NBA Season 2025-26

[Celtics2021]

https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/2034619856423649708?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Just in: Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a collapsed lung and is expected to miss an extended period of time, sources tell ESPN.

How does a collapsed lung happen? Isn't it normally from a traumatic injury? Did he take a nasty fall or something?

He took a fall the other night and left the game in the first quarter. It didn?t look bad at the time, but he might have landed on the ball in just the wrong way while diving on it.  Totally freak injury and I hope he recovers quickly.

[Roy H.]

Kevin O'Connor: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung could keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but not the playoffs, if past recovery timelines are any indication: CJ McCollum, 2023: Missed 12 games over 3.5 weeks CJ McCollum, 2021: 18 games, 6 weeks Terrence Jones, 2015: 6 games, 2 weeks Gerald Wallace, 2009: 7 games, 3 weeks Average of 10.8 games over 3.6 weeks. The Pistons have 14 games remaining with one month until the playoffs

That's pretty encouraging.  He should be back before the end of the regular season, potentially after 2-3 weeks.

[Neurotic Guy]

Kevin O'Connor: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung could keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but not the playoffs, if past recovery timelines are any indication: CJ McCollum, 2023: Missed 12 games over 3.5 weeks CJ McCollum, 2021: 18 games, 6 weeks Terrence Jones, 2015: 6 games, 2 weeks Gerald Wallace, 2009: 7 games, 3 weeks Average of 10.8 games over 3.6 weeks. The Pistons have 14 games remaining with one month until the playoffs

That's pretty encouraging.  He should be back before the end of the regular season, potentially after 2-3 weeks.

That?s a scary injury - glad he?ll be able to recover quickly.  Given that it?s a lung injury a wonder if there are lingering effects related to lung function/breathing/stamina.

[slamtheking]

Kevin O'Connor: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung could keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but not the playoffs, if past recovery timelines are any indication: CJ McCollum, 2023: Missed 12 games over 3.5 weeks CJ McCollum, 2021: 18 games, 6 weeks Terrence Jones, 2015: 6 games, 2 weeks Gerald Wallace, 2009: 7 games, 3 weeks Average of 10.8 games over 3.6 weeks. The Pistons have 14 games remaining with one month until the playoffs

That's pretty encouraging.  He should be back before the end of the regular season, potentially after 2-3 weeks.

That?s a scary injury - glad he?ll be able to recover quickly.  Given that it?s a lung injury a wonder if there are lingering effects related to lung function/breathing/stamina.

a truly unfortunate and disconcerting injury but apparently something he'll recover from thankfully.

wonder if his absence puts the top seed into play for the C's now

[Phantom255x]

Kevin O'Connor: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung could keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but not the playoffs, if past recovery timelines are any indication: CJ McCollum, 2023: Missed 12 games over 3.5 weeks CJ McCollum, 2021: 18 games, 6 weeks Terrence Jones, 2015: 6 games, 2 weeks Gerald Wallace, 2009: 7 games, 3 weeks Average of 10.8 games over 3.6 weeks. The Pistons have 14 games remaining with one month until the playoffs

That's pretty encouraging.  He should be back before the end of the regular season, potentially after 2-3 weeks.

That?s a scary injury - glad he?ll be able to recover quickly.  Given that it?s a lung injury a wonder if there are lingering effects related to lung function/breathing/stamina.

a truly unfortunate and disconcerting injury but apparently something he'll recover from thankfully.

wonder if his absence puts the top seed into play for the C's now

Probably not. DET is still 3.5 ahead of us and have the tiebreaker so we'd have to make up like 5 games, with each team having around 13-14 left.

I am interested to see though if this means a team like CLE decides to not really try and stay in the 4 seed so they draw DET and potentially a limited Cade in the 2nd round. DET with a less than 100% Cade is a way better draw than NY/BOS IMO

[slamtheking]

Kevin O'Connor: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung could keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but not the playoffs, if past recovery timelines are any indication: CJ McCollum, 2023: Missed 12 games over 3.5 weeks CJ McCollum, 2021: 18 games, 6 weeks Terrence Jones, 2015: 6 games, 2 weeks Gerald Wallace, 2009: 7 games, 3 weeks Average of 10.8 games over 3.6 weeks. The Pistons have 14 games remaining with one month until the playoffs

That's pretty encouraging.  He should be back before the end of the regular season, potentially after 2-3 weeks.

That?s a scary injury - glad he?ll be able to recover quickly.  Given that it?s a lung injury a wonder if there are lingering effects related to lung function/breathing/stamina.

a truly unfortunate and disconcerting injury but apparently something he'll recover from thankfully.

wonder if his absence puts the top seed into play for the C's now

Probably not. DET is still 3.5 ahead of us and have the tiebreaker so we'd have to make up like 5 games, with each team having around 13-14 left.

I am interested to see though if this means a team like CLE decides to not really try and stay in the 4 seed so they draw DET and potentially a limited Cade in the 2nd round. DET with a less than 100% Cade is a way better draw than NY/BOS IMO

I think even with a healthy Cade, Cleveland would be the worst draw for Det.  Mobley and Allen can handle the Det bigs and the Mitchell/Harden backcourt will be tough to handle under any circumstances for Det

[Phantom255x]

Kevin O'Connor: Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung could keep him sidelined for the rest of the regular season, but not the playoffs, if past recovery timelines are any indication: CJ McCollum, 2023: Missed 12 games over 3.5 weeks CJ McCollum, 2021: 18 games, 6 weeks Terrence Jones, 2015: 6 games, 2 weeks Gerald Wallace, 2009: 7 games, 3 weeks Average of 10.8 games over 3.6 weeks. The Pistons have 14 games remaining with one month until the playoffs

That's pretty encouraging.  He should be back before the end of the regular season, potentially after 2-3 weeks.

That?s a scary injury - glad he?ll be able to recover quickly.  Given that it?s a lung injury a wonder if there are lingering effects related to lung function/breathing/stamina.

a truly unfortunate and disconcerting injury but apparently something he'll recover from thankfully.

wonder if his absence puts the top seed into play for the C's now

Probably not. DET is still 3.5 ahead of us and have the tiebreaker so we'd have to make up like 5 games, with each team having around 13-14 left.

I am interested to see though if this means a team like CLE decides to not really try and stay in the 4 seed so they draw DET and potentially a limited Cade in the 2nd round. DET with a less than 100% Cade is a way better draw than NY/BOS IMO

I think even with a healthy Cade, Cleveland would be the worst draw for Det.  Mobley and Allen can handle the Det bigs and the Mitchell/Harden backcourt will be tough to handle under any circumstances for Det

Yeah Detroit's path is pretty tough. They could even draw a team like Charlotte first round depending on the play-in, which is not great either given how the Hornets have looked. I think it very well could be whoever wins the Knicks-Celtics 2nd round series (which seems inevitable) will make the Finals this year out of the East.

And then probably get throttled by the West but NY/BOS fans can worry about that later 

[Moranis]

I don't believe in tanking for seeding, but if Boston could avoid the Knicks until the ecf, that would be optimal.  Knicks are the team in east I'm most worried about. 

[Roy H.]

I don't believe in tanking for seeding, but if Boston could avoid the Knicks until the ecf, that would be optimal.  Knicks are the team in east I'm most worried about.

I've never understood this.  Why is playing the Knicks in the ECF better than in the second round?  Either way, we've probably got to beat two of Detroit, New York and Cleveland.

And of course, tanking for seeding not only would kill momentum and set a "we're afraid of the Knicks" mindset, but it would also ensure the Knicks had home court.

[Moranis]

I don't believe in tanking for seeding, but if Boston could avoid the Knicks until the ecf, that would be optimal.  Knicks are the team in east I'm most worried about.

I've never understood this.  Why is playing the Knicks in the ECF better than in the second round?  Either way, we've probably got to beat two of Detroit, New York and Cleveland.

And of course, tanking for seeding not only would kill momentum and set a "we're afraid of the Knicks" mindset, but it would also ensure the Knicks had home court.

the Knicks are the only team in the East I'm worried about and the longer it is till you play them, the more likely it is they lose before playing Boston.  Post Harden trade the Cavs, for example, match up fairly well with the Knicks.  If the Cavs beat them in round 2, better for Boston.

[slamtheking]

I don't believe in tanking for seeding, but if Boston could avoid the Knicks until the ecf, that would be optimal.  Knicks are the team in east I'm most worried about.

I've never understood this.  Why is playing the Knicks in the ECF better than in the second round?  Either way, we've probably got to beat two of Detroit, New York and Cleveland.

And of course, tanking for seeding not only would kill momentum and set a "we're afraid of the Knicks" mindset, but it would also ensure the Knicks had home court.

the Knicks are the only team jn the East I'm worried about and the longer it is till you play them, the more likely it is they lose before playing Boston.  Post Harden trade the Cavs, for example, match up fairly well with the Knicks.  If the Cavs beat them in round 2, better for Boston.

I've always hated that mentality.  to be the best, you've got to beat the best.  also puts to rest all that offseason whining by the media and other fans that they only won the title because they had an easy run.  that crap is still dogging them from their run in 2024. 

[Donoghus]

Healthy, the Celtics are the best team in the East.  Playing the Knicks in the 2nd round or the ECF doesn't matter. 

[Phantom255x]

Yeah this Charlotte team, I don't think anyone wants to face them

(No I'm not saying if the Celtics did that they'd lose the series, but CHA can definitely compete and push any of these East teams even in the first round)

[Moranis]

I don't believe in tanking for seeding, but if Boston could avoid the Knicks until the ecf, that would be optimal.  Knicks are the team in east I'm most worried about.

I've never understood this.  Why is playing the Knicks in the ECF better than in the second round?  Either way, we've probably got to beat two of Detroit, New York and Cleveland.

And of course, tanking for seeding not only would kill momentum and set a "we're afraid of the Knicks" mindset, but it would also ensure the Knicks had home court.

the Knicks are the only team jn the East I'm worried about and the longer it is till you play them, the more likely it is they lose before playing Boston.  Post Harden trade the Cavs, for example, match up fairly well with the Knicks.  If the Cavs beat them in round 2, better for Boston.

I've always hated that mentality.  to be the best, you've got to beat the best.  also puts to rest all that offseason whining by the media and other fans that they only won the title because they had an easy run.  that crap is still dogging them from their run in 2024.

Sure, winning with the hardest path possible is best, but winning with an easier path is better than losing. Again, I don't think a team should tank for playoff seeding.  That is bad juju and sends the wrong message, but all things being equal, I'd rather have an easier path.  More likely to win and less likely to be injured.

[Moranis]

Lebron played tonight and tied the Chief at 1611 games for the most in NBA history.  Westbrook is the next closest active player at 1300 games tied with Ray Allen for 25th all time.