Cade Cunningham is expected to return for the Detroit Pistons after missing 11 games, but he won't be eligible for MVP or All-NBA honors.
Cade Cunningham is coming back for the Detroit Pistons, but the individual honors he worked towards all season are no longer. The Pistons point guard is expected to return on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks after missing 11 games due to a collapsed left lung. That 11-game absence causes Cunningham to fall short of the NBA’s 65-game eligibility threshold for MVP and All-NBA honors, a threshold that has been debated this season with multiple frontrunners for postseason awards losing eligibility – including Cunningham.
He suffered the collapsed lung on March 17 against the Washington Wizards when he collided with Tre Johnson diving for a ball. It was initially thought that Cunningham would be out for the season and make his return around the playoffs. But he was upgraded to questionable ahead of his expected reevaluation date. It marks the return to a breakout campaign for Cunningham, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists – good for second in the NBA – 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Both his assists and steals averages are career highs. He was in the running for multiple honors, including MVP. However, it’s a campaign in which Cunningham only played 61 games. While disappointing for his individual accolades, Detroit gets to make their final push at full strength after clinching the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time since 2007.
Here is the full story from Pistons Roundtable writer Eric Rutter breaking down the Wednesday night matchup and the anticipated return of Cunningham.
With only two games left on the year, Cunningham won’t get to the game threshold. There will certainly be debates over exceptions following this season. For now, the news is a strong boost for a 72-22 Pistons squad, who went 13-5 in his absence – but the threshold discourse he sparked is far from over.