On Saturday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against the Detroit Pistons, and all eyes will be on Cade Cunningham, the rising star of Detroit. Adding to the intrigue, Thunder guard Alex Caruso recently compared Cade Cunningham’s skill set to that of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, drawing attention to Cade’s growing reputation in the league.
While many consider Doncic a top-five talent in the NBA, Caruso was careful to frame the comparison as more of a stylistic observation than a direct equivalence. Still, Caruso sees flashes of Luka’s game in the Pistons’ All-Star guard, who continues to emerge as Detroit’s franchise player.
“I don’t want to throw out too many comparisons, but just with his size and skill set, he’s got a little bit of Luka [Doncic],” Caruso said, via The Thunder media availability. “Obviously, Luka’s a very special, unique player. He’s got six First Teams or five First Teams in his first however many years in the league. That’s a high standard, but he’s got a little bit of that. Big guard, main handler, can shoot, can post up, good at drawing fouls; he kind of plays in the midrange, too. He’s got a little bit of everything.”
Caruso has seen Cunningham up close
Having previously played for the Chicago Bulls, Caruso got a firsthand look at Cunningham when defending him in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division, making his insights particularly valuable.
Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons during the 3-Point Contest as part of the 2025 All-Star Weekend.
“His pace has really slowed down. I saw it last year a little bit, playing against him in his first year,” Caruso said. “Then, last year, he’s a big guard. He’s like 6-foot-7, probably 200-something pounds. He gets you on your hip and then gets to that 10-foot floater. He can post up smaller guys. And this year, he’s shooting the three-ball well, which I think really complements his game.”
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Key differences between Cunningham and Doncic
Despite the stylistic similarities, Cunningham still has work to do to reach Luka Doncic’s elite level. From the moment Doncic entered the league, he established himself as a dominant scorer and playmaker, making an immediate impact and earning multiple All-NBA First Team selections.
Cunningham, meanwhile, has shown flashes of brilliance but has been slowed by injuries and the challenges of playing for a rebuilding team. Unlike Doncic, who took the NBA by storm as a rookie, Cade is still in the process of developing into a fully-fledged superstar.
Can Cunningham reach Luka’s level?
Caruso’s comparison may hint at Cunningham’s potential, but closing the gap with a generational talent like Doncic will require time, growth, and the right support around him. If Detroit can continue building a stronger roster and Cade remains healthy, there’s little doubt he has the tools to become one of the league’s premier players.
The bigger question is whether Cunningham can take that next leap — and whether he can lead the Pistons back to NBA relevance in the years to come. For now, all eyes will be on Cade Cunningham Saturday night as he takes the court against a surging Thunder team — and perhaps offers another glimpse of the star he may yet become.
