The Detroit Pistons announced on Sunday that guard Brandon Jennings will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his left Achilles tendon.
The injury occurred in the third quarter of Saturday night’s 101-86 loss at Milwaukee, and was not the result of any contact. Jennings fell to the floor after planting on his left leg while guarding an inbounds pass, and immediately clutched his ankle while laying on the floor in pain. Jennings eventually left the floor in a wheelchair.
Jennings would return to Detroit on Sunday for an MRI exam that revealed the torn left Achilles.
The sixth-year guard was averaging 15.4 points and 6.6 assists this season, his second with the Pistons after being taken as the 10th overall pick by Milwaukee in the 2009 draft.
Before Saturday’s loss, the Pistons, who have not reached the postseason since 2009, had won 12 of 16 as they’ve engineered a miraculous turnaround to enter the Eastern Conference playoff hunt after a beginning the season 5-23. Maintaining the level of play during their recent streak will be difficult for the Pistons to do without their young starting point guard, however.
“”He’s been the guy who’s been our catalyst offensively.” Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy said. “He’s been averaging 20 a game, high-assist, low-turnover, playing at the highest level of his career. Was a huge factor in the previous 15 games so, it’s a major, major loss.”
His teammates agreed.
”It’s definitely a tough loss for us,” Pistons forward Greg Monroe said before Sunday night’s 114-110 loss at Toronto. ”He’s a huge part of the success we’ve had recently.”
The Pistons said initially after the injury that there is no timetable for Jennings’ return, but a tweet from Jennings’ Twitter account on Sunday seemed to announce the length of his predicted absence at six-to-nine months.
https://twitter.com/BrandonJennings/status/559432458559844352
”Guys are sort of in that shock time right now,” Van Gundy said. ”He really thought we were going to kick everybody’s butt every night and showed that on the floor. I think that gave his teammates more belief. We’re going to need guys to play with that kind of confidence.”
Jennings’ absence leaves the team not only without his production on the court, but also his leadership ability, which has been described as “natural” by members of the team. Jenning’s Twitter post on Saturday night immediately following his injury reflected his team-oriented attitude.
https://twitter.com/BrandonJennings/status/559209614370410498
Van Gundy said on Sunday that he feels bad for Jennings, whom he claims “loves playing ‘probably as much as anybody I’ve been around.”
”Not being able to play basketball is the worst thing,” Jennings would later lament in a tweet following his diagnosis.
”He plays all summer, he loves being in the gym,” Van Gundy said. ”On top of that, he was having the best season of his career, particularly lately, so it’s really tough.”
Seven-year veteran D.J. Augustin is expected to fill Jennings’ spot in the starting lineup, with rookie Spencer Dinwiddie now coming off the bench as the primary backup. Augustin is currently averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game on 38 percent field goal shooting.
Dinwiddie is averaging 3.1 points, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 rebounds in nine game appearances this season. He has spent several games during the year with the team’s Developmental League affiliate in Grand Rapids.
”This is the opportunity he’s been looking for all year,” Van Gundy said. ”Let’s see what he’s got.”
Dinwiddie, the 38th pick out of Colorado in the second round in this year’s draft, was conflicted about his sudden opportunity.
”It’s definitely a laundry list of emotions,” he said. ”(Jennings) obviously was a really good vet and one of my friends. Obviously anybody is happy to play, you just don’t want it ever to happen like that.”
The Pistons are expected to either trade for a third point guard, or explore some 10-day contracts. Van Gundy discussed roster additions in a phone call with general manager Jeff Bower on Sunday morning, and said he’ll look to add a third point guard to the roster ”fairly soon.”
The Pistons have had an open roster spot since waiving Josh Smith last month, but could still possibly apply to the league for a hardship exception.
