Andre Drummond will return, start vs. Raptors

Good Friday just got better: Andre Drummond will return to the Pistons' lineup Friday night against the Toronto Raptors. He will also make his first career start.

Andre Drummond might play on Friday vs. Raptors

Day-to-day means he might play the next day the Pistons have a game, which is now Friday.

Andre Drummond's return: Might it come on Tuesday vs. Minnesota?

Andre Drummond's return from injury is close, but how close?

Andre Drummond practices, feels great, is day-to-day

According to Keith Langlois on Twitter, Andre Drummond went through a full practice on Thursday and felt great, but he and the team are still taking it day by day.

Pistons' Andre Drummond returns to team activities

According to David Mayo at Mlive.com, participated in a team shootaround for the first time since injuring his back.

Andre Drummond injury update: 'No pain at all' for AD1, but also no timetable to return

Andre Drummond, who's missed 16 games with a stress fracture in his back, admits it's been "mentally draining" watching from the sidelines. But despite feeling "no pain at all," he won't rush his return.

Andre Drummond injury update: Pistons rookie to resume basketball activities

Still no timeline on Drummond's return, but he's apparently making good progress.

Andre Drummond 'pain-free' in recovery from stress fracture in back

Andre Drummond may not be playing the bongos to rehabilitate his back, but he must be doing something right -- it sounds like his recovery is progressing nicely. From MLive.com's David Mayo:

Andre Drummond said during All-Star festivities in Houston that he is pain-free, more than a week after he was shut down for what was expected to be a period of four to six weeks with a stress fracture in his fifth lumbar vertebra. Drummond remains in a brace but doesn't expect to wear it much longer. He is expected back in mid- to late-March.

Given the team's conservative, measured approach with Drummond when the young big man was completely healthy, I'm guessing they'll be even more careful with him while injured -- which means I doubt we'll see him until late March.

Drummond was healthy enough to enjoy his first All-Star weekend (check his Instagram feed for proof), even if he couldn't play. And while he'll get another crack at playing in the Rookie-Sophomore game Rising Stars Challenge next year, it may not be very long until he gets to play in the main event on Sunday. Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News spoke to some current All-Stars to get their impression on Drummond's game:

As for his play on the floor, it drew the attention of the All-Stars he hopes to join in a couple of years. Heat forward-center Chris Bosh's eyes widened when he was asked of his impressions of the Pistons rookie.

"He's big, God," Bosh said. "I've never seen someone that big so young. He's huge."

[...] First-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers echoed Lee's feelings, when asked if he was surprised by Drummond's freakish athleticism.

"Yes, and his quickness, it's something that's allowed him to use his length," Aldridge said.

Andre Drummond's admits bongo rehab was a hoax

Andre Drummond injury: Part of rookie's rehab is playing the bongo

Those pictures we saw of Andre Drummond banging the drums weren't meant to just serve a pun; Drummond's actually using the drums as part of his rehabilitation.

Andre Drummond injury: Pistons rookie already moving forward, getting better intellectually and physically

It has been three days since bad news broke that Pistons rookie Andre Drummond will miss 4-6 weeks with a stress fracture to his fifth lumbar vertebra and a less serious injury to the other side of his tailbone. Drummond is expected to make a full recovery. He will wear a brace for a few days (he may already be out of it by today) and is not allowed to sit for long periods. When his pain subsides, he will be allowed to begin exercising in an effort to improve his muscle stability.

The Pistons are an exciting 2-0 since, but that's just a small sampled consolation to the concerning setback to the Pistons and their emerging star. With the addition of Jose Calderon and a gradual increase to Drummond's minutes, the Pistons were in business to make a serious playoff push as Drummond continued to turn heads. Now, in conjunction with the Celtics' recent bizarre winning streak, the playoffs seem far out of sight.

As hard as the injury is for fans to bear, imagine how tough it must be for the rookie [quotes via MLIVE]:

"This is my life, this is all I know. So not being able to play, of course, it sucks."

But with the help of his teammates and a naturally upbeat personality, Drummond knows there's nothing else for him to do but move forward:

"But I've got to move forward," Drummond said Saturday, in his first public remarks about the injury. [...]

"Go to every practice and go to every game and watch the games, just stay engaged with everything," he said when asked his approach on how to keep pace with his developing team.

"Just get healthy, push yourself," he said. "Some of these guys have been through injuries already so they know what it's like. For me, being a rookie and happening to me so early, they just give encouragement to me and tell me to stay strong."

Lawrence Frank agrees, and adds there's still a lot Drummond can learn while he's on the mend [quotes via Freep]:

"Right now his job is to get healthy," Frank said. "That's his job. [...]

Frank said the coaching staff will make a point to keep Drummond involved, showing him game film and letting him learn by watching.

"He gets a chance to look at the game in a different way, and I think he's already noticed some things," Frank said. "You turn every negative into a positive, and you get better intellectually and physically when you're injured."

Hopefully, Drummond returns for the last leg of the season, healthy as ever and not missing a beat.

Andre Drummond injury: Team doctor expects full recovery

Andre Drummond is out four to six weeks with a stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra. The good news, if there is any, is that the team doesn't expect any lingering effects.

Team physician Ben Paolucci spoke to the media before the Pistons played the San Antonio Spurs on Friday shortly after the diagnosis was announced.

From the Detroit News:

Drummond has been placed in a custom brace and activity levels will be modified while the injury heals, and Paolucci said Drummond has experienced some discomfort, but once he recovers, it should be the end of it.

"No surgery," Paolucci said. "He's got a stress fracture. He should get better, no residual. Nothing lasting."

He'd been laboring in losses to the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, playing a total of 12 minutes, and this setback will surely derail the progress he's made on the court. He suffered another injury on the other side of his tailbone which isn't as serious, Paolucci said.

"The injury on the left side occurred in the L.A. game. It's a common injury," Paloucci said. "Once he doesn't have any pain, he'll be able to start some exercising."

Silver linings. Not a big fan of them, to be honest with you.

Andre Drummond injury: Stress fracture for Pistons big man, out approximately 4-6 weeks

Drummond out 4-6 weeks with stress fracture to 5th lumbar vertebra. No surgery, just rest #Pistons

— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldFSD) February 8, 2013

Andre Drummond injury: Rookie has stress fracture

This is not the news Pistons fans were hoping for.

Drummond misses practice to get ailing back examined by doctor

Pistons calling move strictly precautionary.

Andre Drummond injury: Back still bothering Pistons rookie

Andre Drummond was limited to just five minutes in last night's 93-90 loss to the Brooklyn Nets after aggravating his back injury while taking a charge from Andray Blatche. After the game, he clarified to reporters the exact nature of his injury, saying it was his the left side of his tailbone that hurts. Here's video of his comments, courtesy of Dave Pemberton of the Oakland Press:

This is the second straight game that Drummond attempted to play until to leave with pain. After Monday's game, he blamed the lingering injury on hotel beds, but now it sounds a bit more serious. Lawrence Frank on why Drummond even got into Wednesday's game, via David Mayo:

"We thought he was good enough to go, he thought he was good enough to go, and then once you've seen him on the court, you see him labor out there," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said.

As disconcerting as it is for fans seeing him sidelined, the young big man still doesn't yet seem overly concerned, even sounding confident that he'll still participate in the Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend. We'll see about that; I wouldn't be surprised if the training staff recommends he sits that out, let alone accept a possible invite to the Slam Dunk Contest. (So much for #LetDreDunk.)

Stay tuned.

Andre Drummond injury: Rookie leaves game against Nets as back still not right

Andre Drummond played five minutes in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets before leaving, as his nagging back injury wouldn't let him play at his usual effectiveness. The Pistons called a timeout and coach Lawrence Frank and strength and conditioning coach immediately had a long conversation with Drummond about how he was feeling.

He was immediately subbed out and and looked dejected on the bench. Drummond played only eight minutes on Monday against the New York Knicks as he complained of a sore back.

Fox Sports Detroit announced that Drummond would be out for the rest of the game shortly after he was subbed out.

Andre Drummond 'good to go'

#Pistons Andre Drummond (back) good to go tonight against #Nets

— Dave Pemberton (@drpemberton) February 6, 2013

Andre Drummond back injury: 'It's tough, you know, hotel beds'

Andre Drummond's sore back may not be a lingering injury, after all.

Andre Drummond injury: Pistons rookie leaves game with sore back

Back issues have apparently been an issue with young big man all season.