Shocking Cade Cunningham twist worsens Pistons' huge lingering problem

The Pistons' recent injury problem got even worse when Cade Cunningham exited Tuesday's game against the Wizards after just 5 minutes with back spasms. This comes on top of an existing injury to Isaiah Stewart, which the Pistons announced as a Grade 1 (minor) calf sprain. Losing both for an extended period will only make the Pistons' recent poor play even worse.

Poor health can be a serious problem for the Pistons

For the last two seasons, the Pistons have generally had good health among their top players. And it's not a coincidence; they have made moves specifically for increased availability. But they did suffer a serious injury last year at the worst time. Isaiah Stewart missed of the 2025 playoffs with a knee injury. His absence took out the Pistons' best option for guarding Karl-Anthony Towns, who had some big performances to lift the Knicks to victory in the series.

Hopefully getting the injuries out of the way now will help both Cunningham and Stewart enter the playoffs at full health. However, missing them can hurt the Pistons' efforts to refine their rotations and establish proper chemistry before the postseason. Both players are not only extremely important for the Pistons with their on-court production, but also their leadership as the longest-tenured members of the team.

The impact of an injury can go beyond a player's availability

By the time the playoffs roll around in a month, the Pistons will need both Cunningham and Stewart operating at full capacity. Not only do they need to be available for big minutes if necessary, but they also need to be playing as hard as usual. Anything less could be costly against the tough slew of opponents in the Eastern Conference, even one that finishes as a 7th or 8th seed.

As we've seen around the league this season, players aren't always immediately able to return to their best form when they come back from an injury. And rushing the process can also sometimes reaggravate the injury. The Pistons will need to walk a fine line for the recovery processes of Cade and Stew with time ticking down in the regular season.

Hopefully neither player has a serious injury that impairs their level of play once they return. Fortunately, the Pistons do have some easier games this week - another one against the Wizards and a matchup with the injured Warriors - that can be winnable even without two of their best players. But the schedule ramps up again afterwards with duels against some of the West's top teams. And every game matters with the Celtics still breathing down the Pistons' necks for the East's top seed.

But above all, the Pistons must prioritize getting all their guys back to full health.