Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons' All-Star guard, has been diagnosed with a mild collapsed lung and is expected to be sidelined for an extended period. This uncertainty has immediate implications for the Eastern Conference and for the Knicks, as Cunningham is the engine behind a Pistons team that holds the No. 1 seed in the East. With 13 games remaining, Detroit holds a 3.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics for the top seed and sits five games ahead of the Knicks in third. If the Pistons fall to the No 2 or No 3 seed without Cunningham, New York would see them in the Conference Finals earlier than expected. However, this could shift the order of playoff matchups, forcing the Knicks to deal with a potentially dangerous Detroit team in a postseason run.