Pistons' Hamidou Diallo sidelined 3-4 weeks due to ankle sprain

Detroit — The injury bug has crawled into the Pistons' locker room once again.

The team announced shortly before their game against the Washington Wizards that an MRI performed on Tuesday revealed that Hamidou Diallo suffered a Grade-2 right ankle sprain in the waning minutes of Monday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Diallo will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks, which rules him out for the majority of the regular season.

Diallo sharply rolled his ankle with 2:20 remaining as the Pistons trailed the Blazers by 11. After a brief moment on the court, he was then escorted to the locker room by the training staff.

As one of the most productive members of the Pistons' second unit, Diallo averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds off the bench, while shooting an efficient 57% from the field.

What will the Pistons miss most without Diallo in the lineup?

“His energy,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “He changes the game. That’s why we struggle scoring in the first quarter, and when he comes in, good or bad, the game changes. We need his energy, offensively and defensively, his rebounding. He increases the speed of the game, pushing the ball down the floor. He brings so much energy to the game. That’s what we’ll miss. Somehow, some way, we've gotta turn that switch on."

Diallo will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so the Pistons will need to make a decision on whether he fits into the team's long-term plans in what will be the fourth year of their latest rebuild.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @MikeACurtis2