The Detroit Pistons’ year of tanking has just been reinforced with the news of their star young player being ruled out for the entire season. Cade Cunningham, who the Pistons drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, will not return to the court this season after being ruled out due to shin surgery.
Cunningham was drafted with the hope of saving the Pistons franchise from NBA purgatory and leading them back to contention. While he has shown incredible promise in his short career, this injury will hamper his development further, given he missed 18 games last season as well.
ESPN Sources: Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham – the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft – plans to have season-ending surgery on his left shin. Cunningham is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp in 2023-2024. pic.twitter.com/0OyUkDOtK7
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 12, 2022
Cade only played 12 games this season. During those contests, he averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists on 41.5% shooting from the field. His efficiency could go up, but Cunningham is already proving his utility as a combo guard that can affect various facets of the game.
Is This Good News For The Pistons?
The Detroit Pistons were expected to be at the bottom of the league standings this season anyway. The team isn’t ready to be competitive and they’re better off tanking for a high-lottery pick in the stacked 2023 Draft, giving them a very strong chance at drafting Victor Wembanyama.
The Pistons can develop Killian Hayes further this season, after a tough rookie and sophomore season in the NBA. Hayes has looked good this year and can continue his development without sharing the court with Cade. The Pistons are expected to bottom out this season and come back with a vengeance if they get a good draft pick.
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