DETROIT PISTONS MEDICAL UPDATE ON ATHLETIC TRAINER MIKE ABDENOUR

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. –The Detroit Pistons today released the following information regarding a medical update on athletic trainer Mike Abdenour.

Athletic trainer Mike Abdenour experienced an episode on Sunday, March 24 that required hospitalization. Doctors alleviated the situation with a stent procedure and expect a full recovery. Abdenour has returned home and resting comfortably.

“I’m truly overwhelmed by the phone calls, cards and words of encouragement expressed by those connected to our organization, the NBA family and the Metro Detroit community and I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and concern,” said Abdenour. “I look forward to a speedy recovery.”

Abdenour is currently serving his 34th season with the Detroit Pistons and his 37th overall in the NBA.

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DETROIT PISTONS INJURY UPDATE ON ANDRE DRUMMOND

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. –The Detroit Pistons today released the following statement regarding an injury update on rookie center Andre Drummond.  

“Team doctors, in consultation with Dr. Robert Watkins and Dr. Robert Watkins Jr. of Los Angeles, are pleased with the progress of Andre Drummond’s recovery from a back injury.  Under their guidance, Drummond will enter a second phase of rehabilitation and conditioning that will include a progression of basketball related activities. 

No timetable has been placed on Drummond’s return to game action at this time.  He will continue to be evaluated throughout the rehabilitation and conditioning process and further updates will be passed along at an appropriate time.”

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DETROIT PISTONS MEDICAL UPDATE ON ANDRE DRUMMOND

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. –The Detroit Pistons announced this evening that Andre Drummond will be out of the line-up for approximately 4-6 weeks due to a stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra.  The injury was diagnosed following examinations conducted on Thursday, February 7 by team medical personnel. 

Drummond has been placed in a custom brace and activity levels will be modified while the injury heals.  He will be re-evaluated on a regular basis.  Team doctors anticipate a full recovery with rest and rehabilitation. 

The 6-foot-11 forward has appeared in 50 games this season averaging 7.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.68 blocks in 19.7 minutes per game.  Drummond leads all NBA rookies in rebounds (7.5 rpg) and ranks second in blocks (1.68 bpg), fourth in steals (0.94 spg) and eighth in points (7.3 ppg).

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DETROIT PISTONS ACQUIRE GUARD JOSE CALDERON IN THREE-TEAM TRADE

Team Sends Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to Memphis

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announce today that the team acquired guard Jose Calderon from the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal that sends Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye to the Memphis Grizzlies.

“Trading a player like Tayshaun Prince, who has meant so much to our organization and contributed to our championship success, is never easy,” said Joe Dumars, President of Basketball Operations.  “We want to thank Tayshaun for his professionalism and contributions over the last 10 years.  We also appreciate everything that Austin Daye has done for our team both on and off the court over the past three-plus years.  We wish both of them the best moving forward.  We are pleased to welcome Jose Calderon, knowing that he fits our mold as a high character individual who is a great competitor.  Jose is a great facilitator at the guard position and a player that we feel gives us tremendous flexibility on the court when added to the core of guards we have on the roster.

Calderon, 6-3, 208, is averaging 11.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists (ninth in the NBA) in 45 games this season (30 starts).  Last season, Calderon dished out 8.8 assists per game, which ranked fourth in the NBA, and led the NBA in assist/turnover ratio at 4.50.  During the 2008-09 season, he shot a NBA all-time single season record .981 (151-154) from the free-throw line.  Coming into this season, Calderon finished in the top-five assists leaders in the NBA in four of his previous five seasons: fourth in 2011-12 (8.8 apg), fifth in 2010-11 (8.9 apg), fourth in 2008-09 (8.9 apg) and fourth in 2007-08 (8.3 apg).

An eighth-year NBA pro from Spain, Calderon averaged a career-high 12.8 points in 2008-09 and has averaged career-high 8.9 assists in 2008-09 and 2010-11.  He has averaged 10.0 points, 7.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 525 career games (323 starts).  A two-time Olympic silver medalist with Spain’s national team, Calderon won medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China and at the 2012 Games in London, England.

Prince, drafted 23^rd overall by the Pistons in the 2002 NBA Draft, has averages of 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 769 career games (730 starts).  He averaged a career-high 14.7 points during the 2004-05 season and has scored 1,000-plus points in a season six times.  The 6-foot-9 forward ranks fifth all-time in franchise history in games played (769), eighth in points scored (9,838), 10^th in assists (2,036), fifth in three-point field goals made (499) and seventh in blocks (440).  A member of the Pistons’ 2003-04 NBA Championship team, Prince was also a member of the USA Senior National Team that went 8-0 to win the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Daye is in his fourth NBA season and holds averages of 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 206 career games (24 starts).  Drafted 15^th overall by the Pistons in the 2009 NBA Draft, Daye averaged career highs in points (7.5), rebounds (3.8) and games played (72) during the 2010-11 season.

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