Jaden Ivey is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Detroit Pistons, which would be his second missed game in a row after he was benched in the Bulls' previous game against the Raptors.
This was meant to be Ivey’s first game against the Pistons, so I hope he plays, but we will have to wait until game time to find out.
This could be legit, as Ivey admitted recently that he has been dealing with soreness in his knee. But the Bulls are also executing a hard tank after dismantling their roster at the trade deadline, so it’s possible they are just holding him out to increase their chances at a loss.
I will be watching Ivey’s status closely this season, as I will always have a curiosity about how former Pistons (especially ones who were top five picks) get on in the league, but also because I want to see how his injuries progress.
I’m not sure the Pistons handled his situation correctly, but they really didn’t have much choice.
Did the Pistons rush Jaden Ivey back from his injuries?
Jaden Ivey was already trying to come back from a broken leg, which would have been difficult enough, but then added a preseason knee injury and surgery to his woes.
Anyone who watched the games knows that Ivey never looked like himself after returning. He had lost some burst, confidence and was a shadow of the guy he was before he got hurt, which he admitted recently saying “The old J.I. is dead.”
After watching him struggle to get back physically all season, I do wonder if the Pistons should have just held him out until he was completely ready to go.
To be fair to the Pistons, Ivey was cleared by the medical staff, wanted to play and had motivation to do so in a contract year. The Pistons also had motivation to play him, as they had to see if he was going to be work before heading into restricted free agency.
I’m sure if you asked Ivey, he’d say he was ready to play, but he’s a competitor, so of course he’s going to say that, but just as a hypothetical, I do wonder how things may have turned out if Ivey had just been held out until later in the season.
Even if the Pistons ended up trading him, he may have had more trade value as a mystery than as a guy who was clearly laboring to get back to full strength.
I do think the trade was necessary, and the Pistons may yet reap some benefits from it other than Kevin Huerter, but I feel for Ivey, as he never really got a fair shake in Detroit between injuries, coaching malpractice and the team taking off without him.