McGruder is out for Friday's game versus the Raptors due to a left foot sprain.
McGruder will miss Friday's game after starting in his previous eight appearances. R.J. Hampton and Isaiah Livers (hip) are candidates to see extended minutes in his absence. McGruder's next chance to suit up is Monday's matchup with Milwaukee.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Keeps producing in elevated minutes
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McGruder tallied 15 points (5-13 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals across 37 minutes in Sunday's 112-100 loss to the Heat.
By virtue of being one of the few Pistons who hasn't been on the injury report of late, McGruder has found his way into the starting five in seven straight games, and he's reached the 30-minute mark on five occasions. Though McGruder has been outside of the rotation when Detroit has been at full strength this season, he looks as though he may have a path to fantasy relevance down the stretch with the Pistons showing little motivation in bringing back Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) or Alec Burks (foot). Over his seven-game run on the top unit, McGruder is averaging 14.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Highly productive in loss
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McGruder ended Thursday's 119-100 loss to the Nuggets with 20 points (7-15 FG, 6-10 3Pt), eight rebounds, three assists, one block and three steals across 34 minutes.
McGruder put together a late-season special Thursday, compiling a fantastic two-way performance. At this stage, there is no point in trying to understand the Pistons' rotation. Managers can only play what's in front of them; as of now, it is McGruder. He obviously won't be this good again anytime soon, but as long as he sees upwards of 30 minutes, he makes for a viable asset, even in standard leagues.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Pops for season-high 18 in win
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McGruder ended with 18 points (7-14 FG, 4-5 3Pt), five rebounds, two assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Monday's 117-97 victory over the Pacers.
It's the veteran wing's best scoring effort of the season, and it helped the Pistons win their first game in over a month. McGruder has started four straight games and six of the last eight for an injury-ravaged Detroit roster, but he's only scored in double digits in the last two. If Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) gets shut down for the remainder of the season, however, McGruder could keep his spot in the starting five the rest of the way.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Starting vs. Wizards
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McGruder will start Tuesday's tilt against the Wizards, Keith Langlois of the Pistons' official site reports.
Detroit is dealing with a myriad of injuries, so the veteran will get the nod in the backcourt. In four previous starts this season, McGruder averaged 4.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 21.3 minutes.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Not listed on injury report
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McGruder (ankle) isn't listed on the Pistons' injury report ahead of Tuesday's matchup versus the Wizards.
McGruder sat out the first half of Detroit's back-to-back set Monday due to an ankle injury, but he'll return to action Tuesday. Killian Hayes (hand), Alec Burks (foot) and Hamidou Diallo (ankle) are all out, so McGruder, R.J. Hampton and Cory Joseph are candidates for increased roles in the backcourt against Washington.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Out Monday
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McGruder (ankle) will not play Monday against Portland, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.
McGruder's minimal minutes will likely fall to R.J. Hampton and Hamidou Diallo on Monday evening. McGruder is safe to leave on the waiver wire.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Coming off bench Saturday
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McGruder is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.
McGruder had started in each of Detroit's last two games, but he moves back to the bench with Isaiah Livers (ankle) returning to the lineup after a one-game absence. McGruder averages 3.1 points across 9.5 minutes per game when coming off the bench (19 appearances).
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Draws start Monday
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McGruder is starting Monday's game against Charlotte, Sam Perley of the Hornets' official site reports.
McGruder wasn't part of the Pistons' rotation over the last four games and has played just four minutes since Jan. 23. However, he'll join the starting lineup for the third time this season since Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) is out. McGruder averaged 5.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 19.0 minutes per game over his first two starts this year.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Ties for team scoring lead
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McGruder finished with 17 points (5-8 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 2-3 FT) and one steal over 24 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 147-116 loss to Philadelphia.
The Pistons got balanced scoring up and down the lineup, with starters Saddiq Bey and Jaden Ivey tying McGruder for the team scoring lead, but nobody was able to step up and come close to matching Joel Embiid's 36 points for the Sixers. McGruder's 17 points and five made threes were both season highs, and Detroit's injury situation has allowed him to earn a more consistent spot in the rotation as a long-distance threat -- he's played at least 17 minutes in four of his last six games and drained at least three threes in three of them.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Not on injury report
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McGruder (illness) isn't on the injury report for Tuesday's game against Philadelphia.
McGruder sat out Sunday's game against the 76ers due to a non-COVID illness, but he should be back in action for Tuesday's rematch. Over his last five appearances, he's averaged 5.4 points in 14.0 minutes per game.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Won't play Sunday
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McGruder (illness) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the 76ers.
McGruder had seen light minutes off the bench in each of Detroit's last five games, but a non-COVID-19-related illness will keep him sidelined Sunday. His absence shouldn't dramatically affect head coach Dwane Casey's rotation, though Detroit's depth may be tested a bit more than usual with all of Jalen Duren (ankle), Cade Cunningham (tibia), Marvin Bagley (hand) and Isaiah Livers (shoulder) joining McGruder on the sideline.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Dealing with illness
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McGruder is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the 76ers due to a non-COVID illness.
McGruder was a late addition to the injury report due to a non-COVID illness, which is never a good sign. He's played only 12 total minutes over his past two appearances, so his potential absence shouldn't have a major impact on the Pistons' game plan.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Lands three triples in win
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McGruder racked up 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-5 3Pt), three rebounds and one steal in 23 minutes during Saturday's 116-104 win over the Timberwolves.
McGruder logged a season-high 23 minutes in the win, scoring 11 points for the second straight game. The Pistons remain without Killian Hayes (suspension), meaning a number of fringe options have been called upon, McGruder being one of those. Prior to his past two games, McGruder was not even in the rotation, so managers need not concern themselves with his recent efforts.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Coming off bench Tuesday
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McGruder will come off the bench Tuesday against the Knicks, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.
After two straight starts, McGruder will come off the bench as coach Dwane Casey switches things up, opting to start Isaiah Livers in the place of the injured Jaden Ivey (knee). It's not clear if McGruder will be in the rotation Tuesday.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Offers little in spot start Friday
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McGruder racked up eight points (3-7 FG, 2-6 3Pt), six rebounds and two assists across 20 minutes during Friday's 108-102 loss to the Suns.
McGruder was inserted into the starting lineup Friday, seemingly the last resort for head coach Dwane Casey. Given the fact McGruder had not even seen the floor since back on Nov. 9, his inclusion in the starting lineup was a surprise. Obviously, there is no need to make any moves from a fantasy perspective, other than managers in deeper formats who could consider him for streaming purposes in a pinch. As soon as the Pistons start getting their injured players back on the floor, McGruder will likely return to being head of the cheer squad off the bench.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Starting Friday
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McGruder will start at shooting guard in Friday's matchup with the Suns, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.
With Cade Cunningham (lower leg), Jaden Ivey (knee) and Cory Joseph (illness) sidelined, McGruder will see a rare start. He figures to see a heavier workload than he is used to as a result of the lack of available players.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Sees blowout run
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McGruder supplied no counting stats over three minutes during Friday's 136-112 loss to the Hawks.
McGruder failed to make an impact in the scorebook in Friday's blowout loss, receiving just three minutes of action late in the game. Operating as a veteran depth wing for a rebuilding team, it's unlikely McGruder will see much action in competitive games.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Re-signs with Detroit
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McGruder agreed to a one-year deal with the Pistons on Monday, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.
McGruder will return to Detroit for a third season after averaging 5.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game across 51 appearances in 2021-22. The 6-foot-4 wing is unlikely to be a regular member of Detroit's rotation when the team is at full strength.
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Pistons' Rodney McGruder: Team-high 26 points off bench
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McGruder finished with 26 points (9-11 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds, two assists and two steals in Friday's 131-101 loss to Milwaukee.
McGruder set a career high in points after averaging just 6.2 points per game in his last 10 appearances. Cory Joseph (back) was held out of the game, giving McGruder an opportunity to shine.
