The Detroit Pistons’ roster has taken yet another hit as second-year guard Stanley Umude is ruled out for the rest of the season following a hairline fracture in his right ankle. This setback was confirmed by the team on Friday, and Umude joins a growing list of Pistons players sidelined by injuries as the season winds down.
Umude, who stepped in as a starter in recent games, was injured during the third quarter of the Pistons' 122-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night, the Detroit Free Press reports. He managed eight points and one rebound in 22 minutes before exiting the game. The hopeful news is that Umude won’t require surgery and is anticipated to fully recover from the injury.
Before his injury, Umude had filled a crucial spot on the Pistons’ roster. "We talked about him a lot this year... just his ability to have an impact in an NBA game when he wasn't in a starting role. And then he gets a chance to start and has an injury like that,” Pistons coach Monty Williams conveyed, according to The Detroit News. "It's a big blow to him and to us, based on where we are."
Umude's season-ending injury adds him to the list of absentees from the Pistons lineup alongside the likes of rookie Ausar Thompson, who was sidelined with a blood clot, and forward Isaiah Stewart who is dealing with a hamstring strain. Reporting on the cascading injuries, Newsweek notes that the team had expressed optimism regarding the possible return of players such as Simone Fontecchio, and Quentin Grimes before the season concludes.
Earlier this year, Umude's two-way contract was upgraded to a standard deal following some roster shuffling by Pistons' management, a move reflecting his decent season with the team's G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, and his efficient contributions when called up. The 25-year-old averaged 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds over 24 games this season showing promise in his appearances at the NBA level, stats provided by Detroit Free Press reveal.
As the Pistons face the end of the season with a likely high draft lottery pick courtesy of their 12-57 record, they will have to forge ahead without Umude and several other key players, testing the depth of their bench and the resilience of the organization.
