The Detroit Pistons (32-11) still have a decent cushion in the Eastern Conference standings past the halfway point of the 2025-26 NBA season, taking a big jump from last year and establishing themselves as a legitimate title contender. What is most astounding about their enduring excellence is that their top player is not even playing well this month. An early MVP candidate, All-Star Game starter Cade Cunningham has been struggling amid a nagging wrist injury.
He is still managing the issue but intends to push through for the Pistons' next game. Cunningham is listed probable for Sunday afternoon's matchup versus the Sacramento Kings (12-34), per the latest NBA injury report. Detroit may be able to vanquish the hopeless Western Conference squad without its franchise cornerstone, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff obviously wants to see a healthy Cunningham in action when possible.
Healthy is the key word, though. The Pistons are currently the team to beat in the East, and despite his recent scuffles, the 24-year-old point guard has been at the forefront of their rebirth. He is scoring 25.3 points on 45.1 percent shooting from the field and 32.1 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line, while also recording 9.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest. Cade Cunningham is slumping in the new year, however.
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The 2021 No. 1 overall pick is shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from 3-point land, averaging 20.1 points in his last seven games. He missed a few matchups earlier in January and still appears to be hampered by his wrist issue. Cunningham is already not the purest shooter, so such a setback could obviously have a conspicuously negative effect on his performance. And that is what has happened lately.
A home game against a bottom-barrel team that is allowing the second highest field goal percentage in the NBA seems like an ideal get-right spot for No. 2. The Pistons and Kings tip off at approximately 3 p.m. ET inside Little Caesars Arena.