Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Johnson, D-League, Van Gundy

December 11th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Will Joseph

After falling out of the rotation partially because of some inconsistency on the offensive end, Stanley Johnson thrived Saturday night in a game for the Pistons’ D-League affiliate, Aaron McMann of MLive writes. Johnson, whom the Pistons picked up a 2017/18 option on, rediscovered his scoring ability with 26 points, as McMann relays. This was the first time Johnson was assigned to the D-League and it will be interesting to see when he can regain a spot in the rotation after McMann writes that he seemingly fell out of favor with the coaching staff.

Here’s more out of Detroit:

Johnson’s stint in the D-League may act as a wake-up call as he was expected back with the Pistons on Sunday, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. Johnson, who appeared to be a solid piece of the Pistons’ long-term plans after averaging 8.1 points as a rookie last season, took a positive step forward and must use that as a building block, Beard adds.
Unprompted, coach Stan Van Gundy squashed trade rumors involving the Pistons during a pregame presser and there has been no indication that the Pistons would be willing to surrender a talented haul in exchange for an all-star, Beard writes in a separate story.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/16

December 10th, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

10:59pm:

The Magic have recalled center Stephen Zimmerman from their Erie affiliate, the team posted on its website. Zimmerman spent four games with Erie, averaging 21.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in two games with Orlando.

3:05pm:

The Pistons have assigned Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson, and Michael Gbinije to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson and Gbinije have already spent some time in Grand Rapids this season, but it’ll be Johnson’s first D-League stint of the season. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), the 2015 eighth overall pick discussed the move with Stan Van Gundy, and will return to the Pistons after playing tonight with the Drive.
Jerian Grant and Paul Zipser have been recalled from the D-League by the Bulls, the club announced in a press release. Both players contributed to the Windy City Bulls’ victory over Canton on Friday night, with Grant making the game-winning shot. R.J. Hunter remains on assignment with the club.
The Hawks don’t have their own D-League affiliate, but they’ve assigned DeAndre’ Bembry back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In a one-game stint with the Stars earlier this season, Bembry poured in 16 of 22 shots and racked up 35 points.
A day after being assigned to the D-League to practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been recalled by the Jazz, according to a team release.
The Lakers have sent rookie big man Ivica Zubac back to the D-League, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Zubac will suit up tonight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in their game against Austin.

Aldrich Was On Team's Radar

December 9th, 2016 at 9:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons signed Aron Baynes in the summer of 2015, but had they not been able to reach an agreement with the big man, they would have targeted Cole Aldrich for their back-up center spot, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports. Baynes has been an effective player for Detroit, averaging 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per outing this season.

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Bullock, Smith, Johnson

December 4th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Point guard Reggie Jackson will make his season debut tonight, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed that Jackson will play on a limited basis against Orlando, with the plan being to start him and use him for a few minutes each quarter (Twitter link). Jackson has been sidelined since receiving plasma injection therapy to treat tendinitis on his left knee October 10th. He told Van Gundy on Friday that he didn’t expect to be ready to play, but changed his mind Saturday night (Twitter link). “This is about far along as I’m going to be and the rest is going to be playing through kinks,” Jackson said (Twitter link).

There’s more news out of Detroit:

Small forward Reggie Bullock had meniscus surgery Saturday and will be out four to six weeks, Beard tweeted. Van Gundy relayed the recovery timetable, which is shorter than originally expected.
Ish Smith has been helping the team stay competitive in Jackson’s absence, Beard writes in a separate piece. Smith, who came to Detroit on a three-year, $18MM contract this summer, has averaged 15.5 points and 5.3 assists over his last four games. “It’s a comfort level,” Smith said. “You come to a new team and you don’t want to step on any toes. You don’t want to extend out but you want to play your game.”
It’s way too early for the Pistons to think about trading Stanley Johnson, argues Vince Ellis of USA Today. Johnson, who was expected to be Detroit’s sixth man when the season started, has seen his playing time drop dramatically. Van Gundy has questioned his work ethic, and Darrun Hilliard has taken his minutes as the backup shooting guard. However, Ellis points out that the Pistons can afford to be patient because Johnson is only 20, has the athleticism to guard several positions and is making about $3MM per season on his rookie contract. “He’s definitely a part of our long-term plan,” Van Gundy said. “I think the guy has a chance to be really, really good. We need him to become a really good player. We have to do everything we can to get him there because he’s a huge part of any type of long-term success that we’re gonna have.”

Central Notes: Jones, Cavs, Johnson, Bulls

December 3rd, 2016 at 9:19am CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers swingman James Jones plans to retire after the 2017/18 season, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Jones, 36, becomes a free agent after this season but would likely remain with Cleveland, given LeBron James‘ affinity for Jones as a teammate, Lloyd adds. “I know playing 15 years is a number where I can look back and I can be like, ‘I accomplished something,’ ” Jones told Lloyd. “Fourteen vs. 15 may not be much, but to be able to say I played 15 years, that’s enough for me to hang ’em up.”

In other news around the Central Division:

The Cavaliers are in the market for a backup point guard and could fulfill that need later this month, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. That potential acquisition will likely come after December 15th, when free agents who signed contracts over the summer can be traded, Vardon adds. Cleveland doesn’t have a true point guard to back up Kyrie Irving other than rookie Kay Felder, who has played sparingly.
Stanley Johnson needs to improve his work habits in order to reclaim his rotation spot, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy told Aaron McMann of MLive and other beat reporters. Johnson, a 2015 lottery pick, was benched in two games the last two weeks and also served a one-game team suspension after showing up late for the morning shootaround, McMann continues. Johnson only played four garbage-time minutes against the Hawks on Friday. “He’s got to be a better practice guy,” Van Gundy told McMann. “He’s got to be a better workout guy. He’s got to be better with all that stuff. Really working to get better. Once he’s out there competing, you don’t have a problem with that. He’ll play as hard as anybody, but he’s got to understand that’s not the whole thing. It’s preparing to play.”
Bulls forward Doug McDermott could return sometime next week from a concussion that has sidelined him the last eight games, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. McDermott has suffered two concussions this season and the might practice with the team’s D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, as well as the NBA team before he returns, Goodwill adds. “It’s gonna take him at least a couple days to have full practices,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told Goodwill and other reporters.

Bullock To Undergo Surgery

December 2nd, 2016 at 8:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Staying on the injury front, Pistons executive/coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed that swingman Reggie Bullock will go under the knife on Saturday to repair his torn left meniscus, Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays (via Twitter). Bullock is expected to be sidelined for two to four months following the procedure, per a report by Shams Charania of The Vertical, but Van Gundy did not give an official estimate on when the player may return to action in his statement today, Beard adds.

Pistons Notes: Bullock, Caldwell-Pope, Drummond

December 1st, 2016 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Reggie Bullock is still mulling his surgical options after tearing meniscus in his left knee, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports. Bullock will have the knee re-examined this weekend in Detroit before he makes his final decision, Ellis continues. He will either undergo arthroscopic surgery, which would allow him to come back within a month, or undergo more extensive surgery, which could potentially sideline him the rest of the season, Ellis adds. This refutes a report by The Vertical that Bullock had opted for surgery that would keep him out 2-4 months. Bullock, who suffered the injury November 23rd against the Heat, has already received a second opinion. Bullock, who failed to reach a rookie extension with the club prior to the deadline a month ago, said his decision will not be influenced by becoming a restricted free agent (if he receives a qualifying offer) after the season. “My mind-set is pretty much trying to save my career longevity-wise, not really thinking about free agency and all that come this summer,” he told Ellis.

In other Pistons developments:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has enhanced his value with his recent play, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. Coach Stan Van Gundy is running more of his offense through Caldwell-Pope and the shooting guard has responded well. He’s averaging 19.5 points over the last six games and has racked up 21 assists over the last four outings. “It’s all about what he sees and the progress I’m making on offense,” Caldwell-Pope told Beard. Caldwell-Pope and the club also couldn’t agree on a rookie extension this fall, which will make him a restricted free agent in the summer. Some projections have Caldwell-Pope’s value at upwards of $18 million per season, Beard adds, and it’s unclear if the Pistons are willing to go that high.
Andre Drummond was fined $15K but averted a suspension for elbowing Hornets center Roy Hibbert in the back of the head on Tuesday, the league announced via press release. Drummond was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected for the incident.
Bullock’s injury status has not helped Stanley Johnson regain his rotation spot. Johnson did not play in the team’s 121-114 win over the Celtics on Wednesday, the second time this season he has been benched by Van Gundy. The 2015 lottery pick also missed a game last week when he served a one-game suspension for violating team rules. Darrun Hilliard, the team’s 2015 second-round pick, is currently serving as Caldwell-Pope’s backup.

Reggie Bullock Expected To Miss 2-4 Months

November 30th, 2016 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Reggie Bullock will undergo surgery to repair his torn left meniscus, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Charania, Bullock is expected to be sidelined for two to four months following the procedure.

Bullock’s torn meniscus was first confirmed last Friday by the Pistons, though at the time the team didn’t provide a timeline for the fourth-year veteran’s recovery, suggesting further evaluation was required. As I observed last week, players who suffer a torn meniscus are typically sidelined for at least a few weeks, and occasionally end up missing several months depending on the severity of the tear, as well as how the injury is treated and rehabbed. With Bullock set to go under the knife, it looks like he’ll miss most of the 2016/17 season.

The 25th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Bullock spent time with the Clippers and Suns before arriving in Detroit. Last season, he averaged a career-high 11.6 minutes per game for the team, and while his numbers (3.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG) were modest, he played solid defense. Bullock was extension-eligible this offseason, but didn’t ink a new deal with the Pistons, so he remains on track for restricted free agency in the summer of 2017. The 25-year-old, whose 2016/17 debut was delayed by back and hip problems, has appeared in just four games this season.

In Bullock’s absence, the Pistons have struggled to find a reliable backup for starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Stanley Johnson, Darrun Hilliard, and Michael Gbinije are all in the mix, but no one has stepped up and grabbed hold of the role so far, as we noted on Tuesday.

Pistons Need Jackson At His Best; Search For Backup Shooting Guard Continues

November 29th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will need Reggie Jackson to be at his best when he returns from knee and thumb tendinitis, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is hoping to have his starting point guard back in the lineup in another week or two, just in time to face a challenging schedule. Ten of Detroit’s 16 games through the end of December are against teams with winning records. “Reggie will help our offense be a little better,” Van Gundy said. “We’re the only team in the league that’s played without their leading scorer every single game — that tends to affect your offense a little bit.”

Van Gundy continues to search for a reliable backup to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at shooting guard, relays Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The original plan was to use second-year player Stanley Johnson, but the coach didn’t like his inconsistent performance. Reggie Bullock got the next shot, but he suffered a torn meniscus and is sidelined indefinitely. Darrun Hilliard took the spot in the Pistons’ last game, and rookie Michael Gbinije is another candidate. “Nobody’s been bad,” Van Gundy said. “Everybody’s sort of been OK, but not great. You’d like to have somebody step up and really grab that spot and say, ‘Hey, give me the minutes.’”

Jackson Cleared For Full Contact

November 28th, 2016 at 5:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, who hasn’t played since receiving plasma injection therapy to treat tendinitis on his left knee October 10th, has been cleared to participate in full contact drills and practices, Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays. Jackson’s exact return date is still undecided, Beard adds. “I’ve seen him for a couple weeks; he looks fine playing,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said regarding the player. “Obviously, stamina is going to be an issue; I don’t think he can play 33 minutes a game right now. Whenever they tell me he’s ready to go and he tells me he’s ready to go in his mind, then he’ll go.”