Brandon Jennings will miss six to nine months with a torn left Achilles, according to a tweet from Jennings himself. The team only confirmed in a release Sunday that Jennings is done for the year and say no timetable for his return has been set. The Detroit Pistons point guard injured his leg in the third quarter of a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 24. He was carted off the court in a wheelchair.
Brandon Jennings out 6-9 months with torn Achilles
The Detroit Pistons point guard injured his left leg in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 24, will miss six to nine months.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Jennings was playing some of the best basketball of his career for the surprising Pistons, one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA at the time of his injury. After starting the season 5-23, the Pistons waived Josh Smith, the big man who never fit into a lineup with Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. From there, the Pistons thrived, winning 12 of their next 16 games to climb to 17-27, right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt.
Jennings was a key to the team’s recent success. The Pistons’ leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, he was averaging 6.6 assists per game and hitting big shots down the stretch. (See: his game winner against the San Antonio Spurs.) In the 15 games following the dismissal of Smith, Jennings was playing some of the best basketball of his career. He was averaging 20.1 points per game while shooting 39.4 percent from beyond the arc.
His loss will be a huge blow to the Pistons' playoff chances. D.J. Augustin will fill the role of starting point guard. Augustin is averaging 8.4 points and 4.2 assists in 21.4 minutes per game. He has playmaking ability, but has big shoes to fill. Spencer Dinwiddie, a second-round draft pick who is currently playing for Detroit's D-League team, could find himself on the roster as a backup point guard.
See More:
