The Detroit Pistons are dealing with the injury bug at a point in the season when a franchise battling for a playoff spot most definitely does not want to be battling an injury bug. Neither Blake Griffin nor Luke Kennard was able to practice Monday, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic, with head coach Dwane Casey officially tagging both men as day-to-day.
Blake Griffin (knee) and Luke Kennard (foot) are day-to-day, per Casey. Neither participated in practice today.
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) April 2, 2019
Griffin has missed each of his team’s past two games due to left knee soreness, while Kennard is dealing with a right foot sprain. Detroit is set for a crucial match-up Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, as they currently hold onto the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, but sit just 1.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Orlando Magic, teetering precariously on the edge of missing out on the playoffs all together.
The Pistons will play two teams currently in line to make the postseason over their final five games, closing out the year with showdowns against Charlotte, Memphis and New York. They’re looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 year, and for their first playoff series win since 2007-08, when they won the Central division.
Griffin has been at the heart of the team making a push to return to the East playoff picture. In his first full season with the Pistons, Griffin is on pace to average a career-high 24.7 points per game, having overhauled his offensive arsenal to include the three-point shot (averaging 2.5 makes on a nightly basis), while also serving as the team’s leading assists man at 5.5 per contest.
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