Reggie Jackson could miss six to eight weeks with knee injury
The Detroit Pistons could be without point guard Reggie Jackson “for a while”, head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed this afternoon.
Reggie Jackson could miss the next six to eight weeks for the Detroit Pistons due to tendinitis in his left knee, according to The Detroit News’s Rob Beard:
#Pistons SVG says surgery is not likely, but he could be out as 6-8 weeks.
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) October 5, 2016
The news comes after ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that the team had been fearing Jackson would miss an extended period of time to start the 2016-17 season.
Jackson had told reporters Tuesday that he has been battling with tendinitis in his left knee for years, Stein said in a tweet this morning. He did not play in last night’s open practice because of his knee. Van Gundy had told Beard last night that missing the scrimmage was not alarming.
ESPN had also listed Jackson’s injury as Day-to-Day on his player profile page prior to the announcement.
The team will reportedly explore options in the point guard market:
Today's hot rumble: Hearing Detroit, fearing Reggie Jackson may miss extended time to start the season, will explore the point guard market.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 5, 2016
The team’s other point guards on the roster include Ish Smith and Ray McCallum, both of whom were signed in the offseason by the Pistons, as well as Lorenzo Brown.
There is also a large amount of free agent point guards still on the market as of this morning, including Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole, as pointed out by Basketball Insiders managing editor Alex Kennedy:
Preseason games are underway, but there are still some notable unsigned free agents and possible NBA comeback attempts to keep an eye on: pic.twitter.com/RE0L6JojYH
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) October 5, 2016
Personally, I see this as a major blow for the Pistons.
The 26-year-old is coming off of a career year where he averaged 18.8 points, 6.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He is also entering the second year of a five-year, $80 million contract.
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The team will also be down to just three point guards for their season opening game against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 26, against whom they went 1-2 in 2015-16 unless they find a suitable replacement.
The Pistons will also have some other tough matchups during the first month of the regular season, including two games each against the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics and road games against the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jackson’s absence from the lineup will most likely be noticed during these matchups immediately, especially on the offensive end.
Prior to this announcement, I thought of the team’s decision to explore the market to be smart plan just in case he missed the first few games of the year – now, I find it to be very necessary. I can see why fellow Piston Powered contributor Joe Imburgia was as concerned as he was about Jackson’s condition this morning.
Based on the timetable, the earliest Jackson is estimated to return is Nov. 16, when they play against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Related Story: Detroit Pistons player profile: Ish Smith
I would not be surprised if the team makes a trade as well if they do not sign a replacement through free agency before the opening tip.