Detroit Pistons Coach Explains Cade Cunningham’s Absence vs 76ers

Why was Cade Cunningham a late scratch against the 76ers?

Dec 13, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Detroit Pistons believed they would have Cade Cunningham on board for Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

When the team released its injury report hours leading up to the matchup, Cunningham’s name was left off of it, signaling he was healthy enough to play. The Pistons even announced Cunningham to be a member of the team’s starting five for the night.

Suddenly, that wasn’t the case. Roughly ten minutes before the matchup, the Pistons scratched the star guard, deeming him inactive for the game.

After the Pistons dropped game two of the back-to-back, the head coach, JB Bickerstaff, explained the reason behind Cunningham’s shocking absence.

"It was one of those things where we had a conversation, he went out and tried to get going, and we just thought it was the right thing to do for precautionary reasons because of how he was feeling and what he came back from,” Bickerstaff told reporters.

JB on Cade being a late scratch: "It was one of those things where we had a conversation, he went out and tried to get going and we just thought it was the right thing to do for precautionary reasons because of how he was feeling, and what he came back from."

— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) December 1, 2024

When the Pistons faced the Charlotte Hornets last week, Cunningham suffered a pelvis injury 36 minutes into the matchup. Although the Pistons and the Hornets squared off for overtime basketball that night, Cunningham missed the extra period.

For the following game against the Orlando Magic, Cunningham was ruled out right away. Leading up to the matchups against the Toronto Raptors and the Memphis Grizzlies, Cunningham was listed as doubtful. As expected, he was inactive for both games.

When the Pistons opened up their back-to-back set on Friday night against the Indiana Pacers, Cunningham went from questionable to available. He checked in for 33 minutes, scoring 24 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds in the NBA Cup matchup victory.

Cade Cunningham had 24 & 11 in his return and the Pistons are 3-0 in the NBA Cup! pic.twitter.com/1WmNru9ejW

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 30, 2024

Clearly, the Pistons want to make sure Cunningham is as healthy as possible for next week’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. With a win, the Pistons could advance to the next stage of the tournament. It’s clear that Cunningham’s presence is critical.

Despite taking on a blowout loss against the Sixers on Saturday, the Pistons’ decision to allow Cunningham to have a night of rest should be beneficial.