Yahoo Sports contributing NBA writer Tom Haberstroh and NBA writer Dan Devine dive into this week’s big number involving the Detroit Pistons winning more without Cade Cunningham than with him.
Check out the full conversation on “The Big Number” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Because I think it’s a fascinating topic.
This week’s big number is seven thirty-three.
That is the win percentage of the Detroit Pistons this season without Cade Cunningham.
The win over the- the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday set their, win-loss record at 11 and four without their best player, Cade Cunningham.
their superstar has been out with a partially collapsed lung, and I think a lot of Detroit fans were probably a little nervous about how their grip on the, the top seed in the Eastern Conference would go with, you know, James Harden in Cleveland.
You got Boston with Jayson Tatum and the New York Knicks, of course.
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And, and yet they’ve pulled away and, and I think this is not just Cade Cunningham, a story about them, ’cause, with Cade Cunningham, they’re actually slightly worse in win percentage.
11 and four is a seven thirty-three win percentage, and then 44 and 17 with Cade Cunningham in uniform is a win percentage of seven twenty-one.
But I bring this all up because this is happening a lot with the best players in the league is over there on, Thursday night, Amazon Prime is hosting this Minnesota Timberwolves-Detroit Pistons matchup, and Anthony Edwards has had the same story.
Anthony Edwards, when he’s been out this season, the, the Minnesota Timberwolves are 10 and six.
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Slightly better win percentage- with him off the floor than when he’s on the floor.
And Dan, I, I feel like this is kinda one of those issues that we’re seeing around the league where, it’s hard to peg the MVP conversation, it’s hard to peg the first team All-NBA or the top five in MVP.
Because a lot of these candidates, every time we think when they get hurt or they’re sidelined and their team’s gonna suffer, it really hasn’t been the case.
And so I’m int- interested to see how this Pistons team faces off against Minnesota on Thursday night without Cade Cunningham still.
He’s got 60 games, played according to the NBA’s player participation policy with at least 20 minutes, in those 60 games, counting towards the 65 game rule.
He’s not gonna play on Thursday