The Pistons and their fans held their breath Sunday when Cade Cunningham bit the dust in Denver. Injured in the left knee, the leader of Monty Williams' team quickly returned to the locker room in the second quarter, before being withdrawn for the rest of the match.
On Tuesday, The Athletic gave news of the player, and his absence is difficult to determine. What we do know is that he has some inflammation, and his knee will be examined again in 7 to 10 days. Cunningham will remain in care while awaiting these new examinations. He will therefore miss the matches against the Kings, the Spurs, the Rockets, and undoubtedly against the Wizards and the Wolves.
A chance for Killian Hayes?
“It is more than obvious, it is essential for us. He is a reference player. When a player like him can't play, it affects all the other players.” recalled Monty Williamscoach of the worst team in the NBA. “You have other guys coming up the ladder who have to hold the ball, create, that type of thing, but obviously Cade is important to our franchise.”
Monday evening, Shams Charania had revealed that the franchise could breathe a big sigh of relief since its leader would not be affected by an injury which would require a long absence. If we remain absent for four to five games, it would be good news for the Pistons but also for Cade Cunningham who saw his last season end prematurely due to a stress fracture in his tibia.
| Cade Cunningham | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | DET | 64 | 33 | 41.6 | 31.4 | 84.5 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 17.4 |
| 2022-23 | DET | 12 | 33 | 41.5 | 27.9 | 83.7 | 1.0 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 19.9 |
| 2023-24 | DET | 36 | 35 | 44.9 | 33.5 | 87.0 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 22.8 |
| Total | 112 | 33 | 42.8 | 31.7 | 85.5 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 3.0 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 19.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
