Brandon Jennings is working his way back from a torn Achilles but is reportedly “not close” to being cleared.
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According to the report, the Pistons are expected to make moves before the deadline, and trading point guards is the most likely option for Detroit in the 2015-16 National Basketball Association season. But that’s the extent of Jennings’ basketball activities with training came beginning next Tuesday. He said on Twitter (h/t SI.com) the injury would put him on the shelf for six to nine months, so his timeframe lines up with the surgery. Yesterday, SLAM Online said that Jennings was not anywhere close to being medically cleared.
But according to Aldridge, Jennings is still running on a treadmill at only 60 percent of his body weight, and that he still has to make improvements before he’s even allowed to participate in non-contact drills. While he is out though the Pistons will have to go with either Spencer Dinwiddie or Steve Blake as the backup point but neither is almost as impactful as Jennings at his best.
The 6-foot-1 Jennings averaged 15.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 41 games last season before missing the rest of the year due to the ankle injury.
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Days after the ankle injury and surgery, the Pistons acquired another point guard in Reggie Jackson in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those with knowledge of Jennings’ recovery still believe he may not be NBA-ready until late November or early December at the earliest. Jennings’ health and performance will likely be a key to a Pistons team that has playoff aspirations for this upcoming season.
