The Pistons are off to one of the worst starts in the NBA this season, and it may only get worse with the news that second year point guard and former number one pick Cade Cunningham will be out indefinitely due to a stress fracture in his shin.
What began as mere “shin soreness” has since ballooned into a larger problem as further medical tests revealed that the talented guard may need surgery to correct the issue. If he were to undergo surgery, he’d likely miss a sizable portion of the season. And with Detroit currently at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, one would assume the team would simply shut him down at that point.
Prior to going down with the injury, Cade was playing like a breakout star averaging 23/7/6. He had efficiency issues and turnover problems but was growing through those, and would have made adjustments as the year went on. He looked more comfortable on the floor this year and even though the fit between Cunningham and rookie guard Jaden Ivey has seen some hiccups, they’re both still young and slowly starting to work out the kinks.
However, Pistons fans may not see the duo for a major part of the year as Cade’s injury will leave him out indefinitely as he and the team weigh their options. Rookie Jaden Ivey will suddenly get all the minutes he can handle in the Motor City, and it could help him in the rookie of the year race. Having him run point with as much leash as he needs to make mistakes will create more opportunities for him to become a better playmaker at the NBA level.
Detroit is unlikely to make the playoffs, but could be in the race for something even bigger (literally). Despite being only a month into the regular season, chatter regarding next year’s off-season and who might land the number one pick in the draft is already beginning to gain momentum. Currently sitting with the worst record in the league at 3-15, the Pistons have a real shot at landing one of the best draft prospects in NBA history in Victor Wembenyama.
Wembanyama is a 7 foot 4 center that can do literally everything on the basketball court you ask of him. Adding Wembanyama to a young core with Cade and Ivey could be the greatest result ever for the Pistons long term future, and a silver lining to what’s shaping up to be another long season in Detroit.
This season is already a disappointment considering many Pistons fans were hoping to see a possible playoff berth. The coaching has been terrible and many players have struggled, but point guard Killian Hayes has played much better since Cade went down. This may be his last opportunity to show that he’s got what it takes to stick in the NBA. Let’s hope a positive comes out of a disappointing start to this season.
-Robert Martin
Twitter: @Defense_Rob
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.