Pistons Reveal Cade Cunningham’s Official Playing Status vs. Grizzlies

Will Cade Cunningham face the Grizzlies on Monday night?

Heading into the Monday night showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Detroit Pistons faced an unfortunate situation surrounding their star guard, Cade Cunningham.

Once again, the Pistons listed Cunningham as questionable on the injury report. The team described his potential setback as “injury management” for his left knee.

Fortunately, Cunningham will not miss any action on Monday as he's been cleared to play for Detroit against Memphis.

Keeping Cunningham healthy is key for the Pistons. Although Detroit won’t be making any playoff pushes this year, Cunningham’s health struggles through his sophomore effort leads Detroit into a situation where they have to prioritize focusing on the future.

Following a 64-game rookie effort from the former first-overall pick in 2021-2022, Cunningham appeared in just 12 games last season. While he had an impressive follow-up season to his All-Rookie season, Cunningham didn’t have much time to put his year-two improvements on display throughout an entire NBA run.

Many view Cunningham’s 2023-2024 effort as his true sophomore season. Leading up to Monday’s game, Cunningham has 61 games under his belt. Averaging 33 minutes on the court, the young guard has produced 22 points per game while draining 45 percent of his shots from the field. He’s also hitting threes at a career-high clip, knocking down 35 percent of his 5.4 attempts per game.

In the playmaking department, Cunningham has been outstanding, dishing out eight assists per game. With his constant improvements on the offensive end, the former top pick remains a face of the Pistons’ franchise and will be a player they’ll look to continue to build around beyond this year. Therefore, keeping him healthy down what’s become a meaningless stretch will be a key for the rest of the year.