The Detroit Pistons held on for a home win against the awful and shorthanded Charlotte Hornets last night, their first since Jaden Ivey’s injury.
Ivey will be re-evaluated in four weeks, which means he could come back, though we know the Pistons will be cautious with their young guard, who was having a breakout season.
It was only the first game without Ivey, but already there are signs of trouble. Hopefully, things will go smoother as players step up into bigger roles and the Ivey-less rotation shakes out, but last night showed the challenges the Pistons are going to face without their second-leading scorer.
The Pistons need another scorer
Detroit managed to put up just 98 points last night but were able to get the win by holding the Hornets to 29 points in the second half. The two teams combined for just 26 points in the 4th quarter in what had to be some of the ugliest basketball I’ve had the misfortune of watching this season.
The Pistons dialed up the defense in the second half and were able to shut the Hornets (who were playing without their two best players) down, but they won't’ be playing Charlotte forever.
It’s clear the Pistons need Ivey’s secondary scoring to take the pressure off Cade Cunningham, and without Ivey in there, someone is going to have to step up.
Last night it was Tobias Harris, who had his best all-around game of the season, but the Pistons will need more when they are playing better teams.
Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. were a combined 8-of-26 last night, which isn’t going to cut it against a good team that isn’t missing its best players.
Last night was just an ugly game with some of the worst officiating I’ve seen this season, so we can’t make too much of the Pistons’ poor offensive performance, but they are going to need that secondary scorer from night to night whether it is one guy or in the aggregate.
Should the Pistons wait or not?
Ivey’s timeline is tricky for Detroit, as there is a chance he’ll be back this season, in which case they are probably inclined to just ride it out and not alter their trade deadline plans too much.
There is also a chance he won’t return this season, but we won’t know for another month, in which time the Pistons may have dropped out of the play-in race.
Should they make a minor move to add depth? A trade for a veteran stop gap? A G-League call up?
They have options, but the timeline makes it difficult, as they don’t want to do anything drastic if Ivey is going to be back, but they also don’t want to jeopardize what is turning into a really fun season.
It’s a tough call for Trajan Langdon. I suspect the Pistons will not trade for a veteran but could call up a G-League free agent at some point for some extra depth.
Jaden Ivey’s extension
It may seem crass to talk money when Ivey is laying in a hospital bed with a broken leg, but we all know this is a business and injuries affect contract negotiations all the time.
If Ivey does not return this season, what does that mean for his possible extension? Would the Pistons be more inclined to let him play out his contract to prove it hasn’t affected him long term?
What if Ivey comes back this season but never gets back to 100 percent? Will that have an impact on his extension number?
I feel bad for Ivey, as the timing couldn’t be worse for this (not that there is ever a good time to break your leg), as it is going to be tough for the Pistons to give him a lucrative long-term deal if his health status is up in the air.
It’s a problem Trajan Langdon certainly wishes he didn’t have, as Ivey was playing well and cementing himself as part of the future, but this injury has turned answers into questions.