The Detroit Pistons are sitting at the top of the table in the Eastern Conference, but are heading into tonight’s matchup against their division rival, the Chicago Bulls, without their floor general. Point guard Cade Cunningham, who has been the team’s engine through the early part of the season, is being forced to sit out tonight’s matchup with a left hip contusion, catching fans off guard given how heavily the offense revolves around him.

What Happened to Cade Cunningham?

Cunningham suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of their last matchup against the Washington Wizards. He was fouled hard on a dunk attempt by Cam Whitmore, but he fought through to put up one of the toughest performances of his career on the second night of a back-to-back.

Detroit head coach JB Bickerstaff said of the incident, “I didn’t like the way that it happened… When you take a guy out of the air like that, you don’t walk up on him. I thought [the officials] could have done a better job of controlling that situation. … It shows the courage of Cade, the resilience of Cade, the want to not let his teammates down.”

Cade didn’t participate in the morning shootaround, and was downgraded to ‘questionable’ yesterday following a closer evaluation.

What Is Cade Cunningham’s Injury Status and Expected Return Date?

Details on Cunningham’s injury aren’t available, but him being listed as ‘questionable’ indicates that the injury is likely not severe. So far, there’s no available timeline for his return, but there’s a chance he’s present for Friday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Usually, hip contusions are not very serious, taking as little as one to two weeks for mild cases. However, putting too much pressure on the injury can cause it to worsen into a severe condition. Severe contusions can take as long as four to six weeks to heal, so the Pistons are expected to be cautious with Cade’s condition.

How Will the Detroit Pistons Line Up Without Cade Cunningham?

With Cade Cunningham missing, Detroit is having to start a lineup made up entirely of reserves. For the team’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls, the Pistons have elected to start a lineup of Daniss Jenkins and Duncan Robinson at the guard spots, Javonte Green and Ron Holland at the forward spots, and Paul Reed at center.

Cade isn’t the only person on the injury list. Starting center Jalen Duren, the only other starter available against the Wizards, also carried a major offensive load on Monday night, with both him and Cunningham playing over 40 minutes.

Duren is also dealing with an ankle sprain, making him the fourth Pistons player to be dealing with one right now, joining Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, and Tobias Harris.

Apart from these injuries, Detroit is also missing shooting guard Jaden Ivey, who underwent an arthroscopic procedure to alleviate discomfort in his right knee before the season, along with backup point guard Marcus Sasser, who is recovering from a right hip impingement.

Jenkins will be evaluated for ball-handling duties and to maintain his performance, similar to the game against the Wizards, during which he scored 24 points and hit the game-tying shot to force the match into overtime.

Detroit will also primarily look to Robinson and Green to provide bursts of perimeter scoring, and Holland and Reed to maintain the interior defense that has made the Pistons a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.

With Cunningham missing, all the pressure is on the team’s young core to deliver against a similarly shorthanded Bulls team.