Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham returned to the lineup Wednesday night but acknowledged that his late-season injury will likely leave him ineligible for major NBA awards due to the league’s 65-game rule.
Cunningham spoke about the situation after Detroit’s 137-111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Little Caesars Arena on April 8, a game that marked his first appearance since March 17.
The All-Star point guard finished with 13 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes as the Pistons controlled the game from the first half. He shot 6-of-11 from the field and helped Detroit build a 75-57 lead by halftime.
“I think what they were trying to do with it is have superstars play and not sit out, just to rest because fans pay a lot of money to come watch us play games,” Cunningham said when asked about the rule. “So I have a lot of respect for that.”
The NBA requires players to appear in at least 65 games to qualify for major awards such as Most Valuable Player and All-NBA teams. Cunningham entered Wednesday having played 62 games after missing time with a collapsed lung.
“It’s tough for me right now this year, because I think I did a lot of work to be in consideration for awards and All-NBA and all that stuff,” Cunningham said. “So I’m in a tough spot.”
Despite the disappointment, the 24-year-old guard emphasized that his focus remains on helping Detroit close the regular season strong. The Pistons improved to 58-22 with the victory and have already clinched the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
Detroit can reach 60 wins for the first time since the 2005-06 season if it defeats the Charlotte Hornets and Indiana Pacers in its final two games.
Cunningham’s return added stability to the offense immediately. He recorded five assists in 13 first-half minutes and directed the attack while the Pistons outscored Milwaukee 37-29 in the third quarter.
Jalen Duren led Detroit with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Duncan Robinson scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Jericho Sims posted a triple-double for Milwaukee with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Cunningham said the recovery process after the collapsed lung required patience and careful monitoring from the medical staff.
“When there’s a puncture in your lung, there’s no pain receptors or anything,” Cunningham said. “I just had to go off my X-rays and seeing the progress of how much my lung re-inflated.”
He added that doctors limited his activity until the injury fully stabilized to avoid the risk of another collapse.
“You can’t go back to heavy cardio or else it could recollapse,” Cunningham said. “So they wanted to be careful about it.”
The time away also allowed Cunningham to watch Detroit’s growth from a different perspective.
“I think I learned a lot watching the team from the couch,” he said. “Watching the team grow the way they did and handle business was a lot of fun.”
Cunningham also suggested the layoff may help physically as the postseason approaches.
“Having the time off has allowed other things to heal up that I was dealing with,” he said. “You’re always playing with something.”
With Detroit already secured atop the East standings, the Pistons now enter the final stretch with a healthy roster and postseason momentum.
