Brandon Jennings eyes return from injury soon ... in the D-League

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Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings will return to a very different team than the one he last saw before tearing his left Achilles tendon in late January. Jennings was the unlikely leader of a startling Pistons resurgence that had many tabbing them for one of the East's final playoff spots. Then he got hurt, the front office traded for and re-signed a new primary ballhandler in Reggie Jackson, and Jennings lost his starting spot for the foreseeable future. He said this summer that he's totally fine with coming off the bench, but it wouldn't be a big surprise to see him dealt before the deadline to improve Detroit in other areas.
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Whatever his future, the 26-year-old Jennings will have to prove that he can contribute after sustaining an injury that derails many guards' careers. He plans to come back soon — potentially as early as this weekend. But his return may not come with the Detroit club. From Vincent Ellis for the Detroit Free Press:

Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings told reporters today that he is open to a rehab stint with NBA Development League affiliate Grand Rapids.​

And as he nears a return to the NBA from the ruptured left Achilles that ended his 2014-15 season, Jennings is thinking about playing Saturday, when Grand Rapids plays host to the Westchester Knicks.​

"There’s about an 80% chance I will be playing in the D-League on Saturday," he said at the Pistons practice facility after team preparations for tonight's game against the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m., FSD). "I don’t care. I just want to play, man. I just want to get out there and hoop and see where it’s at.” [...]​

As a veteran, Jennings would have to consent to the rehab stint. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has broached the topic the past few weeks.​

Ellis notes that Jennings has been a full participant in practice for several weeks but has not had much of a chance to make his first appearance due to a full schedule. The Pistons have not had two consecutive days off since November 19 and 20 and won't again until they sit for three days following Friday's visit to the Chicago Bulls. That slate does not exactly allow for Jennings's reintegration when Jackson and Steve Blake are both playing serious minutes at point guard. Jennings seems to realize his situation and even tweeted about playing for the Grand Rapids Drive before deleting the post.
The circumstances of Jennings's D-League debut make sense, but it's still a notable decision given that veterans almost always return to the court with their NBA team. On the other hand, the notion of a minor-league rehab stint should be very familiar to baseball fans. So why can't the same thing become a custom in professional basketball, as well?
It's arguable that's exactly what's happening. The Pistons have contemplated sending Jodie Meeks to Grand Rapids for the same purpose as Jennings, and the Philadelphia 76ers have wholeheartedly embraced the D-League rehab practice with three players, including veteran Carl Landry, so far this season. Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli even requested a rehab stint himself in January 2015. We may see players of high stature not take these assignments to avoid the supposed embarrassment of being involved with a developmental league, as Rajon Rondo once did, but that mindset appears to be changing.
In other words, the D-League is, uh, developing into a standard part of NBA logistics with every passing day. Pretty soon, Jennings's decision may stand out as the norm.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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