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The Pistons will be without starting shooting guard Avery Bradley for at least another week, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News.
#Pistons SVG says Avery Bradley (groin strain) will be shut down for a week and will be re-examined on a week-to-week basis after that.
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) December 19, 2017
Beard also relays some comments from Stan Van Gundy that doesn’t make the injury sound too good.
#Pistons SVG says Avery Bradley's groin injury has similar symptoms to a sports hernia, but it isn't that:
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) December 19, 2017
"It’s going to take some time, but he’ll basically do nothing for the next seven days and see where he is and whether we’re starting him back or not."
For those who have followed Avery Bradley’s career, this injury does not come as much of a surprise. He is a player who seems to miss random stretches of games quite a bit due to nagging injuries. He has only played in more than 75 games twice in his eight year career, and has played under 60 games four times.
Bradley has averaged 15.7 points this season on a career-high 41 percent from beyond the arc. He will be missed, especially on the defensive end, but the Pistons have solid backups to fill-in with Luke Kennard and Langston Galloway. I would also expect two-way player Luis Montero to stick around during Bradley’s absence, and he could even be on the active roster at some point.
Luke Kennard has gotten the start in the two games Avery Bradley has already missed with this injury, so I would expect that to continue. However, Kennard was pulled from his last start against the Magic less than a minute into the game due to a couple mental errors so maybe Stan Van Gundy opts to try Langston Galloway.
This injury is not as devastating as it may have been in the past for the Pistons due to their solid depth they have on their roster.