Injury update: Stuckey could be ready by opening night

Maurice Cheeks believes that injured guard Rodney Stuckey could return to the lineup in time for the start of the season, according to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

The Detroit Pistons guard broke the tip of his right thumb in a car door Oct. 9, and the injury required surgery.The surgery was performed last week and the plan at the time was to have Stuckey's thumb in a splint for two weeks and then reevaluate his progress.

Two weeks following surgery would be roughly Oct. 25 and opening night is Oct. 30 against the Washington Wizards.

But there is no telling what role, exactly, Stuckey will be coming back to. The shooting guard position was the one spot in the Pistons lineup that wasn't spoken for and as many as four players were in contention for the starting spot -- Stuckey, Chauncey Billups, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Singler.

With coach Cheeks already saying he will be going with a four-guard lineup that features Brandon Jennings and most likely Will Bynum, that is a lot of practice time for other players to make an impression. By that time will Stuckey be back into the mix or will other players have already settled into those roles?

Cheeks was reportedly effusive in his praise of Stuckey's work before training camp started, though his lack of an outside jump shot hinders his fit with the Pistons' large frontline.