Cade Cunningham has season-ending surgery
When the Detroit Pistons selected Cade Cunningham with the number one overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, both fans and the organization were hoping the young star could be the answer to their problems. Before Cunningham’s arrival, the Pistons had only made the playoffs twice since 2010 but unfortunately that hasn’t changed since his time in Detroit.
On Friday, the team announced that Cunningham would be forced to miss the remainder of the NBA regular season after undergoing surgery on his left shin. He had been on the sidelines since November 9th when the Pistons were downed 128-112 by the Boston Celtics. The team had been taking their time and weighing all their options before Cunningham went under the knife. At one point, there was hope that he wouldn’t necessarily need the surgery but that wasn’t the case after all for the youngster.
“We just talked about his long-term health, made him see the big picture,” Pistons general manager Troy Weaver said, via the Sporting News. “He understands where he is and where he wants to be in the future. So, we came to this resolution, and this is where we are.”
Cunningham has only managed to play a total of 76 games during his first two seasons in the NBA, which must have both the Pistons and their fans concerned about the future of the 21-year-old.
“It will probably be three to four months as he recovers. We’ll know better when he comes out [of surgery],” Weaver continued. “We expect him to be ready to go when the season’s over — full blast, have a great summer and get ready for 2023-24.”
Cunningham only spent one season playing in the NCAA with Oklahoma State before decided to enter the NBA Draft. In his only season in Oklahoma, he was selected to the first-team All-Big 12, the All-Freshman team and the All-Newcomer team. He was also named the Sporting News Freshman of the Year and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Freshman of the Year.
While he hasn’t been able to play nearly as many games as he would have liked, Cunningham has impressed when he has managed to get on the court. He is averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game during his time with the Pistons. Those numbers are even better if you only factor in the games he played this season. The club is hoping he will continue to progress – even if he is sidelined for the time being.
Despite his injury woes, the Pistons still have high hopes for Cunningham who they believe they will be able to build the franchise around. They will likely have another top draft pick in the 2022 NBA Draft as they currently sit in the basement of the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 8-23. With Cunningham out for the remainder of the campaign, it is hard to see them moving up the standings. Currently, the Charlotte Hornets are the only team across the entire NBA have a worse record than the Pistons do.
