Their Key Players Are Healthy Now

The Pistons have a pretty talented roster in comparison to other teams in the East. There are more talented teams like the Celtics and 76ers, but the Pistons roster is not the laughing stock it once was 4-5 years ago.  The biggest flaw to their roster is the fact that two of the most important players, Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin, have issues staying healthy.

Reggie Jackson’s impact on the Pistons goes beyond the numbers.  When he was healthy last season, the Pistons were 27-18, which is about a 50 win pace over a full season.  The last time Reggie Jackson was healthy for an entire season was in 2015-2016, the last and only time the Pistons made the playoffs in the previous nine seasons.  They also won 44 games that season.  If you look at Reggie Jackson’s numbers, they are nothing impressive, but he might be the most important player on the Pistons roster.

Last season, the Pistons “Big 3” of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson only played four games together after Reggie Jackson returned from injury and before Blake Griffin was shut down due to injury.  The Pistons were 3-1 in those games with the only loss being an overtime loss to the Houston Rockets.

All these numbers go to show that the Pistons can be a good team if they stay healthy.  Expecting players who have been injury prone the last few seasons to stay healthy magically is likely setting yourself up for disappointment.  However, the biggest reason why keeping Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin healthy could be possible is a man by the name of Arnie Kander.

Kander was the Pistons trainer for decades dating all the way back to the days of the “Bad Boys.”  He was with the team up until Stan Van Gundy came aboard and moved him out of his role causing him to leave ultimately.  Kander’s methods of stretching and injury prevention have been regarded as some of the best in the NBA, and the Pistons were one of the healthier teams in the league while he was with the team.

The Pistons decided to bring back Kander as an advisor in the offseason with the sole purpose of him working with players like Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin to try to keep them healthy.  If Kander can work his magic, the key Pistons players will stay healthier than in years past, and they will be able to cruise into the playoffs.

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