NBA rookie rankings: Pistons surging late but on the fringes

One positive fans of the Detroit Pistons can take away from this season is that Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren look like the real deal.

The rookies have lived up to the hype and even exceeded it in some ways even though the team itself is on the cusp of tying the worst record in franchise history.

Ivey has improved his efficiency and is playing better defense, though he’s still turning the ball over too much, a common problem for rookie guards tasked with initiating the offense. Duren’s rebounding and passing are ahead of schedule and even as the youngest player in the league, he’s established himself as the Pistons’ best big man.

Ivey is currently playing some of his best basketball in the season, averaging 20.8 points, seven assists and 4.2 rebounds over his last five games while shooting 43.4 percent from the floor and 42.4 percent from 3-point range on 6.6 attempts per game.

He’s getting to the line over five times per game and hitting the free throws, one of the big reasons we’ve seen an uptick in scoring. Yes, he’s been turning the ball over a lot (4.4 per game) but he’s been put in a tough spot often playing with two bigs that can’t shoot, which causes spacing issues and some of these turnovers.

The 3-point shooting is especially promising, as that was one of the big questions about Jaden Ivey coming into the season.

Jalen Duren has also been very good over his last five games, averaging 10.8 points, seven rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting any eye-popping 76.7 percent from the floor. He’s been splitting time with James Wiseman and playing slightly less since they acquired him, and there are some questions as to why he is not in the starting lineup.

His passing and decision making have been a pleasant surprise, as he makes good reads and can make some slick passes that you wouldn’t expect out of a 19-year-old center.

Both players will need to continue their strong play, as they are on the fringes of different parts of the All-Rookie conversation.

Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and the All-Rookie Teams

Both the Pistons’ rookies were rewarded for their efforts in the most recent edition of the KIA Rookie Ladder, the NBA’s weekly rankings.

Ivey moved up to 4th, surpassing Bennedict Mathurin for the first time since the beginning of the season. Ivey put up 26 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 8 apg since the last rankings while Mathurin managed just  11.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 1.3 apg in a larger role with some key Pacers out with injury.

There are really only two locks for the All-Rookie first team in Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams with Walker Kessler pretty close to a lock after going on a tear. Outside of that, there seem to be two spots up for grabs between Ivey, Mathurin and Keegan Murray. Ivey is playing the best of the three right now, but he’s doing it on a terrible team. The Pacers aren’t great but still have an outside chance at the play-in, and the Kings are the 3-seed in the Western Conference and on their way to the playoffs.

Will Ivey be punished for being on a bad team? We shall see.

Jalen Duren moved up to 9th after being 10th the week before after putting up 13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg,  and 3.5 apg, flashing some really nice passing along the way. He is on the fringes of the 2nd team, and like Ivey, will need strong finish to help sway voters, as he has some worthy competition in guys like Jeremy Sochan and Tari Eason.