ANN ARBOR – Jon Leuer went under the knife unsure what the outcome of his August knee surgery would be. What he heard when he emerged from anesthesia was the best news possible.
“They were able to trim it, which was just good news,” Leuer said of the torn meniscus cartilage in his right knee. “They said it could’ve been four to six months. I didn’t know until I woke up from surgery. I was ecstatic when I woke up and heard that.”
Leuer felt his knee pop three times and then lock up as he was working out this summer, cleared to play earlier in the off-season after January ankle surgery that limited his 2017-18 season to the season’s first eight games. The cartilage – or the piece that tore, at least – was locked in his knee joint, leaving his leg bent at a 90 degree angle.
Leuer went through the non-contact portion of Tuesday’s opening training camp practice and Dwane Casey said Leuer was “further along than I thought he would be.” Leuer says his aim is to be ready for Oct. 17 – the regular-season opener at Little Caesars Arena against Brooklyn.
“Everything is progressing well with the rehab,” he said. “My goal is to be back before the first game, hopefully the last preseason game (Oct. 12). I’m definitely shooting to get back in that time frame.”
A healthy Leuer would go in the mix, along with Henry Ellenson and Zaza Pachulia, for minutes behind the two acknowledged stars of Casey’s frontcourt, Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond. Casey plans to use Griffin some at center, as well, and Stanley Johnson and Glenn Robinson III could see time at power forward, especially late in games when it’s become commonplace for teams to downsize.
Leuer, Ellenson and Pachulia bring three distinctly different skill sets to the equation with Leuer’s strength being his defensive versatility. At his best, he’s equally versatile offensively – good in transition, a sound passer and a shooter with range, though his perimeter shooting tailed off after a strong first 50 games with the Pistons upon joining them as a free agent for the 2016-17 season.
Leuer shot .382 from the 3-point line with Phoenix in the previous season, so it’s not delusional to expect him to function as a stretch four in Casey’s vision of a spread offense that generates plenty of open threes and encourages all players to launch them without hesitation.
“I think he tells guys to just let it fly – don’t think about it,” he said. “I think the assistants do a good job, too, in the workouts I’ve been in at looking at little tweaks and that can make a huge difference. Little things somebody notices, you focus on that and it can make a big difference. Between Dwane instilling confidence in guys and the assistants finding little things that can help, that is why he’s probably had success in the past.”
Casey’s Toronto teams ranked No. 3 in the NBA in 3-point attempts last season at 33.0 a game. Nearly 38 percent of Toronto’s shot attempts were triples; the Pistons, who took 29 triples a game last season to set a franchise record, saw 33 percent of their attempts come from three.
Casey gave everyone “role cards” at Sunday’s team dinner and it doesn’t sound like he had to spell out “shoot open threes” to anyone. That, in his system, is as fundamental as “dribble to get from Point A to Point B without passing.”
“Everyone, I think, has a responsibility to shoot the three,” Leuer said. “That’s one of my roles. My job is to defend. I feel I can defend multiple positions. To bring veteran leadership, he talked about, which going into my eighth year, that’s something I have is experience. Just bring energy and toughness every day.”
And after sitting out 74 games last year and having much or all of 2018-19 threatened by his summer knee injury, Leuer will be happy to bring whatever is required to the job every single day of the season ahead.