It was well less than a year ago that Brandon Jennings was leading the Detroit Pistons’ sudden and shocking resurgence. The fortunes of professional athletes, however, can change in an instant, a reality the lefty point guard learned the hard way when he tore his left Achilles tendon in late January.
There’s no way to tell for certain whether Stan Van Gundy would have pulled the trigger on a trade for fellow lead guard Reggie Jackson if Jennings hadn’t been injured. But considering his stellar play in the weeks leading up to his unfortunate break, it’s certainly possible Detroit once considered Jennings its point guard of the present and future. That was nearly eight months ago, though, and Jackson has since signed a five-year contract with the Pistons worth $80 million.
Could Van Gundy start the ball-dominant guards together this season once Jennings is healthy? Or will the former Milwaukee Buck fall victim to the sweeping pitfalls of a major injury and resume his career off the bench? The latter scenario seems more likely, and it’s one Jennings insists he’ll be comfortable with, too.
Here’s the 25-year-old courtesy of the Detroit Free Press’ Steve Schrader:
“Bringing in Reggie Jackson was smart,” Jennings said. “I’m supposed to be out, really, for nine months, and they need a point guard. …
“My main thing is just to get healthy. Hey, if I have to come off the bench and be the sixth man or whatever, I’m fine with that. Man, I just want to play basketball again. I just want to get back on the court and have fun.”
Jennings’ team-first attitude is a welcome sign of maturation. He hasn’t always been the easiest player to coach, and many forecasted friction developing between he and the team upon Jackson’s arrival in the Motor City.
Given the size and middling (at best) defensive abilities of both Jennings and Jackson, it was always unrealistic to expect them to comprise the Pistons’ starting backcourt. The former’s ongoing recovery from a serious injury makes him an easy choice to come off the bench, too.
Jennings has just one year remaining on the deal he signed with Detroit in summer 2013. And while it’s safe to assume he’ll prefer to be a starter going forward, that he’s apparently open to playing the role of super-sub greatly increases his chances of re-signing with the Pistons come next July – not to mention the team’s odds of making a run at the playoffs in 2015-2016.
(Via Detroit Free-Press)
