Cade's Injury, Frontcourt Concerns, and Ausar is Available | The Weekly Drive

As Ausar Thompson returns to action, Cade Cunningham suffers an injury at an inopportune time.

Happy Thanksgiving week Pistons fans, and thanks for tuning in to the Weekly Drive. Cade Cunningham has a hip/back injury, the front-court has some concerns, and Ausar Thompson will make his debut. The Pistons didn’t win a game this week, but there is plenty to talk about.

Weekly Game Recaps

Game 16: Chicago 122, Detroit 112

Rapid Detail: Zach LaVine took over in the fourth quarter and ended up with a very good game, as he has against Detroit. The biggest difference? Chicago hit half of their three-pointers while the Pistons shot 34% from deep.

Game 17: Detroit 121, Charlotte 123 (OT)

Rapid Detail: Another winnable game against the Hornets ends with a disappointing loss. Jalen Duren had a poor showing against Charlotte’s third-string center, Cunningham missed overtime with an injury, and the Pistons had another 19 turnovers. The biggest difference? With both star point guards not available for overtime (LaMelo Ball fouled out, Cunningham injured his back), the shooting guards were direct opposites. Brandon Miller shined and willed the team to a win, while Jaden Ivey was ineffective and unable to generate offense.

Game 18: Detroit 100, Orlando 111

Rapid Detail: Boy, the Pistons miss Ausar Thompson. In a game where Franz Wagner dominated (30 points, nine rebounds, eight assists), Detroit had nobody that could slow him down. Thompson was deemed available to play, but he never came into the game. Tim Hardaway Jr. continues to struggle since his head injury, shooting 3/20 in the last three games. Woof.

Cade has a Back (?) Injury

Late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s game against the Hornets, Cunningham took a nasty spill and landed on what looked like his tailbone. He exited the game and did not return, with the organization calling it a hip injury. As of the time of this writing, Cunningham is expected to miss his second straight game.

Just as discouraging for the Pistons is how ineffective their offense becomes when Cunningham is unable to go. Jaden Ivey was unable to get anything going in overtime against a mediocre Hornets defense, while his counterpart on the other side took over and won Charlotte the game. The Pistons offense was similarly poor versus Orlando, though that is somewhat more forgivable given the Magic’s solid defense. But the Pistons looking like last season’s 14-win team when Cunningham sits is concerning.

Frontcourt Concerns

It’s been a frustrating start to the season for Jalen Duren, and it was another poor week for the big man. He was dominated by Nikola Vucevic, allowed Moussa Diabate to completely control the glass, and only had four rebounds against the Magic. The counting stats are deceptively optimistic, especially the 22 rebounds against Chicago. Duren’s rim protection and defensive awareness remain big concerns.

Ausar is Available

Despite being made available for Saturday’s game against Orlando, Ausar Thompson didn’t see the floor. That is expected to change this week, with Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press saying he “always expected” Thompson to make his debut Monday against Toronto.

It was a winless week for the Pistons, but there is still plenty to be hopeful for. Cunningham should be back this upcoming week with some winnable games against Toronto, Indiana, and Philadelphia. Do you have any thoughts on Duren? Is Isaiah Stewart a better option? Let us know in the comments.

Have a happy, safe Thanksgiving. See you next week.

Mike