Jennings In Boot For Six To Eight Weeks, Still Believes Pistons Bound For Playoffs
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
AUBURN HILLS - Out for the rest of the season, Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings does not relish the thought of free time.
"I'm bored," Jennings said Tuesday, speaking in a suit, a walking boot and crutches at halftime of his team's game against the Miami Heat. "I've been going Twitter crazy since I've been hurt. My followers are coming up, though, with that. I think people love me now on Twitter, but I'm just bored. I'm just bored. I can't play basketball. The whole week I was in New York was just terrible because I couldn't be around the game or anything like that."
Now that Jennings has had surgery on his ruptured left Achilles tendon, he plans on staying around Detroit, including in the offseason. Though he cannot play - he has to wear the boot for six to eight weeks - Jennings also plans to stick close to his teammates.
"The main thing is just my presence, just showing up, still engaging with the guys, still doing what I've been doing since January 1, still be that leader," Jennings said.
Jennings spoke in a positive manner, but he admitted that the timing of the injury was awful for him. The Pistons had won 12 of their last 15 games when Jennings suffered the injury on Jan. 24.
"Definitely disappointing, the fact that I was having the best time of my career playing basketball, especially when you're winning and you're one of the hottest teams in the NBA," Jennings said. "To come down with an injury, a season-ending injury, it really sucks. All the hard work I put in this summer, and then for me to go down, just really sucked.
"When it first happened, I thought somebody kicked me in the back of the leg," Jennings added. "That's why I looked back real fast, but nobody was there, and then right after that I heard a pop, and that's when I just knew I had ripped my Achilles. I knew it was over."
The Pistons lost three in a row following the loss of Jennings, but Tuesday they soundly defeated the Heat for a second straight victory. D.J. Augustin, who has taken over for Jennings, has played well, averaging 21.8 points and 9.2 assists in the five games he has started since Jennings got hurt.
Jennings still likes what he sees from the team.
"They're still competing hard, still playing hard," Jennings said. "I still think we're going to make the playoffs, if you ask me."
While Jennings joked that his trainer is shooting for five months for him to get back to form, he said he would take his time coming back from the injury, and the Pistons noted the organization does not have a timetable for his return.