Detroit — Cade Cunningham has dived for many loose balls during his five-year career, but his latest attempt ended up being the most costly.
During the Detroit Pistons’ 130-119 victory over the Washington Wizards on March 17, Cunningham attempted to go after a loose ball after Wizards guard Tre Johnson lost control of his dribble. As the two players tried to go after the 50-50 ball, Johnson’s right knee made contact with Cunningham’s back, which resulted in a collapsed left lung.
The collision at Capital One Arena almost jeopardized Cunningham’s season, as it involved an uncommon injury seen in the NBA. But three weeks later, Cunningham returned to the court during the Pistons’ 137-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. He played 26 minutes inside Little Caesars Arena, finishing with 13 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
“I felt really good. I felt like I got some really good cardio in; everything felt good,” Cunningham said. “With all of the training and stuff that I’ve been doing, it had me in a great place. I was comfortable for all of my minutes. It was good.”
Cunningham’s return was a moment of celebration for his teammates, team management and fans. However, his double-double performance served as another reminder that the All-Star guard likely will fall short of receiving any individual accolades due to the league’s 65-game rule.
Cunningham was a strong candidate for league MVP honors before sustaining the injury and had the potential to be named to the league’s All-NBA First Team, but after missing 11 games during the final month of the regular season, he is currently ineligible to qualify.
“It’s tough for me right now this year because I think I did a lot of work to be in consideration for awards and All-NBA and all that stuff,” Cunningham said. “I’m in a tough spot, but I think it will all play out how it’s supposed to play out, and I’m just trying to do my best to help the team win. … I just keep doing my job day-by-day and whatever comes will come and whatever is meant to be will be.”
Cunningham’s situation has sparked debate about the league’s 65-game rule, with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) calling for its abolition or reform on March 24. However, there is a small chance he could still qualify for regular-season awards under the extraordinary circumstances challenge.
In a document obtained by The Detroit News, the Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge is a grievance that proves a player would have played 20 or more minutes in each game he missed if not for the unforeseen condition, and that it would be unjust to exclude him from league honors.
To obtain approval, any claims of Extraordinary Circumstances must be submitted as a challenge by 11:59 p.m. ET on the day following the conclusion of the regular season. An independent expert — chosen collaboratively by the NBA and the Players Association — will hear the grievance. If the player meets the burden and wins the proceeding, they will be considered eligible for league honors.
The hearing also will take into consideration other missed games throughout the season in which a player could have participated.
Although the 65-game rule has left Cunningham in a difficult situation, he remains in support of the regulation. So far this season, he has played 62 games, averaging 24.4 points on 46.2% shooting from the field, along with 9.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
“I feel a lot of different ways about it. I think what they’re trying to do with it is have superstars play and not sit out just to rest because fans pay a lot of money to come watch us play games,” Cunningham said. “I have a lot of respect for that. The fans come to watch me play and I want to make sure I’m available and I give them a show whenever they come out. In that way, I respect the rule. I think it’s a good rule in that way.”
Cunningham mentioned that recovering from a collapsed lung was different from any other injury he has faced in his career. When the injury first happened, he experienced some panic due to the discomfort he was feeling.
One of the biggest changes in his recovery was the necessity of rest, which turned out to be a silver lining. The additional time off allowed him to heal from several other injuries that he would have found challenging to recover from if he had continued playing.
Cunningham’s status for the final two games of the season will largely depend on how well he recovers from Wednesday’s game. However, as the Pistons prepare for their two-game road trip, starting with a game against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Cunningham is just excited to be back on the court and competing alongside his teammates.
“Thanks to all the medical and staff that was around, I was pretty beat up,” Cunningham said. “I am glad I’m back. Thankful for all the support, prayers and everything that was sent my way. I’m just happy and blessed to be back.”
Pistons at Hornets
▶ Tip-off: 7 p.m. Friday, Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
▶ TV/radio: FDSN, Channel 20/98.7 FM
▶ Outlook: The Pistons will conclude their regular season with a two-game road trip, starting Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. The game also could be a preview of the first-round playoff series between the No. 1 seed and the No. 8 seed. Since Jan. 1, the Hornets have the league’s fifth-best record at 32-15. They have currently won nine of their last 12 games.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham breaks silence on 65-game rule
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