Detroit Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham to miss season opener with ankle sprain

Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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Detroit Pistons fans will have to wait a little longer for Cade Cunningham to make his home debut.

The No. 1 pick will miss Wednesday's season opener against the Chicago Bulls with a right ankle sprain. Cunningham suffered the injury early in training camp, and while it was initially characterized as "minor," Cunningham hasn't fully returned to practice two weeks later.

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"He went through some practice today," Dwane Casey said on Tuesday. We'll see. We're not going to put a timetable on it. When he's ready to roll, he's going to be ready to roll."

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shakes hands with teammates at a timeout against San Antonio Spurs during the first half of a preseason game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shakes hands with teammates at a timeout against San Antonio Spurs during the first half of a preseason game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.

While Cunningham hasn't been a full participant in practices, he's been able to do shooting drills with trainers after practice. He isn't wearing a walking boot or using crutches. As a point of comparison -- when Isaiah Stewart sprained his ankle earlier this summer, his ankle was placed in a walking boot and he ended up missing two months of action.

It isn't clear when Cunningham will return. His first opportunity will be on the road against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, Oct. 23. The Pistons' next home game isn't until Oct. 30, so he has nearly two weeks to return to full health and make his home debut before the month ends.

Despite missing almost all of training camp, the Pistons aren't concerned that Cunningham will have a tough time getting back up to speed.

"We know what he brings to the table," Jerami Grant said Tuesday. "His poise, being able to control the game. His ability to shoot. He does a lot of things that will help us when he gets back. We'll still have to get acclimated when he does get back, but he has a lot of positives that will definitely help our team."

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cade Cunningham will miss Detroit Pistons' season opener