Cade Cunningham Injury: Why Shin Surgery is Likely for Pistons Playmaker

The Pistons announced last week that second-year point guard Cade Cunningham is out indefinitely with a left shin stress fracture that reportedly may require surgery. 

If Cunningham’s issue is chronic – which the reporting from Shams Charania and E.J. Liddell suggested – he will more-than-likely require a season-ending surgery that involves placing a tibia rod, according to the Pro Basketball Docs. 

The 2021 No. 1 overall pick is “turn[ing] over every stone” before resting on surgery, reports said, but the rest or other treatment options would likely also require an extended period of time and the Docs expect that surgery will be their eventual course of action. 

Stress fractures can worsen over time with repeated overuse – as appeared to be the case for Cunningham’s injury – and returning too early without hardware would risk further fractures. 

Detroit, who has picked Cunningham and Jaden Ivey in the top-4 in the last two Drafts, is last in the East at 4-15 and are on track to have the best lottery odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft. 

Despite the apparent shin issue, the 21-year-old played 12 games and averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and six assists on 18.7 shots per game.