The 2021 NBA draft is shaping up to be one of the best of the past decade. At least five players from the class have already cemented themselves as future All-Stars and many more have become excellent role players. Out of that large pool of talent, two guys have emerged as the main headliners: Cade Cunningham and Franz Wagner. Both have been playing out of their minds so far in 2024-25, and as a result, debates have started up surrounding the subject of the best player from the 2021 draft. So, who is really better, Cunningham or Wagner? Let’s try to answer that burning question. I’ll make a case for both young stars and give a verdict at the end.
Cade Cunningham
The nearly consensus first overall pick of the draft has not disappointed so far in his career. Through four years, Cunningham has continuously gotten better and better and is now on All-NBA trajectory. He’s given Pistons fans something to be excited about, a shining bit of hope that didn’t exist during the dark Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson days. This current season has been Cade’s best yet; he’s putting up career-best averages in multiple categories and spearheading what has been a surprisingly competitive Pistons squad.
The biggest reason Cunningham has been able to elevate the Pistons is that he’s a playmaker in every sense of the word. A true floor general, the Oklahoma State product is incredibly unselfish and knows exactly how to set up his teammates for success. He’s top 10 in the NBA in assists per game right now. His passing arsenal is deep— he can dish out anything from pinpoint lobs to killer kickouts. There is no fear in Cade’s heart when he’s slinging the rock around. As Detroit’s primary (and pretty much only) offensive threat, he warrants a crushing amount of defensive attention, but he’s very capable of disregarding it and getting his teammates open with the gravity he possesses. He can undeniably be the engine of an offense, and that fact has been made crystal clear this season now that he’s surrounded with more competent shooters and finishers than ever before.
Cunningham isn’t just a passer, though. He’s a phenomenal shotmaker and a guy you can lean on to get buckets night in and night out. Few players, especially in the modern age, are more lethal mid-range assassins than him. He’s patient and confident in getting to his spots and knocking down pullup jumper after pullup jumper. This season, empowered by the newfound spacing around him, he’s been better than ever from three, too. Simply put, Cade is a bonafide offensive star.
Beyond the flashy stuff, the former top pick has shown he’s very willing to do the little things it takes to win games. He’s made some huge defensive plays this year, displaying a knack for delivering clutch chasedown blocks. He rebounds the ball very well, especially defensively, and is on triple-double watch nightly as a result. Overall, Cade is the type of guy you want to build a franchise around.
Franz Wagner
While he received much less draft night hype than Cunningham and others, it took no time for Franz Wagner to prove he should have been picked higher than eighth. He’s been a damn good player since day one— he finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting and ranked 87th on the Bench Mob Blog’s Top 100 list in 2022. He has since lived in the shadow of his teammate Paolo Banchero, but with the All-Star injured for a long period of time this year, Wagner has been able to show why he too is one of the league’s best young players.
The name of Wagner’s game is versatility. There isn’t one thing on the court that the German native can’t do. To be a star, though, you need to do at least one thing at a star level, and for Franz it’s finishing. He’s been an elite slasher since he was a rookie and he’s only blossomed more over time. Wagner has the touch and craft to lay it up in a myriad of ways and the strength and dawg to drive into his opponents’ chests and get to the line. Because he’s so effective scoring in the paint, he forces defenses to collapse, and he is a fantastic passer in his own right who always finds the shooters left open when defenders slide in to help. His playmaking ability has been the catalyst for the superstar performances he’s delivered in Banchero’s absence.
Three-point shooting has long been Wagner’s most glaring area for growth, especially in 2023-24 where he shot just 28.4% from outside. The Magic are notoriously a below-average offensive team that has struggled mightily with perimeter scoring in a league where shooting is the key to success. It was clear Wagner needed to improve, and he has answered the call. While still somewhat inconsistent, the Michigan product is knocking down triples with confidence and filling up the scoring column from all three levels this season. His overall offensive well-roundedness makes him an extremely tough cover and a legitimate number one option on O.
Where Franz separates himself from his peers is on defense. Orlando has built its identity on that end and their rad Robin has been instrumental in upholding one of the sport’s best securities. He’s a stoic wing stopper who can cover every position and he knows where to be both on and off the ball. It’s tough to be a real two-way player when you exert so much energy on offense but Wagner makes it look easy.
Throughout last season, Magic fans and other hoops nerds tried to make the argument that Wagner was Orlando’s true best player. While the way Paolo Banchero played before his injury suggests those claims were premature, one thing is for sure, and that’s that Franz Wagner is going to be in All-Star conversations for the next decade. He’s made this evident through the way he’s played since becoming the guy, willing his team to win after win.
The Verdict
Both Cade Cunningham and Franz Wagner have established themselves as future all-league talents. They are each having career years, making cases to become first-time All-Stars while leading their teams to new heights. But, who is better? Right now, it’s Wagner. He’s taking the NBA world by storm and has shown no signs of slowing down. Don’t count Cunningham out yet, though. Both guys are special and their stories are far from finished. Once they hit their primes, they will be two of the best players in basketball for a long, long time.
The Bench Mob Blog 