Cade Cunningham has been approved as eligible for All-NBA honors and other awards after successfully avoiding the restrictions of the recently implemented 65-game rule.
After a collapsed lung sidelined the Detroit Pistons' star indefinitely down the stretch of the season, Cunningham's All-NBA dreams hit a major bump in the road that seemed to have no good outcome in sight.
However, after returning from injury sooner than expected, suiting up for the final few games of the regular season, Cunningham managed to get his season totals up to 64 games, one game shy of the mark he needed to be deemed eligible.
Fortunately, the league took both Cunningham and Luka Doncic's cases into consideration and eventually determined that the career-years deserved to be praised rather than punished for injuries out of their control.
And while Cunningham's All-NBA dreams remain alive, the good news for him may have unleashed the nightmare scenario that teammate Jalen Duren feared all along.
Cade Cunningham could bump Jalen Duren off All-NBA team
Duren's breakout season was one of the biggest reasons for Detroit's regular-season success, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, while shooting an extremely efficient 65.0% from field goal range.
Still, Cunningham's MVP-caliber season, finishing with averages of 23.9 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds on shooting splits of 46.1% from field goal range and 34.2% from beyond the arc, puts him in a much better position to receive All-NBA honors than his running mate.
There's an avenue in which both players could be named to an All-NBA team, but considering there are only 15 vacant spots, it's hard to imagine that both players receive the news they're hopeful for.
Cunningham deserves the nod over Duren
Nobody in the fanbase wants to be put in a position where they'd have to determine where their support lies, but in terms of All-NBA honors, it's fair to say most fans would agree that Cunningham is more worthy of the honor than Duren if it came down to the two.
The star guard has been the driving force of the team's offense, both as a reliable scorer and the primary playmaker.
There's no denying that Detroit goes as Cunningham goes and without him, the team would be in a drastically different position than they are heading into the postseason.
Duren is obviously a monster in his own right, but in terms of the importance each player has in their given roles, Cunningham has done more this season to warrant a spot on an All-NBA team.
Perhaps both players are able to lock up a spot, and this bittersweet update won't be relevant, but the harsh reality is the award Cunningham rightfully deserves could come at the expense of his teammate.
Add us as a preferred source on Google