The Detroit Pistons suffered a major blow at the worst possible moment, with star Cade Cunningham sidelined after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung.
The team confirmed Thursday that Cunningham is dealing with a pneumothorax in his left lung and will be reevaluated in two weeks, forcing him to miss at least eight games as Detroit continues its push toward the playoffs.
However, there is some early optimism about the situation.
Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Cunningham's injury is believed to be minor and that Cunningham is believed to be back in time for the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on April 18.
The injury was shocking considering the initial circumstances. Cunningham exited Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards with what the Pistons initially described as back spasms. The problem occurred early in the first quarter when he collided with Wizards guard Trey Johnson while scrambling for the ball.
He briefly tried playing with it, but clearly felt uncomfortable and quit after just over a minute.
Detroit now faces the challenge of maintaining first place in the Eastern Conference without a leader. The Pistons currently have a record of 49 wins and 19 losses, 3.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics.
Despite Cunningham's absence, there's some evidence this team can sustain. Detroit went 5-2 without him this season, showing off Detroit's depth in the absence of their star.
Still, replacing Cunningham's products won't be easy.
The 24-year-old is averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists in 61 games this season, the latter of which ranks second in the entire NBA. His all-around impact was the driving force behind Detroit's best season in nearly two decades.
Historically, those numbers place him in elite company. Only eight players in league history have averaged at least that level of points and assists per game for an entire season, and Cunningham will be the first to do so in a Pistons uniform.
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