The Detroit Pistons are going to be cautious with number one pick Cade Cunningham, so we may not see him in the first preseason game.
Cunningham reportedly suffered a mild ankle injury in training camp and Dwane Casey said that the team is going to be cautious, which may include holding him out for some of the preseason:
Casey said Cade Cunningham has missed a few days of practice with his ankle injury. Not sure when he'll return. The medical staff is being cautious.
— Offseason O (@omarisankofa) October 4, 2021
If there is one thing we can count on from fans in the preseason is that they will overreact to everything, so if Cade Cunningham has to sit, try to take a deep breath and remember that these preseason games are ultimately meaningless.
Detroit Pistons: Being cautious with Cade Cunningham
Cade Cunningham has superstar potential and will hopefully be with the Detroit Pistons for a very long time, so missing one preseason game is not the end of the world, though I am certain it will sound like it in some corners of Twitter.
One reason for this is that coach Casey has been less than forthright about injuries in the past, downplaying setbacks to his young players and not necessarily giving the whole picture.
But this one just appears to be a minor injury, so don’t be surprised if the Pistons play it safe and keep their young guard out for a few games to keep it from getting worse.
As long as Cunningham gets a couple of preseason games under his belt before the regular season he’ll be fine.
This will also give the Detroit Pistons the chance to experiment with some different groups and starting lineups, which could be beneficial later in the season. It will also allow Killian Hayes to get some reps as the primary ball handler, which he will be when Cade is not on the floor.
Preseason tends to bring out the overreactions from fans who have been waiting patiently for basketball to return, but there is nothing to panic about if Cade Cunningham has to miss a couple of games.
Better now than when the games matter.