It should come as no surprise that star guard Cade Cunningham is the Pistons' franchise player heading into the 2025-26 season. In his first two preseason games, Cunningham dropped 20 and 26 points in only 38 minutes of total game time so far, so the do-it-all guard is picking up right where he left off.
Shortly after halftime, Cunningham returned to the locker room, and the broadcast team said he was grabbing his lower back during that time. Now, Cunningham was not expected to play in the second half, so perhaps it's just precautionary that he went back to the locker room before sitting with his teammates on the bench.
In either event, it begs the question as to whether Cunningham is too valuable to Detroit to even play during the remaining two preseason games. So far, it's been clear that Cunningham is getting to his spots on the floor whenever he wants, and he looks like an automatic bucket when he steps on the court. So, is there all that much to gain from playing Detroit's franchise player against the Cavs or the Wizards?
There are a few new players in Detroit, such as Caris LeVert, Duncan Robinson, Chaz Lanier and Javonte Green, so it is true that Cunningham could build his chemistry and rapport with those guys, so it is a discussion worth entertaining.
Where do you side on the matter? Let us know!