Brandon Jennings suffered a torn Achilles in late January and has been rehabbing after having surgery on January 27th ever since. Initially Jennings was given a timetable of six to nine months to return from the injury which would have put him on track to be ready at the beginning of the season but that has been more in doubt lately. It is being reported now that Jennings is actually "not close" to being cleared, according to David Aldridge of TNT.
Achilles injuries are very tricky ones as they are one of the most gruesome injuries an athlete can suffer and the rehab is very difficult. The timetable is typically very similar to the one Jennings got but it shouldn't be a surprise that he will likely to take longer to heal as it is smart for the Detroit Pistons to be cautious in this situation. Jennings has reportedly been shooting and running on a treadmill at 60 percent of his body weight but he has not been cleared for non-contact drills yet because he hasn't started running and cutting.
With Jennings out the Pistons might have a bit of an issue at backup point guard as that's the role Jennings is expected to fill when he is healthy. 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 nearly as impactful as Jennings at his best. Reggie Jackson was brought in at the trade deadline last season so the Pistons are set at point guard in the starting lineup but the issue will come when he needs to rest during the game.
Jennings was off to a poor start with the Pistons a year ago until Stan Van Gundy decided to get rid of Josh Smith at which point Jennings turned his season around. In the 16 games between Smith being let go and Jennings hurting his leg he shot 44 percent from the floor and increased his assist to turnover ratio big time including a 21 assist game because he had the ball in his hands more often.
As of right now there is no timetable for Jennings' return to the basketball court but it is clear he and the Pistons will remain cautious. Jennings' health and performance will likely be a key to a Pistons team that has playoff aspirations for this upcoming season.
