Will the Detroit Pistons really be in the running for Victor Wembanyama?

Detroit Pistons: Could Cade Cunningham return this season?

We still haven’t gotten a recent update on Cade Cunningham’s injury, likely because there isn’t much to update. He either rests and comes back at some point or has surgery and misses the rest of the season.

But there are growing signs that Cunningham is not going to choose surgery, as he and the team seem to be choosing patience to see if rest is all he needs to get back on the floor.

Cunningham was also spotted getting shots up before the game against Miami, so it’s possible this is a promising sign that rest will be all that is needed for him to return.

We know Cunningham is a fierce competitor who is not going to want to miss nearly an entire season, so if he can get back out there without long-term risk, I think he will.

This could be a huge X-Factor for the Pistons, as many of the other pieces are starting to fall into place and players are looking more comfortable in their roles. Insert their best player back into this and it could be enough to get Detroit a string of wins down the stretch, as five of their last seven games this season are against teams that are currently bad.

These factors make it more likely that Detroit does not finish in the bottom three this season, as there are worse teams that also have injury problems and don’t seem to be too worried about losing.

It’s going to take a huge amount of luck to land the number one pick again anyway, so it’s not like the Pistons are giving up on a sure thing, but each spot they move up reduces those chances even more.