At 55-21, the Detroit Pistons are just a few wins away from locking up the best record in the Eastern Conference. But with Cade Cunningham’s availability in jeopardy for the remainder of the season, it remains to be seen if the Pistons can secure that elusive 60th victory.
In an update on X, the team revealed the latest status of Cade’s recovery and provided a potential timeline on when we might see him return to action. In short, it’s not what Pistons fans were hoping for, but still far better than what some were expecting.
“Pistons guard Cade Cunningham continues to progress in his return to play process under the supervision of physicians and Pistons medical and performance staff,” wrote the Pistons on Thursday. “He will be re-evaluated in one week.”
The young guard hasn’t played since March 17th, in a 130-117 win over the Wizards, where he dropped six points, two rebounds, zero assists, one steal, and zero blocks in five minutes of action. The issue is a collapsed lung, caused by a collision with Tre Johnson, which can cause complications that linger for weeks. He’s already been engaging in some light activity and is being closely monitored for any signs of discomfort. Unfortunately, he’s still not due back until sometime next week.
Cade, 24, is having a career-year for the Pistons with averages of 24.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.9 assists (career-high), 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game on 46.1% shooting and 34.6% shooting from three. As an elite scorer and premium ball-handler, he does more than score for the Pistons; he runs the show offensively with timely baskets, clean passes, and consistent leadership both on and off the floor.
This season saw Cade make the All-Star team for the second straight year, and his team has never looked better with consistency and dominance on both ends of the floor. Alongside Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris, and Duncan Robinson, there is real hope that the Pistons can make a run to the NBA Finals this year, but it will require everyone to be available.
For Cunningham, this news carries some extra weight, given that it will push him over the NBA’s 65-game minimum threshold. Despite being a prime MVP candidate for months, he’s not going to be eligible now that he’s set to miss at least 18 games. Of course, his concern is more with helping his team win games.
Looking ahead, the soonest Cade could return is next Friday, April 10th, against the Hornets, which counts as the second-to-last game of the season. If he can play by that date, it would give him a reasonable runway to get back into a rhythm for the playoffs, but the Pistons are not going to take any chances.
With so much depending on Cade’s health, the team will not rush him to return if it increases the odds of another setback. Besides, as a squad that’s rich with depth, talent, and versatility at every position, the Pistons can hold their own without Cunningham for now. If they can’t, then it tells us everything we need to know about this team ahead of a very critical postseason.
