The Detroit Pistons’ rise has a lot to do with the All-Star emergence of Cade Cunningham. On Friday night, Detroit is looking to keep its hot streak alive, but it will have to battle through setbacks.
Cunningham is among several players dealing with injuries on the Pistons. Suffering a hip injury, which was diagnosed as a contusion earlier this week, Cunningham entered the Friday night matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers as questionable.
Pistons Reveal Cade Cunningham’s Status vs. Sixers
According to the official NBA injury report, the Pistons are going to continue rolling without Cunningham, ruling him out once again. Friday will mark Cunningham’s second absence in a row.
Early on in his career, Cunningham struggled in the health department. As a rookie, he appeared in 64 games for the rebuilding Pistons.
When he looked to make a major second-year jump, the young guard ended up seeing the court for just 12 games. He was sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Year three was impressive for Cunningham, who averaged 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, but the Pistons were the worst team in basketball that season. Therefore, Cunningham’s true value to the team was severely overlooked.
You couldn’t say that about Cunningham last year, though. With better health, he checked in for 70 games, seeing the court for 35 minutes per matchup. Cunningham shot 46 percent from the field and averaged 35 percent from three. He posted averages of 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists.
For the first time in his career, Cunningham was an All-Star with the Pistons and even earned All-NBA honors as a third-teamer. This year, he’s off to another strong start, making a case for his second All-Star appearance as he’s averaging 27.5 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.4 rebounds through his first 11 games.
Staying healthy has been a challenge for a chunk of Cunningham’s career. He’s facing his first difficult scenario with a setback after playing in Detroit’s first 11 games. When the Pistons faced the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Cunningham was ruled out. Even in his absence, the team won its eighth game in a row.
The Pistons will search for their 10th win on Friday night. They are slated for a 7:30 PM ET tip with the 76ers.
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