Detroit — It’s been a waiting game for almost all of preseason.
Will he or won’t he?
Following the news that the Pistons’ No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, suffered an ankle injury near the start of training camp, the big question was whether Cunningham would be back in time for the regular-season opener.
He won’t.
The Pistons have ruled Cunningham out for Wednesday’s opener against the Chicago Bulls at Little Caesars Arena.
Cunningham had been limited in practice for the past few days, and the team medical staff has been very cautious in his rehabilitation, not wanting to bring him back too soon and risk further injury.
“We don’t know yet,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said of Cunningham’s status after Tuesday’s practice. “He went through some practice, but we’ll see. We’re not going to put a timetable on it — when he’s ready to roll, he’s going to be ready to roll.”
Cunningham’s absence likely means Frank Jackson or Josh Jackson will join the starting lineup with Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk.
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard