3rd so underrated is true tbh," another fan said.

"Cade’s got that hidden talent! Watch out for him!" a fan wrote.

However, others argued that Cunningham does not belong in the list of underrated players.

"We need to redefine what the words “underrated” means," one fan said.

"He was an All-Star lol what are we doing here?" a fan tweeted.

"#1 pick in the draft is underrated?" another fan tweeted.

Cunningham was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He finished third, behind Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley, in the Rookie of the Year voting.

In his first season, he averaged 17.4 points and 5.6 assists, and his numbers have been improving steadily since. During his sophomore year, he put up 19.9 ppg and 6.0 apg. In year three, he had 22.7 ppg and 7.5 apg. This season, he averaged career highs of 26.1 ppg and 9.1 apg.

He also earned his first-ever All-Star nod and is in the running for the Most Improved Player award. The other two finalists are Dyson Daniels and Ivica Zubac.

Cunningham has shown some flashes in the past but has never received much recognition until this season. The likely reason may be due to the Pistons frequently being at the bottom of the standings.

In his first three years in the league, the Pistons went 23-59, 17-65 and 14-68. This season, they improved to 44-38 and are in the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

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Cade Cunningham has shone for the Detroit Pistons in the postseason

The lights of the NBA's postseason might be too bright for some, but not for Cade Cunningham. In the first two postseason games of his career, the Pistons guard has shown why he was an All-Star this year.

In Game 1 against the New York Knicks, he put up 21 points, six rebounds and 12 assists. However, Detroit lost 123-112 after New York went on a 21-0 run in the fourth quarter.

Cunningham ensured that his team would not go down 2-0 as he recorded another double-double in Game 2. He registered 33 points and 12 rebounds, along with three assists and two steals. His contribution was instrumental in securing the 100-94 victory.