The Detroit Pistons feel like a team reborn heading into the 2013-14 season, as they pulled off a trade to get Brandon Jennings and also added Josh Smith in free agency, but they might be without one of their key bench players going forward, as Rodney Stuckey will be undergoing thumb surgery.
According to ESPN.com, Stuckey injured his thumb after getting it caught in a car door and the injury was serious enough that it will require surgery. Pro Basketball Talk reports that Stuckey will be out "indefinitely" with the injury, but one reason for that is that doctors will have a better idea of how long he will be missing after he gets the procedure. The team has Chauncey Billups and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, so they should be able to get by, but Stuckey is a very could defender and now he could be missing for a bit of time heading into the season.
The injury may give someone like Will Bynum a chance to step up as the preseason goes along and he isn't the only player out with an injury, as Brandon Haywood of the Charlotte Bobcats will miss time with a stress fracture. According to ESPN.com, Haywood will be out for up to 12 weeks with the foot injury and the diagnosis came after he was struggling with pain in his foot and now he will have surgery to help fix it up, which will keep him riding the pine for a couple months.
The Bobcats are hoping for improvements after signing Al Jefferson and Haywood was expected to be a big part of the team after playing in over 60 games last season, although he averaged less than four points and five rebounds per game. Stuckey will be a big loss for the Pistons as well, as he averaged over 10 points last season while playing in 76 games for the team.
