Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham are a perfect match defensively
This is where Jaden Ivey comes in. Cade is best matched up with larger wings or forwards, and will be even better as his strength improves. He is much more comfortable guarding Jimmy Butler, Jaylen Brown, or Julius Randle than he is Trae Young or Darius Garland.
Ivey is the opposite. He is disruptive and wiry on defense. He also has active hands in passing lanes, but he is much better suited as the on-ball defender on the other teams lead guard. Put simply, Ivey is a point guard stopper.
He is energetic and bouncy in his stance, good at recovery, and even better in transition jamming the dribbler or rising up for a block.
Both Cade and Ivey complement each other to a tee, at least on defense. Ivey will guard smaller guards and Cade can guard the bigger wings. It’s likely that Cade will be handling more of the playmaking reins on offense so this could leave Ivey to blossom into a true two-way stopper on the other end.
Most importantly, you will never have to worry about effort with either player. As shown by their willingness to jump head first into the culture here in Detroit, Cade and Ivey like to work. They are gamers and have never shown the me-first attitude that has been plaguing some young prospects.
Troy Weaver got this squad a couple gems. If both of these guys buy-in like I think they will, you are looking at the next great Detroit Pistons backcourt.