Detroit Pistons: Awards and anti-awards at just past the midway point

Detroit Pistons: Team awards and anti-awards

Rookie of the Year: Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren

I am giving a co-award for this one because both rookies have been impressive for the Detroit Pistons. Ivey still has a long way to go on both ends, but he is getting there, and with improved shot selection and a healthy Cade Cunningham, he is going to be a force.

Duren is well ahead of schedule as the youngest player in the league and is already a dominant rebounder and a much-better passer than anyone expected. He needs to improve as a rim protector, but he will get there over time.

The rookies have been up and down this season (especially Ivey) which you would expect, but have overall been two of the only bright spots to an otherwise miserable season. The Pistons did well in the draft and have a chance to be the only team with two players on the All-Rookie squad.

Not Rookie of the Year: Buddy Boeheim

It may seem like a cheap shot to go after a G-League player on a two-way contract, and I have nothing against Boeheim and wish him the best.

But he should have never had that contract in the first place, as he is the textbook definition of a traffic cone on defense and his shooting isn’t good enough to make up for it.

I put this one on Troy Weaver, who clearly gave his old friend’s son the benefit of the doubt, even after it was clear that there were better players out there who might have actually been able to get some valuable developmental minutes with the Pistons this season.

Instead, the G-League has been a bust in a season when they should have been trying to develop someone there. Both of those two-way contracts should have gone to wings with some amount of defensive upside.