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Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks on during first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Pistons Dominance Without Cade Cunningham Should Scare Eastern Conference

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Caden Handwork | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 10:50 AM ET

When Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung diagnosis was announced to the NBA world on March 19, some of the Detroit Pistons’ biggest critics argued that the team wouldn’t be able to maintain the same success that they experienced when he was on the court.

Despite the critics, the Pistons have battled through the adversity without their star player, as Detroit has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference since Cunningham last played on March 17, posting a 9-3 record.

Two of those three losses for the Pistons without Cunningham came in overtime against the Atlanta Hawks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The other came on Monday night on the road against the Orlando Magic, a game the Pistons lost 123-107, while resting Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson, and Caris LeVert.

Cunningham is nearing his return for the Pistons, and for Wednesday night’s regular-season home finale against the Milwaukee Bucks, he's been updated to questionable for Detroit. Even if Cunningham is ready to go for Wednesday night’s game, the Pistons should be cautious and wait until the playoffs for his return, as they have already started to rest key players and have the No. 1 seed locked up.

Why Pistons Success Without Cunningham Should Concern Eastern Conference Teams

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The fact that the Pistons have remained so dominant without Cunningham is a good sign for Detroit and its goal of winning its first NBA championship since 2004. If the Pistons can be successful without Cunningham, imagine what they are capable of with their star player.

As the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons, with Cunningham, are the team to beat. The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are among the group of two teams that have the best shot of crushing the Pistons' NBA Finals aspirations.

The Celtics, with Jayson Tatum back at full strength, look to use their playoff experience to get the best of the Pistons in what could potentially be an Eastern Conference Finals series. The last time the Pistons made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008, they fell to the Celtics. This time, the Pistons hope to come out on top.

The Cavaliers are also primed to upset the Pistons, as in their four meetings this season, they have almost beaten Detroit twice without their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, a game behind the New York Knicks at 50-29 overall.

The way the standings stand right now, the Pistons, if able to avoid a monumental upset in the first round, would potentially face the Cavaliers in the second round. Given their success this season against the New York Knicks, in which they went 3-0, the Pistons would love the Knicks to fall back to the No. 4 seed to set up a potential second-round matchup between the two.

While there is a difference between playing a team in the regular season and in the playoffs, the dominance that the Pistons put on display in their three matchups against the Knicks is likely to continue when Cunningham returns.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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