10:49am: Smith is expected to miss about three to six weeks, head coach Dwane Casey said today, per Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
10:37am: Pistons guard Ish Smith has suffered a right adductor muscle tear, the team announced today in a press release. Smith will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks, at which point he’ll be re-evaluated, according to the Pistons.
Smith sustained the injury during Wednesday’s game against the Bucks. While he initially stayed on the court after the injury occurred, he came out of the game a few possessions later and didn’t return. Now, he appears unlikely to re-enter the rotation until around Christmas, at the earliest.
Although Smith is technically just the Pistons’ backup point guard, his role has been more significant this season — he has frequently played alongside starter Reggie Jackson and has the fourth-highest minutes total on the club. In 22 games, the veteran guard is averaging 9.2 PPG and 3.0 APG with a .415/.329/.667 shooting line.
In Smith’s absence, veterans like Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway figure to see increased roles. The Pistons have also talked about using Bruce Brown at the point, so it will be interesting to see if he gets a shot with Smith on the shelf.
The Pistons currently have a full 15-man roster, but likely wouldn’t have have added reinforcements even if they had an open roster spot, given their solid depth at point guard and the relatively short-term nature of Smith’s recovery timetable.