The Detroit Pistons have three more games left in the regular season as they await their first-round opponent. They have little to play for this week as the Pistons have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but can't catch up to the Spurs or the Thunder for potential home-court advantage in the NBA Finals.
The most important thing for the Pistons is, therefore, Cade Cunningham's return.
Pistons fans received highly encouraging news on Wednesday.
Ahead of their final home game of the regular season against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pistons upgraded Cunningham to questionable on the injury report. The Athletic's Hunter Patterson then reported that Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart were both present for the latest shootaround, strengthening the odds of an imminent return.
Cade Cunningham to Make His Pistons Return This Week
The first positive update on Cunningham came on Monday when the team upgraded him to doubtful for the first time since he suffered a collapsed lung. The star guard wasn't with the team in Orlando to face the Magic, so he ended up sitting out.
After another two days of recovery under his belt, Cunningham is now inching towards a return.
Regardless of whether Cunningham plays against the Bucks, this is excellent news.
The Pistons will presumably want Cunningham to get a game or two in before the end of the season so that he can start playing himself into form. It's hard to imagine him playing his usual amount of minutes, but getting a run in to get his legs under him should benefit both Cunningham and the Pistons.
Detroit will have a significant advantage in its first-round matchup as it will have a week to rest, while its opponent will play two games in the NBA Play-In Tournament. This is another reason why the Pistons may want to get Cunningham on the court this week. Otherwise, he will not have played for a month when Game 1 of the first round comes around.
The 24-year-old guard suffered the unfortunate injury on March 17 against the Wizards. He has missed the following 11 games since then, which has made him ineligible for end-of-season awards. More importantly, however, the Pistons maintained their winning ways, going 8-3 in that span and clinching the No. 1 seed.
Despite that success, the Pistons will need a fully healthy Cunningham to compete for a title this spring. The former Oklahoma State Cowboy is in the middle of another All-Star campaign, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 46.1% from the floor and 34.6% fromt he three-point line in 61 games.
The Pistons are getting their heart and soul at the perfect time. If Cunningham looks anywhere close to where he was before the injury, the Pistons have as good a chance as any team to win the NBA Finals (+1900, 6th on FanDuel Sportsbook).
More Detroit Pistons News & Rumors:
Odds update periodically and are subject to change.