How Cade Cunningham Performed in First Pistons Game Since Suffering Collapsed Lung

When news of Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung hit the wire three weeks ago, it seemed a season-altering development for one of the best stories in the NBA. Cunningham was playing at an MVP level and in the process of leading the Pistons to the end of their best season in decades. But then he suffered an injury that seemed both scary and severe in equal measure, leading to an outpouring of concern for Cunningham’s health and hand-wringing that Detroit would be without its leading man for the most important games of the year.

But as time went on, more reasons for optimism surfaced. Reports said the organization felt good about the idea Cunningham would return for the playoffs. Then his status was upgraded from out to doubtful over the weekend. And then, on Wednesday, it happened—Cunningham was cleared to return. He’d take the floor against the Bucks for the first time since March 17 with a few games yet before the playoffs begin. The sigh of relief out of the 313 was undoubtedly heard for miles.

While the Pistons exceeded expectations without Cunningham he remains the center of the team’s universe, the straw that stirs the drink, whatever analogy you prefer. He is the superstar and the franchise will go as far as he can take them. They will be at the center of this year’s championship race no matter what after clinching the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage in the East, but how prominently they’ll feature is entirely up to Cunningham.

Thus, his return is significant for all sorts of reasons. It’s great to see the player back out on the court. If he’s capable of getting back to All-NBA levels of play by the postseason, Detroit will be a serious contender for the conference crown. Cunningham will play a big role in shaping this playoff run, not just for his team but for everybody else in the East, too.

So how did he look on Wednesday night in the Pistons’ 137–111 win over Milwaukee?

How Cunningham performed in first game since collapsed lung

To put it simply, Cunningham looked good.

The star point guard recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists on 6-for-11 shooting. He added five rebounds, one steal and one block. As far as the eye test goes Cunningham didn’t seem to miss a beat. His vision was typically excellent. He was powerful and decisive when driving to the basket. There weren’t even any signs of tired legs, which would have been entirely understandable after a few weeks off from playing NBA basketball.

Perhaps most importantly Detroit dominated its opponent with Cunningham on the floor. In his 26 minutes the superstar was +12, a tick over his season average of +7.8 and about in line with what you’d expect in a game featuring the No. 1 and No. 11-ranked teams in the East.

The only “concern,” if you want to call it that, is that five of Cunningham’s six makes came at the basket. His ability to make jump shots will be crucial to the Pistons’ hopes for a deep playoff run. But to sincerely worry about that in his first game back is missing the forest for the trees. Cunningham looked confident out there and there’s no reason to believe he won’t take and make the jumpers when they’re there against elite opponents.

But for all we can see as viewers, only the man himself can really tell us how he felt.

What Cunningham said about his first game back from injury

Cunningham spoke to the media for the first time in several weeks after the win and his review of his performance was positive.

“I felt really good,” he shared. “I felt like I got some really good cardio in today. Everything felt good. I felt like all the training and stuff I’ve been doing had me in a great place where I was comfortable for all of my minutes, so it was good.

He also revealed the unexpected period of rest he had to undergo as part of his recovery helped him heal from the other bumps and bruises NBA players accumulate over the course of a long season.

“Having the time off has definitely allowed other things to heal up that I was dealing with,” Cunningham said. You’re always playing with something, so having time off has allowed me to get stronger and heal things I probably wouldn’t have had the time to do if I was continuing to play.”

All good things for both the star and his team. Cunningham will have two more opportunities to suit up on Friday and Sunday before the Pistons’ postseason run kicks off on April 18. How he shapes up will be worth monitoring.

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