LeBron James’ 41st birthday ended in a 128-106 loss for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Detroit Pistons. Both franchises’ star players, Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham, have now become subjects of the heated debate about who is the better player.
While both star guards are putting up almost identical stats, former NBA player Jeff Teague has chosen Cunningham over Doncic. Arguing about Cunningham’s two-way impact on his “Club520” podcast, Teague said:
“Give me Cade, bro. He actually plays defense. Nobody says that Cade is a cone. This is no disrespect to Luka. I think Luka is one of the greatest offensive talents we ever seen. But it’s just two sides of the ball… It’s too glaring, bro. Like when everybody in the world knows you not gonna stop nobody, that’s kinda f*cked up.”
Teague’s criticism is centered around Doncic’s defensive struggles, reaching a career-worst this summer. Though Luka is still an offensive threat (leading the league with 33.5 points per game), Teague believes Cunningham’s offensive production is close enough that his defensive effort makes him a more attractive player. Teague added:
“Cade can score probably as well as Luka. Luka probably a little better scorer, but it ain’t like just too far apart, where like Cade can’t get 30 a night. He can. I think he can get 30 a night if he really, really tried. He can distribute just as good. He averaged nine assists, too.”
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Although Doncic is having an individually brilliant season, Cade Cunningham excels in his production for the team. The Lakers currently stand with a 20-11 record, fifth in the West. On the other hand, the Pistons lead the Eastern Conference with a 25-8 record.
7x NBA Champion Robert Horry Echoes Jeff Teague’s Opinion
Even seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry agreed with Teague. Horry argued that the MVP ladder should favor two-way players over one-sided players. On his “Big Shot Bob” podcast, Horry said:
“Cade should be higher. Maybe this Luka thing needs to be a bit lower. I’m not hating on Luka. Just when you look at those two other guys (Cade and Victor Wembanyama), they play a bit better defense. When I look at NBA MVPs, I want you to play at both ends of the floor and not just one. The scoring is not gonna win you a championship.” (37:28)
As of now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic remain clear frontrunners in the MVP race. Luka currently holds the No. 3 spot, thanks to his league-leading scoring and high usage for the Lakers. Cade Cunningham hovers around the No. 4 and No. 5 marks and is currently leading the Pistons to one of the best records in the East. And the icing on the cake is that Cunningham is a two-way threat, the most desirable trait for a player in the market.
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