When he suffered his ankle injury in late December, Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson was on a six to eight week timetable for his return. His absence has clearly been felt by the Pistons, as they are 9-15 since Dec. 27 (they were 19-14 when he got hurt).
The good news for Pistons fans is that Jackson is walking without a protective boot. The bad news is he’s still not healthy enough to get back on the court to practice. Detroit is trying to make do at the point with backup-turned-starter Ish Smith as well as newly acquired veteran Jameer Nelson.
In short, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News, the Pistons aren’t sure when Jackson will return. But they do know having him back would likely help steady their ship:
Tuesday marked seven weeks since Jackson suffered a Grade-3 right ankle sprain on Dec. 26 against the Indiana Pacers. His initial timeline was six to eight weeks before he was to be re-examined, but there haven’t been any setbacks in the interim.
Van Gundy said last week that the hope was for Jackson to be ready to do some running and cutting during the All-Star break. He didn’t change that expectation but didn’t give a sparkling update either.
“I don’t have any preconceived notion at all of when he’ll be back,” Van Gundy said Wednesday before the game against the Hawks. “When (the team doctors) tell me he’s back, he’s back.”
The Pistons seem to need Jackson now more than ever. The offense has had its issues, but the defense has been erratic and shoddy. At least a healthy Jackson could help in one of those areas.
* * *
