There is significant excitement for No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham to star for the Detroit Pistons, but fans will have to wait some time to see him in action.
The former Oklahoma State standout has officially been ruled out for Wednesday’s season opener. The Pistons are set to host the Chicago Bulls at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday night.
The right ankle sprain that will cost Cunningham tomorrow’s game kept him out of the entire preseason. “When he’s healthy, he’ll be ready to go,” head coach Dwane Casey said on Monday, ahead of today’s decision. “The medical people are being cautious, and rightfully so.”
We did get a look at what Cunningham can do over the summer, in a trio of Summer League games. He averaged 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, hitting 50-percent of his 26 three-point attempts in those contests.
Cade Cunningham (right ankle sprain) is officially out for tomorrow’s season opener against the Bulls
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) October 19, 2021
As Casey said, the team is taking every precaution with the No. 1 draft pick. He isn’t expected to miss significant time, and was involved in Monday’s Pistons practice on a limited basis.
He may still play his first NBA game against the Bulls. Detroit heads to Chicago for its second game of the year, on Saturday, Oct. 23. They follow that up with a road game against the Atlanta Hawks next Monday.
In one year at Oklahoma State, Cade Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, shooting 46.1/40/84.6 from the field in 27 games. His Cowboys were upset in the second round by No. 12 Oregon State as a four-seed. He took home a host of awards, including multiple national Freshman of the Year awards, Big 12 Player of the Year, and he was a consensus First-Team All-American in his only college season.
The post Pistons Announce Cade Cunningham’s Status For Season Opener appeared first on The Spun.
Leave a Reply