DETROIT — Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been nursing a wrist injury for the better part of two weeks.
He missed three of Detroit’s last seven games in part due to a right wrist contusion. When he’s played, Cunningham has often sported a brace on the wrist as he aims to keep pacing a first-place Pistons squad.
“It’s not easy what he’s going through. Obviously, wrist on your shooting hand makes things a little bit more difficult,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. “Whether it’s your shooting, just receiving the basketball, passing the basketball, having to guard guys, all those things.
“It’s one of those things that we’re hopeful, it just takes time. The hard part about it is you just don’t have time, so I give him a ton of credit because he’s just gutting it out right now because he knows how important these games are and he wants to be a part of it. But it is just treatment, rest, more treatment, and then trying to figure out how it responds.”
The effects have been noticeable for Cunningham, at least as far as shooting is concerned. Over his last four games, Cunningham is still providing at an All-Star level with 9.5 assists per game.
However, in that stretch Cunningham is shooting just 30% from the field, 2-of-18 from three and going 67% from the foul line. On the season, Cunningham is shooting 45%/ 32%/82% and remains the only player in Detroit posting 20-plus points per game (25.3).
The Pistons (32-11) want to keep their foot on the gas as the All-Star break approaches and a key trip out West to face three teams with winning records is on tap for the week. But as the situation persists, Detroit is trying to be cognizant of their star player’s health.
Cunningham was listed as probable ahead of Sunday’s game for injury management on the wrist, however he’s been confirmed as available against the 12-34 Kings. He was not wearing a brace on his wrist during his pre-game warmup.