The Pistons have done a great job of surviving without superstar Cade Cunningham in recent weeks, but they know their playoff hopes ride on Cade's return to the team. On Monday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Detroit is hopeful about Cade returning to the court before the playoffs. This would be a huge win for the Pistons to establish chemistry and get Cade back in shape ahead of their most intense games.
The Pistons could still be at full strength for the playoffs
Cade was even upgraded to Doubtful on the injury report on Monday night for the first time in weeks. Getting him back with time to spare ahead of the postseason would completely change the Pistons' outlook. Yes, they've seen other players step up greatly in his absence and proven they can win without him. But in the playoffs, having a superstar like Cade will be pivotal.
In the postseason, the game tends to slow down and games often come down to the clutch. In these scenarios, the Pistons will need a dominant individual scorer and creator. No one on the team fills that role as consistently as Cade. Although Detroit has had guys step into the role with Cade out, they can't rely on others to produce like Cade when the chips are down.
Fortunately, the Pistons were able to secure the first seed in the East even without Cade. They now have the option to sit or start any combination of their players for the remaining regular season games with no threats to their playoff seeding. Still, the Pistons have another level they can reach by combining their recent great team play with Cade's individual dominance.
It will still take time for Cade to get back to his usual self
Even when Cade first takes the court again after his collapsed lung, he may not immediately be in peak condition. That's exactly why the news of his impending return is such a positive for Pistons fans. The longer he has to reacclimate to game speed before the playoffs pick up, the better. Hopefully returning before the end of the regular season will even allow him to look like usual in the first round.
Even if Cade doesn't fully seem like his usual self in the first round, his positive injury progression could still give him time to make a full recovery by later playoff rounds. The Pistons have established an infrastructure to win as a team against weaker opponents without him; they might get the chance to display it at full force in the first round. But having Cade available as an MVP-caliber safety blanket will have every Piston breathing a sigh of relief.