{"id":182147,"date":"2026-03-18T18:24:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T22:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=182147"},"modified":"2026-03-18T18:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T22:24:33","slug":"cade-cunningham-injury-could-be-hidden-blessing-for-pistons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/03\/18\/cade-cunningham-injury-could-be-hidden-blessing-for-pistons\/","title":{"rendered":"Cade Cunningham’s Injury Could Be Hidden Blessing For Pistons"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Pistons<\/a> find themselves in an interesting position as the season winds down. Following a 130-117 victory over the Washington Wizards, Detroit has won four of its last five games \u2014 but the stretch also comes with renewed injury concerns surrounding Cade Cunningham<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Given the perception of this Pistons roster, any time Cunningham misses action is often viewed as catastrophic. Yet the results suggest otherwise. Detroit is 5-2 without its All-Star guard, and in those games, the team has often shown a collective lift in production.<\/p>\n

Considering the inconsistent play from the roster outside of Cunningham and Jalen Duren<\/a>, this stretch could reveal something important about Detroit\u2019s depth. While injuries are never ideal \u2014 especially this late in the season \u2014 this situation may be forcing the Pistons to discover answers they otherwise wouldn\u2019t have explored. So what exactly is this stretch revealing about Detroit? Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Cade Cunningham’s Injury Could Be Hidden Blessing For Pistons<\/h2>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

Cunningham Injury Forces Jenkins\u2019 Re-Emergence<\/span><\/h3>\n

Daniss Jenkins<\/a> could benefit from the opportunity after struggling since converting to a regular contract<\/span>. Those struggles have been well documented, with some beginning to question whether his recent play warrants fewer minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In Tuesday night\u2019s game, Jenkins looked intent on quieting those concerns. He finished with 15 points and seven assists, showing he can produce when his number is called.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cunningham\u2019s back injury<\/a> remains unclear, but extra minutes could give Jenkins the confidence boost he needs<\/span>.\u00a0As the season winds down, Detroit will need him to rediscover the consistency that once made him one of the team\u2019s most unexpected success stories.<\/p>\n

The Paint Belongs to Duren Right Now<\/span><\/h3>\n

Duren has been playing like someone ready to challenge for the title of best center in the Eastern Conference. Over his last six games, he\u2019s averaging 25.0 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting an incredible 80.6 percent from the field.<\/p>\n

The stretch becomes even more impressive when considering its history. Duren is the first player<\/a> since Wilt Chamberlain<\/a> in 1967 to average those numbers over a six-game span.<\/p>\n

Duren\u2019s offensive confidence will be crucial as the postseason approaches<\/span>. Playoff basketball brings more physicality<\/a>, and Duren gives the Pistons a reliable interior presence when the game slows down.<\/p>\n

The Push Toward a More Unpredictable Offense<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"\"
Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) dunks over Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With Cunningham\u2019s injury, this could give J.B. Bickerstaff the perfect opportunity to experiment. In the playoffs, opponents build their entire game plan around stopping a team\u2019s best players, forcing others to beat them.<\/p>\n

For the Pistons, the offense almost always begins with Cunningham. No matter who ultimately scores, the possession usually flows through him.<\/p>\n

This stretch could be a chance to explore other options. A player like Ausar Thompson<\/a> could see opportunities bringing the ball up the floor. With a solid handle and capable playmaking ability, Thompson has the tools<\/a> to initiate offense and help diversify Detroit\u2019s attack.<\/p>\n

If the Pistons can discover additional creators during this stretch, it could make their offense far less predictable when the postseason arrives.<\/p>\n

The Last Word<\/h3>\n

Losing a player like Cade Cunningham never helps, especially for a team whose offensive identity flows through him. But moments like this often reveal the true depth of a roster.<\/p>\n

For the Detroit Pistons, this stretch presents more than just a challenge \u2014 it creates an opportunity. Daniss Jenkins now has a chance to prove his value when the rotation tightens. Jalen Duren continues to establish himself as a dominant interior force, while versatile pieces like Ausar Thompson give the coaching staff more flexibility in how the offense operates.<\/p>\n

Good teams rely on their stars. Great teams learn how to win even when those stars sit. If this stretch teaches the Pistons anything, it\u2019s that the team\u2019s ceiling may depend just as much on the growth around Cunningham as it does on his brilliance.<\/p>\n

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Detroit Pistons find themselves in an interesting position as the season winds down. Following a 130-117 victory over the Washington Wizards, Detroit has won four of its last five games \u2014 but the stretch also comes with renewed injury concerns surrounding Cade Cunningham. Given the perception of this Pistons roster, any time Cunningham misses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5168,"featured_media":182156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,10,62],"tags":[4704,3965,50107,4432,2014],"class_list":["post-182147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-pistons","category-nba","tag-ausar-thompson","tag-cade-cunningham","tag-daniss-jenkins","tag-jalen-duren","tag-wilt-chamberlain"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182147"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":182170,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182147\/revisions\/182170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}