The Detroit Pistons are having a great season as long as you had the right expectations.
They are losing games but doing it without “tanking” in the traditional sense in that they are playing hard and have mostly had entertaining, competitive games.
They are also getting plenty of reps for their rookies and young players, which is exactly what you want in a rebuild.
The only dark lining has been the injury to Killian Hayes, who suffered a hip injury after just seven games and may be out for he season. Or maybe not.
Troy Weaver's optimism about what the 8-week update on Killian Hayes coming next week will entail is apparent: "He's been working diligently and he looks great. We're excited to have him join the team here shortly."
— Keith Langlois (@Keith_Langlois) March 9, 2021
It now sounds like it is possible that Killian Hayes will be back at some point during the regular season, which is somewhat surprising given the severity and type of injury he suffered.
Fans are eager to see the rookie play after he was taken 7th overall, especially with so many other rookies, including their own trio of Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Saben Lee, playing so well.
But the real question is not if Hayes COULD return from injury but if he SHOULD.
Detroit Pistons: What type of injury does Killian Hayes have?
Here is a good explanation of the type of injury Hayes has and the most common path to recovery.
After being examined by multiple doctors, Hayes and his team chose rehab over surgery, which is the normal course of action, as surgery is more invasive and potentially dangerous and also takes much longer to recover.
However, there are some benefits to the surgery as well, which is why bringing Hayes back is a risk. There are definitely pros and cons to taking this risk, so let’s take a look.