The Detroit Pistons are about to take on the table toppers, the Cleveland Cavaliers. With around two weeks left before the postseason begins, the Pistons will love to seal their status as a playoff team by besting the Cavs. But will they be able to count on their stars like Cade Cunningham to do it?
After all, beating a team with 59 wins is not easy. So will the Pistons be able to stop the Cavs from getting to 60 wins against them? Let’s see.
Detroit Pistons Injury Report – Will Cade Cunningham play against the Cavs?
We’ve got some good and bad news for you Pistons fans out there. The good news is that there are only 4 players on the injury report for the Cavs game. But that’s pretty much where the good news ends. The bad news is that Cade Cunningham is among those listed on the injury report.
The 23-year-old point guard is OUT of the Pistons’ upcoming game due to a left calf contusion. There is no concrete timeline for his return yet. While the Pistons were able to make do without Cade against the San Antonio Spurs, the Cavaliers are a different animal altogether. And their performance in this game will act as a litmus test for how ready they are for the playoffs.
Joining him on the list of injured players is Jaden Ivey. He is also OUT as he’s still recovering from the fractured fibula he suffered earlier in the season. On March 13th we learned that his recovery was coming along well and that he was scheduled to be re-evaluated in 4 weeks. That means we’ll get another update about his status in the second week of April.
Finally, G-League players Ron Harper Jr. and Tolu Smith are also OUT of the Pistons squad for the Cavs game. They are have G-League duties to fulfill given their two-way contracts. And that’s it for the injuries to the Pistons squad. Now, let’s see how they might lineup against the Cavs.
Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers – predicted starting lineup and depth chart
Beating the Cleveland Cavaliers is already quite the tough ask this season. But doing it seems nearly impossible without your best players present. So it stands to reason that J.B Bickerstaff will have his work cut out as he looks to field a lineup that can go head-to-head against the Cavs. Here are the players we think he may pick:
POSITION
STARTER
2nd UNIT
3rd UNIT
PG
Dennis Schroder
Marcus Sasser
Daniss Jenkins
SG
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Malik Beasley
Marcus Sasser
SF
Ausar Thompson
Ronald Holland II
Tim Hardaway Jr.
PF
Tobias Harris
Simone Fontecchio
Lindy Waters III
C
Jalen Duren
Isaiah Stewart
Paul Reed
While Dennis Schroder isn’t quite at the level of Cade Cunningham, he can still serve as a viable option for Bickerstaff against the Cavs. Truth be told, the Pistons aren’t very well poised to win this game against the Cavs. So, barring a shocking upset, we think the Cavs have this one in the bag.
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