The Detroit Pistons are facing their toughest dose of adversity this regular season.
All-Star Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung after being pulled in the first quarter in their last matchup against the Washington Wizards. Cunningham was hustling for a loose ball as Wizards' guard Tre Johnson dove and landed on Cunningham's back, causing the incident.
Detroit is only 14 games away from concluding the regular season, and they will have to do that without their most important player for a majority of those games. ESPN reports indicate he is suffering from a mild case of the lung issue.
While this is less than ideal for the Pistons, all hope is not lost for the No. 1 team in the East. There are still reasons to believe Detroit can clinch the top of their conference. They have a slight 3.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics and could still finish the regular season at the top if certain aspects fall in their favor.
Possibly a short absence for Cunningham
Cunningham's mild diagnosis can be viewed as the best-case scenario of this bad news for Detroit. A collapsed lung can have numerous scenarios in response to recovery. Sometimes, they can require surgery after an immediate review, and there has been no reported requirement for that in the Pistons' case.
Detroit is expected to re-evaluate its starting point guard after two weeks of rest and recovery. The Pistons have been forced to play a lot of time this season with mixed lineups due to injuries, including the absence of Cunningham. In the seven game stretch without Cunningham, the Pistons have gone 5-2 without him and have averaged just under 112 points.
Secondary scoring potential
The Pistons are not a better team without their All-NBA guard, but they have shown the ability to be successful without him. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has done a good job of giving his entire roster minutes to shine and fill in when needed for the Pistons.
The offensive dominance of their All-Star center, Jalen Duren, has been a major factor for the Pistons this season. Detroit is 20-5 as a team when Duren scores 20 points or more this season. The 22-year-old big man also thrives as a playmaker and contributes heavily by creating second-chance looks as an offensive rebounder.
Duren is currently the leading candidate for the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year. A productive stretch without Cunningham could do a significant lift for his award case.
The Pistons will have to lean on their secondary playmakers to fill the void of Cunningham. Backup point guards Daniss Jenkins and Marcus Sasser have played up to their potential of being explosive scoring guards from all three levels. They are both solid passers who will have to create looks for their secondary shooters like Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris, Kevin Huerter, Javonte Green, and others.
The identity of the Pistons is based heavily on their defense, which they normally rely on to create fast-break points. Detroit is tied for third in fast-break points, averaging 18 per game this season. This puts a lot of expectation on their elite-level defenders like Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland to help get Detroit on the open floor.
Detroit does have a strength with secondary scoring off the bench. Their reserves are ranked ninth in bench scoring, averaging 41.1 points. The Pistons also play an unselfish style offensively when sharing the ball, as they are 12th with 27 assists per game.
Strength of schedule
The final 14 games on Detroit's schedule will be a critical test if they are forced to go the whole stretch without Cunningham. Their strength of schedule is currently ranked in the middle of the pack at 15th throughout the NBA.
The Pistons have done a great job of competing against the elite teams in the league. They have also made a conscious effort not to play down to their competition when playing teams outside of playoff contention. Bickerstaff spoke on how important it is not to disrespect the game by not disrespecting their competition, regardless of their record or available players.
The second-place Celtics in the Eastern Conference have the seventh-toughest strength of schedule. They are currently scheduled to take on nine opponents that are currently in postseason contention in the East and West.
Bickerstaff is a leading candidate for the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year award. Similar to Duren's Most Improved Player case, these circumstances could provide a major push for Bickerstaff to finish his stamp as the best coach in the league this season. The Pistons have had to battle through injuries throughout their roster all season. If they can find a way to manage through the adversity of losing their best player, it will prove and cement how battle-tested this franchise is under the leadership of Bickerstaff.
