Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings has been cleared for basketball activities for almost two months now. However, he has yet to make his return to the court. That return is coming soon though, according to Pistons’ beat writer Vincent Goodwill.
Pistons guard Brandon Jennings plans to make his season debut after Achilles surgery Dec 29 vs the Knicks at Madison Square Garden
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) December 16, 2015
Goodwill also shared that Jennings will warm up in the D-League prior to his debut, in just two days.
Jennings also will play in the D-League this Saturday, as has been reported by Detroit media
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) December 16, 2015
The big question for Jennings coming off of his achilles injury is how he will fit in Detroit’s scheme. He was the assured starter of the Pistons prior to his injury, but since then, Reggie Jackson has been handed the reigns to the offense. Jackson is the better prospect at this point, especially when you consider that he hasn’t had a serious injury like Jennings’ achilles tear. Jennings understands this, and has made it clear that he is fine coming off the bench in a sixth man role. However, in an interview back in September, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy said that he could imagine Jackson and Jennings playing together, with Jackson playing off the ball.
That being said, it’s probably more likely that Jennings comes off the bench. I doubt SVG would want to mess with the chemistry of the first Pistons’ team capable of playing .500 ball in some time.
The other option, of course, is a trade. Van Gundy will vehemently deny it, but Jennings might not be the best fit on this Pistons’ roster. And assuming that he plays well after his injury, many teams will be interested. Among them is the New York Knicks, per Marc Berman of the New York Post:
One point guard available now is Detroit’s backup Brandon Jennings. He’s returning from an Achilles tear and could make his season debut this month. Sources indicated most teams would wait until Jennings plays a few games because of the nastiness of Achilles injuries.
If Jennings is playing well post-achilles, Detroit’s front office may be tempted to sell high on the point guard.
