Pistons News Roundup: Reggie Jackson explains his gloves, veteran leadership helping Pistons close games & Austin Daye still looking to make his mark

Reggie Jackson opens up on use of gloves

Whats with Reggie's gloves? (image via CBSSports)

A question many have asked during the course of a game when the new Pistons floor-general takes a seat on the bench, almost immediately burying his hands in a pair of battery-operated hunting gloves. Is the Palace too cold? Injury concerns? Increased blood flow? Tentative answers for the guard's odd choice of bench-wear have been put forward meekly, but in an interview with The Oakland Press' Dave Pemberton, Jackson clears the air.

"I found out in OKC I had problems with my hands getting extremely cold once I started running. I started losing feelings in my extremities. (The gloves) keep my hands warm so I can keep feeling the ball. Throughout the game my hands would get to the point where they were freezing."

Jackson credits Oklahoma City Thunder trainer Joe Sharpe with helping him fight through his cold hands and find a way of keeping them warm with the use of thick, battery-operated hunting gloves. Reggie isn't the only player to wear gloves on the bench. The Toronto Raptors' Patrick Patterson was seen sporting a pair of mittens during a game earlier this month, confusing more than one sports fan, but former Spurs' bigman and Comcast Sports Net's Malik Rose explained that players have been known to wear gloves containing Parrafin wax to keep their hands warm (per CSNPhilly's Enrico Campitelli).

Feeding the hot hand is always the prime concern of point guards, and now that Jackson's are warm, he has put together some very impressive games as he and his teammates have started to warm up to each other. With the recent string of successes the team has experienced over the past few games, hopefully Reggie keeps his gloves on and helps the Pistons maintain their winning ways as they make their annual end of season push.

Veteran leadership helping Detroit close out games

Stan Van Gundy has insisted on the value of veteran leadership since his arrival in Motown, and the roster additions of Caron Butler, Joel Anthony, Anthony Tolliver, John Lucas III and Tayshaun Prince are all proving to back up the coach's praise for the contribution of more experienced players on a young core of players. Their mentoring off the court has had their effects on some of the younger players on the squad, evident in Tayshaun Prince telling Reggie Jackson to slow down, Caron Butler pulling aside Brandon Jennings to share his wisdom and Joel Anthony's professionalism impressing his teammates.

Their play on the court, although lackluster at times, has recently helped the young, inexperienced Pistons power through and claim a series of wins against several playoff teams looking to make a deep run. Joel Anthony has stepped up recently, playing over 15 minutes per game over the past five contests, filling in for a foul-prone Andre Drummond and injured Greg Monroe. Caron Butler's stagnant shooting numbers have seen a huge rise over that time period as well, shooting .531/.550/1.000, leading the Pistons to wins over the Bulls and Celtics. Tolliver and Prince have both had strong performances against the Raptors and Magic, and Anthony helped the Pistons to a win over the Bulls

Against all odds, Detroit has toppled some of the East's new powerhouses thanks to the strong play of their roster as a whole, with all players competing together in games rivaling the intensity and fun of the January win streak. Could the Pistons still make a push for the playoffs on the back of the team's new-found overall play? Will the veterans continue to complement the production of their younger counterparts? Either way, after a string of disappointing losses, it is good to see the Pistons' roster coming together and flashing the potential Stan Van Gundy has been talking about over the course of the season.

Austin Daye getting a second shot with Atlanta Hawks

After a tumultuous couple of seasons since being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012, Austin Daye has received a second chance to stick to an NBA roster with the Atlanta Hawks signing the former Gonzaga forward to a second 10-day contract. Brought in to fill the hole left by Mike Scott's injury, Daye has so far played only two games for the soaring Hawks, totaling three points and three rebounds in nine minutes of game time.

The 6'11" small forward has had trouble sticking in the League, but has continued to receive interest due to his frame and shooting potential (35.4% three-point shooter for his career), showing flashes of his talent during stints in Memphis and Toronto, he landed with the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he stayed with a year and a half before being waived in favor of JaMychal Green. During his stay with the Texan powerhouse, Daye averaged 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.6 minutes, shooting a career high 41.1% from three in limited attempts in 2013.

His first year with San Antonio culminating in a Championship, the California native struggled in increased minutes with the defending champions this year, leading to his dismissal from the team. Now with his fifth NBA team in six years, Daye is looking to stick around with the Hawks, and hopefully he can unlock his potential and stay in the league in which he has shown promise.

Tweet of the Week

Another great team win! Proud of the way everybody has responded after a bad stretch of games! #DetroitBasketball

— Anthony Tolliver (@ATolliver44) March 25, 2015