The Detroit Pistons lost their first game to the Chicago Bulls, and already the hot takes are flying, namely that they are not a lock to be a playoff team.
Some of these reactions are legitimate concerns that date back to last season: that the Pistons don’t have enough 3-point shooting or spacing in the half court. some of the young players are having some of the same problems and Jaden Ivey is once again hurt.
Bill Simmons took it even further on a recent episode of his podcast, saying the Pistons weren’t all that special talent-wise with Ivey out and that he sees them more as a play-in team, which seems like an overreaction to one bad game against the Bulls.
We knew the Pistons had a tough opening week, and that they’d be doing it without Ivey, so they just have to weather this stretch and hope to get him back as soon as possible. But let’s not get too wild with the doomsday predictions after one loss, this is still a very good team with a solid chance of making the playoffs if they can get healthy and stay that way.
The Detroit Pistons need Jaden Ivey, but they can move on without him
There is no doubt getting Jaden Ivey back will be a boost to the offense that doesn’t have a real second creator behind Cade Cunningham.
It’s a concern, as Cade can’t do everything, and the Pistons are incredibly easy to defend when he’s the only threat in the half court.
Ausar Thompson showed some promising signs in the first game, logging seven assists to just one turnover, but it’s still a role he’s growing into. He also knocked down a couple of jumpers, which is a good sign.
I’d also like to see the Pistons turn to Daniss Jenkins for stretches when Cade is on the bench. Coach Bickerstaff chose to go with lineups without any semblance of a point guard him them against the Bulls and it was predictably stagnant. Jenkins could inject a little life into the half court with his ability to beat people of the dribble.
The Pistons also made the playoffs last season without Ivey, so while we can expect some bumpy adjustments to the new veterans, this is a team that has shown it can thrive even without Ivey. Getting him back will be huge, but it’s not like they don’t know how to play without him in there.
Bill Simmons thinks the sky is falling and that’s fine, but the Pistons just need to regroup, bank a couple of wins and get to an easier part of the schedule. Ivey will be back and they’ll be fine, so let’s not panic after one game.