The Dante Cunningham Fan Club

Horrible comparison. Outlaw has about the worst basketball IQ of any player in the NBA. Cunningham is the EXACT opposite - amazing court sense for a rookie.

BNM

 

Could. Not. Agree. MORE. about the only thing those two guys have in common is being slightly undersized for the power forward position, and they both like to shoot jumpers. In terms of court awareness and defense though? There's not much to compare.

 

Simply put. Word.

 

He's got the same last name as me. So getting a jersey just fits right.

 

Dante Cunningham fan page on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dante-Cunningham/187807047043?ref=nf

 

Shorter Jeff Green?

 

Shorter, smarter Cliff Robinson.

 

GREAT comparison. Of course those few inches make all the difference.

 

Cunningham is better than Webster at this point. (How depressing is that, after all the years spent developing Martell, the contract, passing on Chris Paul, the missed season...)

Webster gives you three point shooting (has Dante taken one this year?) but that's about the only advantage he has. I'm far more confident in Cunningham making a 17 footer than Webster making a 3, though, so even there I'm not sure Webster really spaces the floor better.

And the nice thing about Cunningham is that you don't have to have a convergence of perfect circumstances occur to get efficiency out of him. You want him to play 6 minutes? Fine, he'll be productive in 6 minutes. You want to give him 25, he'll be efficient in 25.

He's right there with Aldridge as the best midrange shooter on the team.

 

I am a big fan of bringing in 4 year guys in the late first round and second round. They know how to play so they don't need as much teaching. They are probably not going to be as gifted but the history of the NBA is filled with physically gifted players who just couldn't get it done and were washed out of the league.

The Blairs, Cunninghams and Roys of the world should prove that point but gm's keep trying for the home run instead of 4 singles.

 

I agree with your point, but DeJuan Blair wasn't a 4-year college player. He only played two years of college ball.

And, while I'm picking nits, Brandon Roy wasn't a late first round or second round pick.

Perhaps guys like Aaron Brooks, Jared Dudley, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison, George Hill and Courtney Lee would be better examples of 4-year players selected in the bottom 1/3 of the first round that were able to step in and contribute immediately.

BNM

 

Dante has a 14.9 PER as a 2nd round rookie. Martell, in his 'breakthrough' year, has a 12.7 PER. Incredible when you think about it. Add in the fact that Nic is at a 16.2 and is a better defender, and it could be time to trade Webster while his value is (relatively) high.

 

They're trying, and it isn't! Webster should've been traded after that game when he played all 48 minutes, and just before Batum came back...

Martell would really thrive playing a run-and-gun game with a top PG. He'd experience a Channing Frye-esque career renaissance in Phoenix. Unfortunately I don't think they'd give us Robin Lopez for him...

 

Agreed. Webster's best still beats Dante's best, though (no 25 point quarters for Cunningham). But Webster's best comes along about once a year. They both do a nice line in flying-out-of-nowhere-for-the-block.

 

The block was better than the dunk IMO

 

dante has a 3.5 TALLER standing reach. you dont play basketball with the top of your head. for the win.

dante 8'10.5"
green 8'7"

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?year=2007&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=2

 

Can't get enough of that "Take that you no-defense, prima-donna, so-called all-star sumbich. - Pow! Right in your grill. Try and make me your poster again and next time I won't be so nice." Dunk.

 

A reach nearly 8'11" is impressive. He has the same reach as rebounding monster David Lee.

 

I love a player who makes a monster dunk and doesn't gloat, taunt, pose or act like he's king shit about it. He didn't pound his chest, bark at the bench, or pull his shirt down to show off his nipples. Dante made the play, turned around, ran up the court like it happens every day, and kept playing basketball. It says, yeah, posterizing you ain't no thing, I can do it all day long.

 

Dante's per/36 numbers line up favorably to guys like Carl Landry early in his career, plus he's only 22 years old.

Seems like a steal so far. At the very least, he'll have a career in the NBA somewhere.