Pistons vs. Heat: Monty Williams' Injury Update on Cade Cunningham
Heading into their Friday night matchup against the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons considered the possibility of giving their star guard Cade Cunningham the night off.
Listed as questionable on the injury report, Cunningham wasn’t a lock to face the Heat. However, there wasn’t a night of rest in store for the standout guard.
Cleared for action, Cunningham checked into Friday’s game for a 31-minute shift. Although he’s been on a bit of a tear lately, Cunningham had one of his more quieter nights in the loss against the Heat.
Putting up 15 shots from the field, Cunningham knocked down just five of his attempts. He got to the free throw line for one shot, which was successfully converted. By the end of the night, Cunningham wrapped up the game with 11 points. While his scoring was lower than usual, Cunningham nearly notched a double-double as he dished out nine assists.
Following the game, Pistons head coach Monty Williams was asked about how Cunningham handled the defensive pressure from the Heat, to which he responded with some signs of satisfaction despite a slower night for the former first-overall pick.
“I thought he was ok,” Williams told reporters on Friday. “They didn’t blitz him as much as I thought they would.”
Williams proceeded to address Cunningham’s setback as well.
“He’s dealing with some soreness, but everybody’s dealing with it this time of year,” he added. “I was proud of him and [Jaden Ivey], I think he rolled his ankle and just stayed in there. I applaud those guys for fighting through the soreness that they are all dealing with. All of our guys are battling something this time of the year. Just part of being in the NBA.”
Based on Williams’ update, it seems Cunningham is doing just fine from a health standpoint. While the Pistons are going to obviously monitor his status moving forward, he’s likely to be available for the team as long as he avoids further setbacks in the future.
