The Pistons will most likely clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in the next few days, but Detroit will do so without its most dynamic player. Cade Cunningham remains on the shelf nursing a collapsed left lung. Below, we will take a look at when Cunningham will likely return to the floor for the Pistons, and dive into Detroit’s betting odds as the NBA Playoffs approach.
When will Cade Cunningham return to the Pistons’ lineup?
Cunningham has not played since March 17, when he left in the first quarter of a game against the Washington Wizards. Back spasms were the initial reasoning behind Cunningham leaving the game, but the Pistons announced two days later that he suffered a left lung pneumothorax, better known as a collapsed lung.
Fortunately for Cunningham, the injury is considered mild. The recovery time for a collapsed lung is typically only 1-2 weeks, and some people can return to normal activities within a matter of a few days.
No doubt, the Pistons are being extra cautious with their prized player and giving him all the time he needs to come back at 100 percent. Cunningham is set to be re-evaluated late next week, so we could see him play in one or two of Detroit’s final regular season games in an attempt to tune up for the start of the playoffs.
Here is a look at Detroit’s remaining regular season schedule.
- Saturday, April 4: Pistons at 76ers
- Monday, April 6: Pistons at Magic
- Wednesday, April 8: Bucks at Pistons
- Friday, April 10: Pistons at Hornets
- Sunday, April 12: Pistons at Pacers
The earliest playoff game the Pistons could have would be Saturday, April 18.
Cade Cunningham MVP odds
Cunningham was firmly in the mix to win NBA MVP before going down with the injury. In early March, Cunningham had +850 odds to win the league’s most prestigious individual prize. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic had better odds at the time of Cunningham’s injury.
Unfortunately for Cunningham (and Cunningham MVP bettors) though, he will not be eligible to win the award.
NBA rules state that a player must play in at least 65 of 82 games to be eligible to win an award.
Due to this current injury and having missed some time earlier in the season due to injury, Cunningham has only played in 61 games thus far. If he were to come back for the Pistons’ final two games of the regular season next week, he would still be two games shy of the mark for eligibility.
Cunningham will also be ineligible to make any All-NBA teams. He was a sure-fire candidate to earn First-Team honors this season before the injury.
The NBAPA recently voiced its displeasure with the rule, citing Cunningham’s case specifically.
“Cade Cunningham’s potentially ineligibility for postseason awards after a career-defining season is a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries,” a spokesperson for the union said. “Since its implementation, far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”
Pistons Odds
The Pistons have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but their odds are still quite long when it comes to potentially winning the NBA title.
Fanatics Sportsbook has Detroit with a +2500 price to win it all.
The Thunder (+130), Spurs (+500), Celtics (+550), Nuggets (+900), Cavaliers (+1200), and Knicks (+1500) are all ahead of the Pistons on the NBA Championship odds board.
Detroit is +600 to win the Eastern Conference.