Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons and Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets during the 2021 NBA Summer League. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The matchup between Houston’s Jalen Green and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham was must see TV last night with Green tallying up 25 points and Cunningham with 20.
This is the matchup that will evolve into a healthy rivalry for years to come: Cade Cunningham vs. Jalen Green. The rookies put up some serious numbers, but the G-League Ignite alum closed out with a game-high of 25 points to the former Cowboy’s 20.
The Rockets went on to beat the Pistons 111-91, which was probably not the best way to close out for Cunningham, but it doesn’t mean he’s less talented. While we could go on and on with the discourse on who will be more successful, let’s dive into Green’s performance and how it matches up to Cunnningham’s.
Jalen Green put up 25 points, three assists and five rebounds against Cade Cunningham in the Summer League game last night
Green had quite a performance, showing his perimeter prowess, shooting 60 percent from beyond the arc. It’s pretty impressive especially since he had a 23-point game on Sunday. It’s safe to say that he’s a great fit for Houston.
But you can’t rule out the fact that Cunningham had a nearly identical game to Green’s. Both had four turnovers and nearly put up the same points, but “MotorCade” had a more defensive-oriented game for the Pistons. He racked up four boards, three steals and a block, not to mention this:
One could say that Cunningham is the antithesis to Green, but both are well-rounded players who have particular areas of emphasis that will help them flourish in the regular season. Neither is giving “bust-worthy” performances at the moment.