Detroit Pistons: Five Predictions For The 2015-2016 NBA Season
Brandon Jennings Will Struggle When He Returns
Dec 26, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard
George Hill(3) during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Right after Josh Smith was released from the Pistons organization last year, the Pistons went off on an unprecedented tear. It was the first time in years the Pistons faithful saw the team playing inspiring basketball.
And a big part of that was because of the play of Brandon Jennings and the way he lead his team. It was inspiring and unexpected, but most of all, it was exciting.
So when Jennings went down with a torn Achilles, it sucked the air out of the Pistons real quick. While they were regressing a bit back to the mean before, Jennings’ injury was huge because of how it changed the course of the franchise.
With the injury so severe, it led to Head Coach/Team President Stan Van Gundy trading for Reggie Jackson. It all made sense too.
It wouldn’t have been smart to rely on Jennings to be back to his former self after such a harsh injury. Even now, he isn’t expected back till late-November or even December.
That’s also partly why Van Gundy made so many Point Guard related moves. The staff there was looking shaky and he did his part in solidifying it.
And for this prediction, as it saddens me, Jennings is going to struggle when he eventually comes back. The severity of his injury is going to hurt him much more than expected.
While he’ll still have his moments, I predict he’ll be a far cry from the career-best ball he was playing before he went down with the injury.
Could Jennings still be a serviceable sixth man who comes off the bench and provides a spark? Absolutely. But the odds are stacked against him as he often relied on his lightning-quick speed.
I hope I’ll be eating crow on this prediction as Jennings was easily one of my favorite players. However, the reality of the situation is how the injury could hamper him going forward.
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