The Detroit Pistons have ranked among the hottest teams in the NBA since cutting ties with Josh Smith on. The Pistons posted an 11-3 record over the 14-game span following the move that made Stan Van Gundy look like a genius.
That pushed the team in to contention for a playoff spot in a conference where the eighth seed currently has a sub-.500 record. Just when it seemed as though Detroit was finally poised to clinch a postseason spot, the carpet was pulled from underneath them when Brandon Jennings suffered a full Achilles tear that will force him to miss the remainder of the NBA season. The loss of Jennings has brought the Pistons turnaround to a screeching halt and without him, they won’t have any shot at making the playoffs.
Jennings Was In The Midst Of A Career Year
Jennings has really matured over six years in the NBA and was poised for one of his best seasons – not only statistically but also in terms of his leadership and helping to make his teammates better. The 25-year-old had averaged a team-high 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game this season. Only days before the injury, he had become the first Pistons player to register at least 20 points and 20 assists in a single game since Isiah Thomas did it nearly three decades ago (April of 1985). Jennings led the team in several categories and that pure production will be sorely missed the rest of the way.
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Thin In The Backcourt
A case can be made for Greg Monroe or Andre Drummond in terms of which player Detroit would most want to build the franchise around but the fact that they have two star big men makes Jennings the hardest to replace.
No other guard on the Pistons roster has averaged more than 11.7 points per game this season and the team’s lack of depth at the position makes the loss that much more devastating. D.J. Augustin has been forced in to a starting role. Though he isn’t the worst option, the position was much stronger when he was able to do what he does off the bench behind a premier player like Jennings.
Augustin recorded a game-high 35 points and eight assists against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday but that came over 37 minutes as Jodie Meeks and Spencer Dinwiddle combined for 11 points on 3-17 shooting off the bench in the 114-110 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
The Pistons just don’t have anyone that can do what Jennings did and that’s going to be a problem.
Jennings Leadership
Some people might laugh off the thought of Jennings as a leader but he was exactly that for the Pistons. The fact that Detroit was able to rally together and put together an impressive run with its best basketball of the season following Smith’s dismissal is testament to the leadership from him and the core players on this team. The Pistons could have very well mailed it in when Smith was released as it was a sign that the team was waiving the white flag.
They were facing a daunting task trying to turn their season after cutting an asset. But instead of sinking, they rallied together and went on an impressive run that got them back in to the playoff picture. Jennings played an essential role in that situation as a leader as well as a key scoring figure, and his on court presence will be sorely missed.
Detroit will have an uphill climb trying to get back to the postseason without its star guard, even though they enter Wednesday just 2.5 games out of a spot. Even so, the positives this team has showed over the last month are a ray of sunshine for the fanbase when you consider everything that the team has been through in recent years.
