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Just a couple of days ago, we were told Brandon Jennings will not be back until mid-to late-December. Yesterday, SLAM Online said that Jennings was not anywhere close to being medically cleared. Vincent Ellis put out a report this morning that said Jennings was not close to being cleared. Well, the Vincent that left for Chicago, Mr. Goodwill, has heard otherwise.
Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (@thinkiminthe90s) cleared for full basketball activities by docs. Late Nov-early Dec return possible
— Vincent Goodwill (@vgoodwill) September 22, 2015
Ellis' article was approximately 30 minutes after Goodwill's tweet. Ellis cited an NBA.com report (which I assume to be this one) that says Jennings is 'not close' to returning. Here's the quote from NBA.com:
Jennings is "not close" to being cleared, according to a source. He is currently shooting and running on a treadmill at 60 percent of his body weight, but the Pistons need to be able to see him run, cut and shoot off of one leg before he's cleared to even begin non-contact drills on court.
So what is it? Is he cleared for full basketball activities? For what it's worth, Brandon Jennings retweeted Goodwill's tweet. Now, maybe he just retweeted it because his handle was in it and it's not an endorsement of its veracity. Maybe he wants people to believe he'll be back sooner than the Pistons want people to believe.
As of the writing of this article, there has been no release by the Detroit Pistons or NBA.com stating specifically that he is cleared.
As Sean Corp said, Jennings will be key to the Pistons' season. This will hopefully make some decisions easier. Nobody should expect Jennings to be 100-percent healthy when training camp or even the season begins. But by being cleared to partake in full basketball activities, this could mean a return to the court sooner than expected. If Jennings returns to even half of his form from the Post-Smith Era, that can only bode well for the Pistons and their fans.