2 Pistons that earned untouchable status
Jaden Ivey
Just like with Duren, there are some unlikely hypothetical situations where the Detroit Pistons would consider trading Jaden Ivey, but barring one of those, he’s pencilled in as part of the backcourt for the foreseeable future.
Ivey started the season as an athletic marvel who often played out of control and had a hard time harnessing his elite speed. But as the season has progressed, he’s gotten better at controlling his pace and leading the offense even though his constantly rotating cast of mismatched teammates has just kept getting worse.
He’s been more efficient in the mid-range and his 3-point shot is much better than most people expected this season.
Part of what makes Ivey “untouchable” is that he is a smart player with a strong work ethic who actually cares and wants not only to be great but to win. On a team trying to shake off a culture of losing, his type of drive is important and was one of the big reasons Detroit was so excited when he fell to 5th in last year’s draft.
The only disappointing thing about Ivey’s season is that we didn’t get to see him play much with Cade Cunningham, as the two guards and Duren are the trio they are now building around along with (hopefully) this year’s draft pick.
Other than Cade, Ivey and Duren, just about everyone else is on the table and there are four players in particularly that they should definitely cut loose this offseason.