Detroit — The regular season didn’t start the way the Pistons had planned. The health of Reggie Jackson and Blake Griffin had been a concern for most of the summer and during the preseason to ensure they were ready for the season opener.
The issue isn’t Jackson or Griffin — it’s their starting wings: Stanley Johnson and Reggie Bullock. Johnson (sore toe) and Bullock (flu) missed Wednesday’s season opener at Little Caesars Arena against the Brooklyn Nets.
The toe injury has been bothering Johnson for the past couple preseason games and coach Dwane Casey held Johnson out of the last two practices, hoping to ease some of the pain to prepare for the start of the season.