Cade Cunningham has shown, in various spurts this season, that he can live up to the lofty expectations that were set when the Detroit Pistons drafted him No. 1 overall in July. He already has a highlight reel of clutch buckets, and the team has performed substantially better with him on the floor than on the bench.
Unfortunately, a variety of maladies have caused Cunningham to miss a fourth of his rookie season. A sprained ankle held him out of training camp and cost him five of the Pistons’ first six games. A bout of COVID-19 caused him to miss four more games in December.
His most recent injury, a right hip pointer, forced him to sit out Detroit’s previous five games entering Friday’s visit from the Charlotte Hornets. Cunningham returned to action, but his minutes were restricted during the 141-119 blowout. He logged just 22 minutes and finished with 12 points, five rebounds and six turnovers.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) passes against Charlotte Hornets guard Terry…