NBA rumors: Celtics star reunion in cards, Cunningham beast mode, more

Cade Cunningham goes beast mode in Olympic scrimmage

The Select Team is a selection of younger and “lower-tier” US Olympic athletes that helps the A-team prepare. In the two scrimmages on Friday, the B-team won both.

And in those games, Cade Cunningham was the leader and dominant man for the underdog team that pulled off two important victories.

Team USA coach Steve Kerr downplayed any drama that might come from the Select Team taking down the senior squad, saying that the challenge was necessary and exactly why the team goes up against the Select Team squad in the first place.

Cunningham’s performance was likened to that of Luka Doncic, and may give him the confidence to bring back to the Pistons in 2023-24. USA intentionally put him in that role to simulate what the squad might be up against when they face Slovenia. But it might also give the Pistons hints at how they can best employ Cunningham:

"“On Friday, Cunningham didn’t look like he’d missed a day on the court. Playing a role like the one Luka Doncic will for Slovenia, Cunningham did an admirable job performing like the Dallas Mavericks star beyond being roughly the same size. Kerr said he worked on the role with Select Team coach Jamahl Mosley in order to help the national team prepare for a potential matchup against Doncic in the World Cup.”"

Cunningham’s NBA career has been frustratingly limited by injuries, playing just 12 games in 2022-23 before ending his season due to a stress fracture in his leg.

While Cunningham told the media he feels great, Kerr also added that Cunningham looks healthy:

"“Cade looked great,” Kerr said. “The injury is clearly behind him. It’s just great to see him healthy, and he’s a guy who can really control a game from that point guard spot with his size and physicality, and it’s good to see him looking so healthy.”"

For NBA and in particular Pistons fans, this is great news to hear as they look for the first-overall pick in 2021 to get his career on the move in Detroit.

Team USA is clearly well-prepped for the FIBA World Cup, having gone up against one of the best young talents in the world in Cunningham. We’ll see exactly how well that prep holds up if the team ends up facing Slovenia and Doncic.