Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Reggie Jackson Officially Out 6 to 8 Weeks

October 10th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons formally announced today that starting point guard Reggie Jackson will be out of action for six to eight weeks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

Jackson has been diagnosed with a UCL strain in his right thumb and tendinosis in his left knee. He received platelet-rich plasma injections in both the thumb and the knee today.

The timeline for Jackson’s return matches what coach/executive Stan Van Gundy projected over the weekend. Jackson is expected to be on crutches for up to a week following the injections.

The knee started bothering Jackson in September, tweets Keith Langlois of NBA.com. At first, Jackson thought he could play through the pain, but it didn’t get any better once camp opened. He hadn’t planned to take care of the thumb now, but it made sense while he was sidelined because of the knee (Twitter link).

Jackson’s earliest projected return would bring him to mid-November, which means he would miss about 10 games. Ish Smith, whom the Pistons signed as a free agent over the summer, is expected to be the starting point guard until Jackson is healthy enough to take over.

Pistons Notes: Ellenson, Smith, Jackson, Morris

October 10th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

First-round pick Henry Ellenson has impressed coach/executive Stan Van Gundy enough to earn significant preseason playing time, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. It’s an unusual accomplishment for a rookie, but the 19-year-old power forward has gotten the attention of coaches and teammates with how quickly he has adapted to the NBA game. “He is the perfect stretch four,” said Ish Smith. “Henry can shoot it, he can drive it, he can make plays and he’s a sponge. He does so many things out there. When Coach asks him to do things one time, he does it the next time and he doesn’t make the same mistakes. Henry has a fan in me and he’s going to give me a lot of assists. Henry can shoot the ball.” Despite the glowing reviews, Van Gundy noted that the Pistons already have Marcus Morris, Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer in place, so it may be hard for Ellenson to get minutes once the season starts.

There’s more today out of Detroit:

The Pistons targeted Smith in free agency because of his experience as a starter, and that wound up paying off sooner than they expected, Langlois writes in a separate story. Smith will be counted on to hold down the starting role while Reggie Jackson tries to work through the tendinitis in his left knee. The Pistons said Jackson will miss “extended time,” which Van Gundy later clarified as six to eight weeks. “We need Reggie back, a speedy recovery,” Smith said. “But we have to do our job. Everybody’s getting paid, so we have to do our job and do what it takes to win those games while he’s out. Somebody has to step up. It is a different kind of feel, but I don’t want to overthink it. I just want to play and let the chips fall where they may.”
Statistics suggest that replacing Jackson will be a difficult task, notes John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Jackson ran the pick-and-roll more than anyone else in the league last season, and his unique skills helped to make it successful.
Morris needed a season of adjustment after being traded from the Suns to the Pistons, but he has become one of the team’s vocal leaders, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. That role came partially through his play, as Morris averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during his first season in Detroit. But it was also a matter of getting accustomed to his new surroundings. “It’s certainly noticeable that he’s talking more,” Van Gundy said. “We were just getting to know him last year, so we weren’t prodding him toward leadership and now he’s one of, if not the most respected guys in that locker room. Now he knows we want that from him.”

Latest On Reggie Jackson

October 8th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Reggie Jackson has battled tendinitis in his left knee for years and it was recently reported that Jackson may miss “extended time” because of the issue. Today, the team has a slightly better grasp on the timeline after announcing that Jackson will have a platelet-rich plasma injection on Monday, Rod Beard of The Detroit News relays.

“He will get the PRP injection in New York on Monday,” Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “I haven’t gotten the timetable but it’s a significant amount of time. He’ll be on crutches for three to seven days.”

Jackson could return in mid-to-late November, which would sideline him for somewhere between 10 and 20 games, Beard notes. Jackson previously had the treatment in 2011. According to Beard, it has the longest recovery time of all the options, but it’s the best chance at of relieving pain for an extended period.

The Pistons are reportedly exploring the market for point guard help, but Van Gundy said he was comfortable with new addition Ish Smith starting in Jackson’s place.

Pistons Had Interest In Norris Cole

October 7th, 2016 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

As the Pistons consider potential point guard options with Reggie Jackson ailing, they took a look at Norris Cole before he agreed to sign in China, writes Stein. Steve Blake, given his familiarity with the team, is also an option. However, as the ESPN scribe cautions – and as Stan Van Gundy said himself this week – the Pistons are no lock to add another player at the point, since the club would have to eat a guaranteed contract to do so.

[SOURCE LINK]

Reggie Jackson Could Still Play Regular Season Opener

October 6th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest Pistons mailbag at NBA.com, Keith Langlois says he’d be “willing to wager” that Reggie Jackson will be in the club’s starting lineup on opening night of the regular season. There have been indications that Jackson could miss six to eight weeks of action, but that’s viewed as a worst-case scenario.
Aaron McMann of MLive.com takes a look at Pistons camp invitee Trey Freeman, who recently had a workout for the coaching staff of the Grand Rapids Drive and could end up with Detroit’s D-League affiliate if he doesn’t make the team’s 15-man roster.

Community Shootaround: Pistons’ PG Situation

October 5th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, one Central division team faced some uncertainty at its point guard spot, when the Cavaliers received news of Mo Williams‘ decision to retire, which left the team with just Kyrie Irving and Kay Felder at the point. Cleveland subsequently signed Toney Douglas to provide veteran depth, and now one of their division rivals is facing similar questions at the same position.

Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy revealed today that Reggie Jackson, who is dealing with knee tendinitis and a bone bruise, could miss up to six to eight weeks of action. According to Van Gundy, Jackson is considering treatment options and will make a decision soon (Twitter link via Keith Langlois of Pistons.com). If the point guard undergoes platelet-rich plasma therapy, his recovery timetable would be in that six-to-eight-week range, but it’s possible he’ll be back before then.

Faced with the possibility of being without Jackson for the first few weeks of the regular season, the Pistons are exploring their options. However, Van Gundy said today that it’s unlikely the team would cut one of its young players to add another point guard to provide short-term coverage (Twitter link via Langlois). He added that a trade is also unlikely, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link).

Still, without Jackson, the Pistons are somewhat thin at the point. Ish Smith would move into the starting role, with someone like Ray McCallum, Lorenzo Brown, or Trey Freeman potentially backing him up. McCallum and Brown are both on non-guaranteed deals, so if the team wanted to keep both players for depth purposes, it would mean waiving a player with a guaranteed contract, as Van Gundy noted today (Twitter link via Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press).

Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net hears that Mario Chalmers and Steve Blake are among the players the free agents the Pistons are considering. Kendall Marshall, Andre Miller, and Kirk Hinrich are also available, and Van Gundy said that the team is keeping an eye on players on other rosters who may be cut before the regular season (Twitter link via Ellis).

What do you think the Pistons should do to address the point guard position, if anything? Are their in-house options fine, or should they add a free agent? If they sign someone, which player would be the best fit? Are Jackson’s knee issues worrisome enough that they should consider adding a veteran guard for the season, rather than for just a few weeks?

Take to the comments section below to weigh in and share your thoughts on the Pistons’ point guard situation.

Pistons To Explore PG Market With Jackson Ailing

October 5th, 2016 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

1:35pm: Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters this afternoon that surgery isn’t likely for Jackson, but the point guard could be out for six to eight weeks (Twitter links via Rod Beard of The Detroit News). While Detroit will explore its options at the point, Van Gundy said he’s comfortable starting Smith, so any move the team makes would likely be a minor one to add short-term depth.

10:13am: The Pistons fear that Reggie Jackson may miss “extended time” to start the regular season, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will explore the point guard market for possible alternatives.

Jackson was limited during training camp and was held out of practice on Tuesday this week, as he deals with a left knee issue. As Stein adds in a second tweet, Jackson told local reporters yesterday that he has been battling left knee tendinitis for years.

While it’s not yet clear how much time Jackson will miss, it makes sense that the team would keep an eye out for possible fill-ins. Internally, Detroit would turn to Ish Smith next, with Lorenzo Brown or Trey Freeman as options further down on the depth chart, as the team’s depth chart at RosterResource.com shows.

Stein’s report doesn’t make it 100% clear whether the Pistons would target a player on the free agent market or explore potential trades, but if they look to sign a player, their options are somewhat limited. Norris Cole has committed to play in China, while Toney Douglas signed with the Cavaliers this week, leaving Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Kendall Marshall, Andre Miller, and Steve Blake among the only veteran options in free agency.

Of course, with teams set to cut their rosters down from 20 players to 15 for the regular season, more veterans could become available in the coming weeks. However, if the Pistons were to wait until the start of the season to add a point guard, that player wouldn’t have an opportunity to learn the system and mesh with his new teammates at all during the preseason.

Van Gundy Likes Marjanovic, Leuer

October 1st, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boban Marjanovic may still be considered a project, but Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy believes the 7’3″ center is “unstoppable” in the low post, relays Aaron McMann of MLive. Detroit is happy with the early returns on the $21MM it gave Marjanovic over the next three seasons. The 290-pounder remains the third-string center on the Pistons’ depth chart, but it sounds like he will be given playing time. “Once he gets established in the half-court, there’s not a good way to play him,” Van Gundy said. “There’s just not. He’s so big and he’s so skilled, that it’s hard.”

Pistons Notes: Gbinije, Caldwell-Pope, Smith

September 29th, 2016 at 4:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

To help ease Michael Gbinije‘s transition to the NBA, the Pistons won’t be playing him at point guard during camp, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The 49th overall pick out of Syracuse, Gbinije brings great versatility to Detroit, both on offense and defense. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the decision to use Gbinije solely as as a swingman in the early going was made after summer league. That’s why the Pistons signed Ray McCallum to compete with Lorenzo Brown for the No. 3 point guard slot. Gbinije, who may get to hone his point guard skills with the Pistons’ D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, said he accepts the decision. “I can just focus on one position at a time,” Gbinije said. “I’m sure the more comfortable I get, I might experience other positions. But right now, it’s good that I’m just limited.”

There’s more news from the Pistons’ training camp:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope doesn’t mind waiting until next summer for a new contract if that becomes necessary, writes Aaron McMann of MLive. The fourth-year shooting guard is eligible for a rookie extension through October 31st, and his agent, Rich Paul, is now negotiating with the team after a quiet summer. No word has leaked about how close they may be to an agreement. If they can’t reach a deal before the deadline, Caldwell-Pope will enter next summer as a restricted free agent. “That’s all on the organization here, if they would like to keep me or let me go into free agency,” he said. “Right now, my focus is on the season. I can’t worry too much about that.”
The decision on Caldwell-Pope is the most important one the franchise will face in the immediate future, contends David Mayo of MLive. Mayo estimates the Pistons could probably re-sign Caldwell-Pope to a contract starting at $15MM-$16MM annually if they hammer out an extension before the deadline. But if he has another good season, that price might be closer to $20MM in free agency.
Ish Smith was the first free agent the Pistons targeted over the summer, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. At 28, Smith is one of the oldest players on the roster and is expected to provide steady veteran leadership as the backup point guard. “It’s so much better than I thought,” Smith said of the situation in Detroit. “When I was in Philly, we played them four times and you see [the chemistry] from the outside looking in. When you get here and see the hard work everybody puts in and the dedication to win.”

Leuer Makes An Impression On Defense

September 29th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons gave journeyman power forward Jon Leuer a surprisingly lucrative four-year, $41MM contract this summer because of his offensive versatility but he’s also making a strong impression defensively in training camp, according to Aaron McMann of MLive.com. “The one thing I would say I’m surprised with is that he’s a lot better defensively than I thought,” coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy told McMann. “I thought he was decent – maybe average – defensively. I think he’s got a chance to be a lot better than that.”