Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News reports:
The Pistons already-thin frontcourt suffered a major loss when second-year forward Jonas Jerebko suffered a torn Achilles tendon Tuesday night in Miami.
Jerebko, who averaged 9.3 points and six rebounds last year, will undergo surgery Friday and is expected to miss at least five months. He landed awkwardly on a drive in the first quarter.
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Pistons coach John Kuester sat with Jerebko, 23, on the ride home, trying to keep his spirits up. It’s no question Jerebko’s willingness to improve made him one of Kuester’s favorites.
“He’s a competitor, but he’ll attack his rehab the way he does everything else: the right way,” Kuester said.
Jerebko, a 6-foot-9 power forward, was successful playing next to Ben Wallace because of his boundless energy, which made up for his NBA inexperience (he played professionally overseas) and was one of the team’s best offensive rebounders. Jerebko’s not a natural scorer, but being consistently active helped him be in the right place at the right time.
