To the surprise of many of their critics, the Detroit Pistons have fared well since Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung.

With his timetable still uncertain as the regular season enters the final stretch, the Pistons have taken the adversity head-on and have gone 4-1 in the games without Cunningham.

The Pistons’ lone loss came in a 130-129 overtime thriller against the Atlanta Hawks, in which Jalen Duren’s put-back shot in the final seconds came up an inch short.

During Cunningham’s absence, these three Pistons players have stepped up in a major way for Detroit, as they look to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since the 2006-07 season. 

Jalen Duren

A candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year, Jalen Duren, has put together an extraordinary season for the Pistons. In addition to averaging 19.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Pistons, Duren has shown true leadership during Cunningham’s absence. 

In the five games that Cunningham has been absent, Duren has scored 20-plus points in every matchup, including recording four double-doubles. If Cunningham is to return for the Pistons in the postseason, Duren will also play a crucial role in leading Detroit to a deep playoff run.  

Daniss Jenkins

Over the last five games, the Pistons have seen the emergence of guard Daniss Jenkins. What started with an impressive performance in the Pistons’ win over the Golden State Warriors was immediately followed by Jenkins scoring a career-high 30 points in Detroit’s thrilling 113-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. 

The emergence of Daniss Jenkins has been one of the top storylines for the Pistons this season, as last year, Jenkins was averaging only 1.0 points per game in only seven games played. Now, with the Pistons preparing for the postseason with the possibility of not having Cunningham, Jenkins could be an unsung hero for Detroit in the postseason.  

Tobias Harris

The Pistons’ third-leading scorer, Tobias Harris, has also played a key role for Detroit without Cunningham. In the games that Harris has been absent from the Pistons, Harris has scored in double figures in four of those contests. 

In the Pistons’ comeback that fell short against the Hawks in overtime, Harris played a critical role in leading Detroit to force overtime, as he finished the game with 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists, while shooting over 52.9 percent from the field. 

Entering the postseason, Harris’ performance could be a key x-factor in the Pistons’ chances of making a deep playoff run. In the Pistons’ first-round playoff series loss against the New York Knicks last season, Harris averaged 15.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Both generations on the ice Friday are intent on growing the game for today’s kids. Hartje and the Polar Bears believe an important step for women’s hockey in Michigan would be starting a Division I college team.

“I think if the PWHL establishes a team in Detroit, it will put a lot of pressure on the colleges to make sure there’s a D-I team in the state,” Hartje said. “Michigan has the second-highest number of players in the league, and it would have been a dream for us to be able to stay in the state to play.”

It’s been a problem for decades. Pierson had to turn down the offer from Boston University, because her family couldn’t afford to send her to New England for college. Hartje ended up at Yale University, and Megan Keller, who scored the gold medal winning goal for the U.S. in the 2026 Winter Olympics and plays for the PWHL’s Boston Fleet, went from suburban Detroit to Boston College.

Meanwhile, 2026 U.S. men’s Olympic team members and Michigan natives Dylan Larkin of the Red Wings and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets were able to stay in the state to play with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, then based in Ann Arbor, before moving on to the University of Michigan in the same town.

“Megan’s brother played at Michigan State, and I’m sure she also would have stayed here to play for a Michigan school,” Skarupa said. “It’s imperative that Michigan gets a college program.”

Skarupa is serious about growing the game. She is working with Keller and the NHL Foundation U.S. to identify recipients for its $100,000 Empowerment Grant Program for Girls Hockey.

“Every time I go back to a city, there are new teams, new girls and new faces,” she said. “It’s a testament to growth all over the world, but it is tremendous inside the U.S.”