The optimism surrounding the Detroit Pistons was tempered Wednesday.
Coach Stan Van Gundy told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the left knee tendinitis bothering point guard Reggie Jackson will keep him out for "a while."
Jackson tried to manage it by practicing only once per day, but he has been diagnosed with a bone bruise.
"The tendinitis is a problem that keeps recurring," Van Gundy said. "He's got several options and, as you would expect, some of the options that are best long term will take longer in terms of time. Some of the other things would get him back quicker but could recur quicker."
"At the most, we would be talking a 6-to-8-week thing."
That means that a worst-case scenario would have Jackson returning sometime in November, after about 10 games.
An option being considered _ which would necessitate a longer recovery time _ is platelet-rich plasma therapy. Van Gundy said surgery isn't necessary and that Jackson will determine a course of treatment over the next couple of days.
Jackson is coming off the strongest season of his five-year NBA career. He was spotted talking to Pistons front office personnel after practice today but declined comment through a team spokesman.
Free agent acquisition Ish Smith will get the start for the Pistons in their exhibition opener Wednesday at the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m.).
