Detroit Pistons fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Reggie Jackson on the floor this preseason. He’s ruled out Friday night, as has Andre Drummond.
It’s been six and a half months since Reggie Jackson last played a non-scrimmage game for the Detroit Pistons, so what’s a couple more days? After being ruled out of the preseason opener on Wednesday with a groin injury, Jackson will miss Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, as will Andre Drummond who is sitting out with conjunctivitis.
No Drummond or Jackson tonight for #Pistons tonight. Reggie Bullock (knee) also out
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) October 6, 2017
As Keith Langlois notes, Reggie Bullock will miss the game as well
Jackson is expected to make his preseason debut on Monday against the Indiana Pacers.
The Pistons will start Ish Smith, Avery Bradley, Stanley Johnson, Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer, and Eric Moreland is expected to get more run at backup five.
Leuer was perhaps the best performer for the Pistons in the preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor in 23 minutes and thrived defensively.
It’s notable that with Leuer getting the start and Moreland getting backup minutes, that squeezes Boban Marjanovic, who struggled mightily against Dwight Howard. Marjanovic was -11 in 11 minutes on Wednesday, in spite of scoring five points and adding seven rebounds.
Marjanovic was also the unfortunate recipient of this disgrace at the hands of Howard.
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The Pistons’ offense bogged down significantly against the Hornets when forced to play in the half court, so they will be compelled to run at every opportunity. With Jackson out, the Pistons need to utilize transition in order to score reliably to compensate for Ish Smith’s offensive shortcomings.