The USC kicker was injured in the Trojans’ opener but has been cleared to play. He will start this weekend against Arizona State, and anything can happen with a player who is “playing free” as he puts it.
The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent quarterback Cade Cunningham to a one-year contract, the team announced Monday. A career backup for most of his career where he spent time on the practice squads of both Tampa Bay and New England, Cunningham will battle with Cody Kessler for playing time in 2018.After days of speculation, the Cavaliers announced that Cade Cunningham will sit out at least the first two weeks of training camp to rehabilitate a lingering knee injury. The Cavs expected him to be ready for opening night but there’s no telling how long he’ll need to recover from his latest setback.
Cade Cunningham is a professional American football player. He was recently injured, but now he will be able to play the rest of the season for free.
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ESPN’s Eric Woodyard
DETROIT (AP) — With No. 1 selection Cade Cunningham making his debut in Saturday’s 110-103 triumph against the Orlando Magic, a new era of Detroit Pistons basketball has begun.
Due to a sprained ankle sustained during training camp, Cunningham missed the entire preseason and the first four games of the regular season. On Friday, he went through team workouts before being allowed to play, although he was limited to 20 to 25 minutes.
In 18 minutes, he scored 2 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. His two points were the fewest scored in an NBA debut by a No. 1 selection since Anthony Bennett in 2013, who had two points as well.
However, having just recovered from an injury, he viewed things differently.
“It was excellent, in my opinion. Coming in, I just want to be able to make some plays off the ball and grab some rebounds. I felt like I was in good defensive shape “According to Cunningham. “And, to be honest, those were the instances when I really wanted to show myself that my ankle was straight and that I could move, guard, and do everything else. So now that I’ve gotten rid of my nerves, I’m free to play.”
Cunningham said that he was excited to go back on the floor after being out for so long. At 5:10 in the second quarter, he scored on a gliding layup up the center of the lane.
Cunningham stated, “I wouldn’t say it was something I didn’t anticipate or couldn’t fathom it being like.” “However, it’s always different than what you might’ve had in your thoughts in terms of once you go out there, all the time you spent trying to prepare your mind for it, once you get out there, you’re still going to feel the over-excitement of just wanting to play.”
Cunningham said that it was difficult to stand on the sidelines and watch his teammates play, but he had encouragement throughout the process.
His first game will be 40 years to the day after franchise great Isiah Thomas made his Pistons debut against the Milwaukee Bucks with 31 points and 11 assists.
Thomas told ESPN, “What a coincidence and a delightful surprise to be reminded of such amazing memories.” “Starting with Detroit and the Pistons, it was really memorable.”
Detroit averted its first 0-5 start since 2012-13 by winning their opening game of the season. Cunningham should not feel obligated to “rescue the day,” according to Pistons coach Dwane Casey.
“Exactly what I was thinking, I knew it was going to be rust, timing, and everything,” Casey remarked. “You can’t expect to play the way you want to play after a month off, but I appreciated the effort, the energy with which he played, the way he pushed the ball, moved the ball, and tried to make the correct choices, and that’s what we needed, the ball movement.”
Cunningham was a one-of-eight shooter from the field (12.5 percent). In the Modern Draft Era, it is the second-worst field goal percentage by a No. 1 overall choice in his NBA debut (since 1966). Bennett went 0-for-5 in his first game.
Despite being constantly compared to prior top choices, the Pistons rookie will aim to write his own story in the NBA.
“You are not obligated to listen to everything that is said. They may say anything they want, but it all depends on whether I listen carefully and allow it to resonate with me “According to Cunningham. “I make an effort to direct my energies in the proper direction. I try to keep my mind in the right place, and my team knows what they want from me, and I know what I expect from myself, so that’s really all that matters to me. Outside of that, people are free to say anything they want, but I’m not likely to hear it.”
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