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 of his last game against the Washington Wizards. Cunningham was struggling for a loose ball when Wizards guard Trey Johnson jumped and landed on Cunningham's back, causing the incident.
Detroit is just 14 games away from the regular season finale, and they will have to do so without their most important player for most of the games. ESPN reports indicate he is suffering from a minor lung problem.
While this is less than ideal for the Pistons, all hope is not lost for the former No. 1 team in the East. There are still reasons to believe Detroit can finish top of their conference. They have a slight 3.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics and could finish the regular season on top if a few factors fall in their favor.
Possibly Cunningham's brief absence.
Cunningham's mild diagnosis could be seen as the best-case scenario of this bad news for Detroit. Several scenarios can occur in response to the recovery of a collapsed lung. Sometimes, they may require surgery followed by immediate review, and no need for this has been reported in the case of pistons.
Detroit is expected to re-evaluate its starting point guard after two weeks of rest and recovery. The Pistons have been forced to play with mixed lineups for much of this season due to injuries, including Cunningham's absence. In a seven-game span without Cunningham, the Pistons have gone 5-2 without him and averaged just under 112 points.
secondary scoring ability
The Pistons aren't a better team without their All-NBA guard, but they have shown the ability to succeed without him. Head coach JB 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-chances as an offensive rebounder.
Duren is currently the leading candidate for NBA Most Improved Player of the Year. A productive extension without Cunningham could significantly boost their awards case.
The Pistons will have to rely on their secondary playmakers to make up for Cunningham's loss. Backup point guards Dennis Jenkins and Marcus Sasser have demonstrated their ability to be explosive scoring guards from all three levels. They are both solid passers who will need to create looks for their secondary shooters like Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris, Kevin Huerter, Javonte Green and others.
The Pistons' identity is largely based on their defense, which they typically rely on to create fast-break points. Detroit ranks third in fast-break points, averaging 18 per game this season. There are high expectations for their elite level defenders like Aussie Thompson and Ron Holland to help Detroit get the open floor.
Detroit has secondary scoring power off the bench. Their reserves rank ninth in bench scoring with an average of 41.1 points. The Pistons also play an unselfish style aggressively when sharing the ball, as they rank 12th with 27 assists per game.
strength of schedule
The final 14 games on Detroit's schedule will be a significant test if they are forced to play a full game without Cunningham. Their strength of schedule currently ranks 15th in the entire NBA, middle of the pack.
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 dilute their competitiveness when playing teams outside of playoff contention. Bickerstaff explained how important it is to disrespect the game by not disrespecting their competition, regardless of their record or available players.
The Celtics, ranked second in the Eastern Conference, have the seventh-highest strength of program. They currently face nine opponents who 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 big push for Bickerstaff to make his mark as the best coach in the league this season. The Pistons have had to deal with injuries to their roster throughout the season. If they can find a way to overcome the adversity of losing their best player, it will prove and cement just how much of a fight this franchise has under Bickerstaff.
