3 ways Cade Cunningham’s absence could impact the Celtics

Boston Celtics

Cunningham is out with a collapsed lung, and the Pistons say they will re-evaluate him two weeks from now.

The only things that stand between Celtics The No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is the Detroit Pistons and the dwindling time remaining in the regular season.

The Celtics have won seven of their last 10 games, the best mark among the top five teams in the East, and they have recently gotten a boost from the return of Jayson Tatum. With just 13 games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics trail Detroit by 3.5 games.

Thursday, ESPN reported Detroit star Cade Cunningham is expected to be out for an extended period after suffering a collapsed lung. The Pistons announced that his condition will be re-evaluated two weeks from now, meaning Cunningham will be sidelined until at least early April.

The playoffs are just around the corner. The regular season ends on April 12, and the playoffs begin on April 18. Here are some ways Cunningham’s absence before then could impact the Celtics.

Any missed playoff time could make the Pistons more vulnerable.

The Pistons do not have a specific timetable for Cunningham’s return yet. ESPN’s Shams Charania He said there was “some optimism” that Cunningham could return for the playoffs, and that doctors were working to obtain more information.

Recovery times can vary. CJ McCollum was injured twice. According to CBS SportsOne case kept McCollum off the field for approximately a month and a half (41 days). In another case, he returned three weeks later. Gerald Wallace and Terrence Jones both finished missing seven or fewer games.

But, even when Cunningham returns, it’s not entirely certain he’ll be at full strength.

Cunningham is practically averaging a double-double with 24.5 points and 9.9 assists per game. As a point guard, he plays a big role in organizing Detroit’s offense, which is No. 8 in the NBA in points (117.4) per game. At 6 feet 6 inches tall, he is also a tall, athletic defender. The Pistons are No. 2 in the league in defensive efficiency.

Detroit has led the Eastern Conference for months, and will likely still be the top seed heading into the playoffs, meaning the Celtics won’t play them until the conference finals. However, losing a player of Cunningham’s caliber could leave Detroit more vulnerable to an early upset.

There may be one less competitor for Jaylen Brown in the MVP race.

Players must play 65 or more games to be eligible for NBA postseason awards. Cunningham has played in 61 games, and there is a possibility he could miss the regular season depending on how the next two weeks go.

Jaylen Brown has a lot to do with why the Celtics are in the position they are in. Jayson Tatum has missed 60 games and the Celtics haven’t missed a beat. They were a No. 2 seed last year, and are in position to be a No. 2 seed again this year.

They endured a lot of roster changes outside of Tatum after trading Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason, while losing Al Horford and Luke Kornet to free agency.

Brown has played his part in the MVP conversation as a fringe candidate. As of Wednesday, he had Sixth best odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Cunningham came in fourth place.

If Cunningham becomes ineligible, Brown would likely be a top 5 candidate for the award. He is the only one of the top six to surpass the 60-game mark this season. With 62 games played, he must play in just three of the next 13 games to maintain his eligibility.

Nikola Jokic and Viktor Wimpanyama have played 54 matches this season. Luka Doncic played 57 games and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played 58 games. An extended absence for any of them could improve Brown’s odds further.

Momentum could change further.

Detroit had already cooled off before Cunningham’s injury, losing five of its last nine games.

The Celtics, on the other hand, have won 12 of their last 16 games, and are now healthier than they have been all season. They’re still missing Nikola Vucevic, who was dealing with a broken finger, but Tatum, Brown, Derrick White and company have been rolling lately.

Boston and Detroit are the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics appear to be gaining steam heading into the playoffs, while Detroit appears to be losing steam.

Of course, anything can happen in the playoffs. The Celtics could bounce back in the first round like they did last year, or they could reach the conference finals and set up a showdown with Detroit.

There’s more than a month of basketball left before these two teams meet in the playoffs, but the way things develop between now and then could be interesting given the latest developments with Cunningham.