Cade Cunningham is back in the Detroit Pistons lineup, but he only has a handful of games left to get ready for the playoffs. At the same time, the team needs to be patient with his comeback. The worst-case scenario is pushing too hard, too fast, and having Cunningham reaggravate his injury somehow. Detroit doesn’t want to go into the playoffs without Cade Cunningham if they don’t have to.
Cade Cunningham Has A Small Window To Get Into Playoff-Shape
While Cunningham’s collapsed lung was a bit of a shock, it actually turned out to be somewhat of a blessing in disguise for the Pistons. It allowed the rest of the roster to show the league how good they are without him. That being said, it still would have been nice to have Cunningham on the court. No one wants to see him injured and out of the game.
Over the past season, there have been a lot of doubters who don’t believe that the Pistons are legitimate contenders. In fact, there are more than a few people who don’t think they’re capable of getting past the first round of the playoffs. Once Cunningham was injured, those projections somehow got even worse.
During the 12-game run while their star player was out with a collapsed lung, Detroit won nine games, which was impressive. They only lost to the Hawks, the Thunder, and the Magic, and two of those games were exceptionally close. It was a great run for a team built for the playoffs.
The Return Of Cunningham
After being on the bench for the better part of a month, Cunningham made his comeback on April 8th against the beleaguered Milwaukee Bucks. Not surprisingly, the Pistons won the game by a score of 137 to 111. Cunningham played a solid 26 minutes, collecting 13 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, one block, and one steal.
Nothing makes a statement like dropping a double-double on an opponent in a return game. That’s what makes Cunningham an All-Star player every time he steps on the court. Even if he’s been on the bench for an extended period of time, Cunningham is still ready to go. He always has that desire to compete as well as everything it takes to succeed.
Still, he has a bit of work to do to get back into form. While Cunningham had a great comeback, he made it in the third-to-last game of the season. That’s a total of three games to find his rhythm before the playoffs get rolling. It’s not a lot of time to make sure Cunningham and his teammates are in sync before the postseason hits.
Getting the Pistons Ready, But Carefully
Cunningham is a professional, without question. That means being the guy who pushes his team to the next level, even if he’s just coming back from an injury. At the same time, any player coming back from an injury has a bit of rust to shake off, and that’s still true for a player of Cunningham’s caliber. Detroit just needs to be careful how they do it.
The worst-case scenario is that Cunningham pushes too hard to be prepared for the playoffs and potentially makes his injury worse. Just because he’s in good enough shape to be back doesn’t mean he’s in perfect shape. All it takes is another accident on the court, like the one that caused the collapsed lung in the first place, and he’s back on the bench.
Sure, the Pistons are still a threat without Cunningham, but their chances are definitely better with him. Right now, it’s about balancing his comeback with injury management. If they walk that line, Detroit will be in a great position for the playoffs.
Featured Image: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
