With one practice under his belt, Reggie Jackson checked in with the media to talk about his knee and the first experience in Detroit Pistons training camp.
Reggie Jackson‘s return to training camp with the Detroit Pistons is something of a success story for the organization. After effectively ending his season on March 24th, Jackson’s offseason has been wrapped around a healthy return to camp.
He underwent a 16-week rehab program focused entirely on strengthening the ligaments in his left knee to take the load off the joint. This program eschewed basketball activity of any kind and exclusively aimed at readying him for training camp.
Things went off without a hitch, and Jackson was in camp on Tuesday as planned.
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He will be sitting out of one of each of the two-a-days the Pistons will have during this week of training camp while trying to work his way back to game shape. He hasn’t played a sanctioned game of five-on-five basketball since the end of March, and it may take him additional time to prepare.
After one practice, Jackson feels good.
“Definitely felt good to get the first practice under our belts. Felt good to get out there with my team,” he told assembled media at the Pistons practice facility on Tuesday.
Jackson was in favor of the rehab program the organization put him on and felt as though it had been as effective as possible.
“Good ramp up to keep my body intact. We definitely saved the mileage during the summer so we can’t just run out there and get ready for the race right now. Getting the engine going, doing everything right I think. I’ve definitely been happy with the maintenance and the program we’ve been on.”
A big part of the problem with Jackson’s rehabilitation comes from a possible lack of confidence or even knowledge of what he can do and where his limitations lie. While Jackson struggled mightily last year, much of that came from trying to do too much and exceeding what his body would allow.
When asked about his confidence level in the knee and his ability to play on it, he said the following:
“Not guessing at all. It’d have to take an awkward twinge while I’m moving or something right now to question it. I’m just going out there running full speed and expect to feel great.”
Next: What to look for in Reggie Jackson's camp experience
Jackson will be on a minutes limit in the preseason, which begins on October 4th. That limit is expected to progressively increase over the course of the preseason with the hopes he’ll be game-ready and at full strength by the time the season opens on October 18th.