Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons are down to their final two games to leave an impression on the league.
For the team, that impression has already been made, as they have sealed the worst record in the NBA and if they don’t win another game, will have finished the season in an epic run of futility that would lead to a tie for the worst record in franchise history.
The two rookies have been the only real bright spots of the season, and both have been regulars on the Kia Rookie Ladder, including again this week.
Paolo Banchero probably has Rookie of the Year wrapped up and he and Jalen Williams are the only sure things on the All-Rookie 1st team.
Beyond that, it depends on who you ask, as guys like Jaden Ivey, Bennedict Mathurin, Keegan Murray, Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith Jr. all have solid arguments for their inclusion.
Both Pistons’ rookies have been surging of late and two more strong games may be enough to secure their spots.
Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren for All-Rookie teams
Both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren have been operating on the fringes of the All-Rookie teams, as Ivey is trying to play his way onto the 1st team and Duren onto the 2nd.
Ivey kept the 4th position on the Rookie Ladder for the second week in a row, ahead of Bennedict Mathurin, but just behind Walker Kessler (3), Jalen Williams (2) and Paolo Banchero (1), the top three guys again this week.
Ivey is third in scoring and first in assists, but also has a ton of turnovers and is on the worst team in the league.
Jalen Duren continued his climb up the ladder, making it to the 8th spot this week, up one position from last week. His case might get some help from All-Star Paul George, who recently gave the rookie high praise on his podcast.
It appears as though they are safely in their spots going into the final two games, but the folks at the KIA Rookie Ladder only get one vote, so we’ll have to wait and see if the rest of the electorate agrees with their assessment.
For Ivey, his biggest competition is with Mathurin and Murray, while Duren will be judged against guys like Tari Eason, Andrew Nembhard and Jeremy Sochan.