Detroit Pistons Notebook: Cade Cunningham’s Usage Amid Duren’s Hamstring Injury

At this juncture, the Detroit Pistons have played just under 10% of their regular season games, so the 6-2 squad has given a small sample size of what’s possible for the Motor City hoopers this year. 

On its own, a 6-2 record after facing some more-than-quality competition would be cause for celebration, but the Pistons have achieved that early-season mark without much influence from All-Star center Jalen Duren or accomplished sniper Isaiah Joe. Last season, JD had a career year averaging nearly 20 points and 11 rebounds per night, while Joe hit the 40% mark on treys for the fourth consecutive time in his career, which should underscore just how important those two players will be to Detroit’s group.

Since Duren has returned to the court for rehab drills over the past couple days, there is optimism that JD might be back for the Pistons-Lakers game on Sunday night, but a more realistic timeline is that he’ll return to action in the middle of the week. Joe, on the other hand, has also been spotted on the periphery of shootarounds in the past week, so he could be nearing a return as well after missing multiple games. 

Using those two injuries as the pre-text, the Pistons have leaned a lot on Cade Cunningham through their first eight games of the year, though Detroit is doing it a bit differently. While Cunningham has been indisputably ball-dominant and at times heliocentric in the past, the Pistons are looking to lighten his load as a creator by using more two-point guard lineups in addition to encouraging Ausar Thompson to step up as a secondary playmaker. 

In theory, Detroit is of the belief that when Cunningham spends time off-ball and starts from the corner during half-court sets, the defense has to work harder to keep track of where the All-Star floor general is at, which allows for AT to make an aggressive, downhill decision more frequently. 

From a workload standpoint, Cunningham is averaging 33.4 minutes per game, which is good for 31st-most in the NBA. So, while the Pistons have relied on Cunningham to lead the team during Duren’s absence, Detroit is not doing so at the expense of their franchise player’s health. 

Now, during the Pistons’ most recent matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, Cunningham received a swift kick to the basement from Joel Embiid while defending the former scoring champ. Initially, Cunningham was laboring for a few minutes after the unexpected discomfort, but the All-NBA First-Teamer bounced back soon enough and put in his work for a 26-point, 11-assist double-double in the 112-106 loss. After the game, Embiid’s activity was upgraded to a flagrant foul, but it had no impact on the game. 

Moving forward, the Pistons are set to host the Lakers on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 6 pm.