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Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung injury puts Pistons, award eligibility in danger
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- Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung injury puts Pistons, award eligibility in danger
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The Detroit Pistons were dealt a hard punch to the gut on Wednesday after it was reported that Cade Cunningham has a collapsed lung, which will force him to sit out for an extended period.
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It could not come at a worse time for the Pistons, who are leading the Eastern Conference with a 49-19 record and are on track to get the top seed in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
The unfortunate diagnosis of Cunningham was revealed by ESPN's Shams Charania.
A former reporter, Matt Shantz, also pointed out that the two-time All-Star might become ineligible for the individual awards.
"This is terrible in lots of ways, but with Cade sitting at 61 games played, an extended absence could also mean he misses out on potential end-of-season awards," wrote Shantz on Bluesky.
The NBA requires players to play at least 65 games to be eligible for the individual awards, a rule that has been questioned by many.
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The 24-year-old guard is a candidate for MVP and the All-NBA Team.
Undoubtedly, Cunningham is the engine of the Pistons . A prolonged absence could derail the team's campaign. He leads Detroit in points and assists at 24.5 and 9.9, respectively. More importantly, he sets the tone every game and is a clutch performer.
Without him, Caris LeVert , Daniss Jenkins , and Marcus Sasser are expected to step up, with Ausar Thompson possibly doing more ball-handling.
While the Pistons have enough depth, it will be tough to duplicate Cunningham's value. The next few days will be critical, as they will show if the team can adjust.
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Detroit will face the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Related: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung situation another reason why NBA's 65-game awards rule is a joke
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