Fans of the Detroit Pistons have been waiting patiently to see number one pick Cade Cunningham in action and the wait may finally be over.
I have to say, I am proud of the way Pistons’ fans have not completely melted down after a 0-4 start and the prized rookie on the bench with an injury. I guess 15 straight years of disappointment will do that to a fanbase.
But we are ready to see Cade Cunningham play and the good news is that it appears he is ready too:
No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham is not listed in the injury report for tomorrow’s game against the Magic, meaning is NBA debut is likely.
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) October 29, 2021
This is news we’ve been waiting for a few weeks to hear, but what will it mean for the rest of the Detroit Pistons’ rotation?
Detroit Pistons: Starting lineups and rotation with Cade Cunningham
With Cade Cunningham back in the starting lineup and rotation, someone is going to lose their spot. Here is the likely starting five tonight against Orlando:
- Killian Hayes
- Cade Cunningham
- Saddiq Bey
- Jerami Grant
- Isaiah Stewart
It will be good to have both Frank and Josh Jackson back on the bench where they have more familiar and comfortable roles.
Frank Jackson looked lost in the starting lineup and Josh Jackson has immediately regressed to his old self, committing bad turnovers and missing shots. Hopefully coming off the bench will help both of them get in a groove.
If I had to guess, I’d say Hamidou Diallo will be the rotation casualty, as he has barely played so far this season and has not done much to earn more time.
This will leave a bench of the two Jacksons, Kelly Olynyk, Trey Lyles and Cory Jospeh. The Pistons’ bench has been abysmal to start the season, so hopefully being at full strength will help everyone slide back to their intended roles.
This is a game the Detroit Pistons should win, with or without Cade Cunningham, as they are at home against a bad Orlando team that is on the second game of a back-to-back, but it would be nice to see Detroit get their first win of the season with the number one pick leading the way.