The Detroit Pistons’ hopes of improving on their disastrous 2022-23 campaign have been crushed in the worst possible way. The team’s best player, second-year guard Cade Cunningham, is set to undergo shin surgery that will rule him out for the remainder of the season.
Cunningham has been on the sidelines since early November. He initially had plans to return at some point this season, but his injury didn’t respond to the treatment as everyone expected. As a result, the Pistons and Cunningham decided the surgery was the best option as it would allow him to start the 2023-24 campaign fully healthy.
Cade Cunningham only played 12 games this season, averaging 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. But despite good-looking numbers on the surface, the 21-year-old displayed growing pains that included shooting 27.9 percent behind the three-point line.
Cunningham was selected first overall by the Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft. He led all rookies with 17.4 points per game in his debut year in the league while also adding 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The Oklahoma State University product finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting.
After Cunningham’s injury, it is expected that the Pistons will fully embrace the tanking mode once again. They have been the worst team in basketball this season, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 7-22 record.
