Cade Cunningham has yet to suit up with the Detroit Pistons in the preseason but teammate Saddiq Bey doesn’t believe his absence is a big setback for the team.
Cunningham turned his ankle in practice last week and has been unable to fully participate in training camp. He missed the Pistons’ preseason opener on Wednesday versus the San Antonio Spurs but is progressing toward a return to the court.
Without Cunningham, the Pistons have relied on their depth in the backcourt with the likes of Rodney McGruder, Saben Lee, Cory Joseph and Hamidou Diallo. The team, as Bey said, has gone with a next-man-up approach so far in training camp.
I don’t really think it’s a big setback. He is really attentive during practices and he knows what we’re doing, our sets and concepts. The next man up is ready in filling their role as well so everybody kinda knows what we’re doing; everybody knows each other’s games. I don’t think it’s a setback at all.
While the team is moving toward the next man, Cunningham is still missing out on a valuable opportunity to play during training camp and the preseason. He is still able to learn and be around the team off the court but he will be a bit behind on the court.
Cunningham has been highly touted for his basketball IQ and knowledge of the game so he likely will be able to pick things up rather quickly. Certainly, the Pistons and Cunningham himself can’t wait until he can take the court.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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