The Pistons can officially breathe a huge sigh of relief after getting Cade Cunningham back in action tonight against the Bucks. Cade has looked solid in his first NBA action since March 17th and is sending shockwaves to Detroit's playoff rivals. He's made a remarkable recovery from a collapsed lung and could very well be back to his usual dominant self by the playoffs.
A healthy Cade Cunningham is the East's worst nightmare
As the Pistons ramp up for the playoffs, having their leader back will be invaluable. Detroit has the luxury of refining their lineups and warming up their players as the regular season winds down. This is the perfect opportunity for Cade to ramp back up to his typical form, which is an All-NBA First Team level this season.
The Pistons have found new ways to win in Cade's absence and now have the chance to blend that playstyle with his individual brilliance. Their defense in particular has stood out, led by standout Ausar Thompson. If they can maintain their recent defensive intensity and ball movement while incorporating Cade back into the team, the Pistons will be a hard out in the postseason.
Many pundits had written off the Pistons when Cade went down with injury. There was a lot of concern that the team would fall apart without him and he wouldn't be able to recover in time for the playoffs. The first fear has been proven false already, and now Cade can squash the second as well.
Cade is already showing signs of his usual self
In his first half back on the court, Cade is already producing. He's got 6 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists in 13 minutes. And his athletic burst has looked largely the same as when he left - perhaps one advantage of his calm playstyle that's not overly reliant on athleticism.
Cade also hasn't hurt the team's defense as the Pistons have jumped out to an 18-point lead over Milwaukee. He hasn't racked up any steals or blocks yet, but he has forced some misses at the rim as a weakside help defender. That unique two-way impact is what made Cade an MVP candidate when healthy, and it's great to see the same signs so early in his return.
Even better, Cade will have another 2 regular season games after this to continue reconditioning. After that, he can also use the Play-In Tournament to rest and hopefully rely on his teammates heavily if needed in the first round. Either way, Cade has plenty of options to get his legs back under him by the Pistons' most intense playoff duels in later rounds. Pistons fans are lucky to get him back so quick, and even luckier to see him playing well immediately.