As losers of two straight games, the Detroit Pistons are struggling right now, and things aren’t getting much easier. Ahead of tonight’s showdown against the Brooklyn Nets, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff announced a new slate of absences that threatens to put the Pistons on their biggest losing streak of the year.
Cade Cunningham (left quadriceps contusion) and Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) have both been ruled out, marking a significant shift in their status from the last game. Meanwhile, Brooklyn will be relatively healthy with only Egor Demin (left plantar fascia injury management) and Drake Powell (G-League assignment) set to miss the contest.
For the Pistons, this game would not normally have been given a second thought, but this one carries a little extra weight given their recent losses. Still, as the first night of a back-to-back, the team isn’t going to rush anyone out to play against a team ranked 14th in the East.
For Cade, while he played 39 minutes against the Spurs, he suffered a left quad contusion in the process, limiting mobility in his leg and causing some discomfort in the area. He’s not expected to be out long, but he’ll need at least a game or two to get back to full strength. In 55 games so far, the 24-year-old star has been dominant with averages of 25.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game on 45.5% shooting from the field and 33.4% shooting from three.
Unfortunately, the situation with Ausar is much more complex. He left Thursday’s game in the first quarter with an ankle sprain and did not return. While an official timetable has not been revealed, the typical recovery time can be anywhere from a few days to multiple weeks. At 23 years old, the defensive-minded swingman is averaging 10.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game on 52.2% shooting and 27.3% shooting from three.
Ultimately, without two starters, the Pistons are going to be facing some serious challenges tonight, but they can still secure a win if the role players step up and provide what’s needed. As it stands, we can expect them to lean more on guys like Jalen Duren, Duncan Robinson, and Tobias Harris to stabilize things on both ends of the floor.
At 45-16 this season, the Pistons have a four-game gap for the first seed, and that means they have some wiggle room before they have to worry about losing their top spot. Still, they are going to be praying for a quick recovery on their injured stars, as a timely return could make the difference between a Game 7 in Boston and home-court advantage all the way through the playoffs.
After this game, the Pistons will play against the Heat in Miami, tomorrow at 3:00 PM EST. They’ll need all hands on deck for that matchup to handle a scrappy Heat squad that’s always tough to beat.
