The Detroit Pistons may not have any All-Stars competing this weekend, but their time is coming soon.
The last time the Pistons had an All-Star was Blake Griffin, but if the Rising Stars Challenge is any indication, the next Pistons’ All-Star is already on the team.
Both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren were selected for the Jordan Rising Stars Mini-Tournament, though Duren had to sit with an injured ankle that was likely more of a precautionary measure.
That left just Jaden Ivey on Team Pau, the team that ended up winning the title, with Jose Alvarado taking home MVP honors:
Team Pau delivered!!! Proud of my players, this has been so fun 🤩 2-0 record as a coach, by the way 🤷🏼 #JordanRisingStars #NBAAllStar
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 18, 2023
El Team Pau cumplió!!! Orgulloso de mis jugadores, ha sido muy divertido 🤩 Récord de 2-0 como entrenador, por cierto 🤷🏼 pic.twitter.com/B2Vv2DnLNB
Team Pau easily won their first matchup over Team Deron, with Ivey scoring four points and adding two rebounds in just under seven minutes on the floor.
They then went on to defeat Team Joakim in the final, with Ivey knocking down his only shot attempt, a 3-pointer and ending +5 on the night.
The Detroit Pistons are hoping these Rising Stars appearances eventually translate into selections for the All-Star game and consistent winning.
Detroit Pistons: Two Rising Stars Challenge titles in a row
Cade Cunningham led the winning squad last year and took home the MVP honors, so this is the second year in a row with a Pistons’ player taking home a Rising Stars Challenge title.
Andre Drummond also led a winning team way back in 2013-14, and was the last Piston before Cunningham to win the MVP.
This is only the second year of the tournament format, which has cranked up the intensity level from a game that used to be more of an alley-oop contest than an actual basketball game.
It will be interesting to see how this weekend affects Jaden Ivey, as many players in the past (including Cade Cunningham last season) saw their performance level increase post All-Star break with renewed confidence after competing against the best young players in the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons now have five former Rising Stars on their roster including Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman, Cunningham, Duren and Ivey, which is hopefully a sign of things to come.
The Pistons are stacking young talent and Rising Stars titles, so the challenge this offseason is to find the right complementary players to turn this group of young talent into a cohesive team that can compete for a playoff spot.