The Detroit Pistons are down to their final three games and rookie Jaden Ivey is trying to make the most of them.
He dropped 30 points last night against the Heat on just 15 shots, showing his whole offensive game off the bounce, from the mid-range and from the 3-point line.
Ivey is a lock to make the All-Rookie team, but is likely on the fringes of the 1st team depending on a number of factors.
Early in the season, Bennedict Mathurin was cooking and some were starting to question whether the Detroit Pistons made a mistake by taking Ivey. But Mathurin has cooled as the season has progressed, while Ivey has kept getting better, recently passing Mathurin on the KIA Rookie Ladder.
Mathurin was better early in the season, but Ivey has been better of late, so it will be interesting to see if the voters reward Ivey for his improvement or give Mathurin the edge for his full season and the fact that he is on a better team.
Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey making his case
Ivey and Mathurin will be two of the players in the conversation for a spot on the All-Rookie 1st team and both have a strong case. Here’s Ivey’s:
Jaden Ivey now has three games of 30 or more points this season, second only behind Paolo Banchero.
He’s also racked up more assists than any rookie in the league by far, and this is on a team that has had a rag-tag rotation since the All-Star break. Ivey is third in scoring overall, just behind Bennedict Mathurin, who is averaging 16.6 points per game to Ivey’s 16 points per game.
Mathurin does have 28 more total rebounds, and has the edge in total points, but Ivey has a better 3-point percentage (34 to 32) and has taken more shots total from long range.
But Ivey’s biggest argument might be how he’s played in the home stretch, as he has averaged 17.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game over his last 25 games while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 38 percent from long range on 5.5 attempts per game.
Mathurin has averaged 14.4 points, four rebounds and 1.3 assists in that stretch while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from long range on 3.1 attempts per game.
It’s clear that Ivey is doing more to affect games right now, but Mathurin has mostly come off the bench for a better team that was actually trying to win games, and has been the better overall defender and arguably the better scorer.
But Ivey is being asked to do way more, as he initiates the offense, has a higher usage rate and makes a lot more plays for teammates that lead to buckets.
Voters have a lot to weigh here and it may just come down to personal preference, as both players have strong arguments, along with Keegan Murray and Walker Kessler, to join Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams on the All-Rookie 1st team. But someone is going to be disappointed, will it be Jaden Ivey?