Caris LeVert (illness) is still listed as out for tonight’s matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City.
Things are even worse for the Nuggets, who will be missing a slew of players, including Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun and have Jamal Murray, Jonas Valanciunas and Peyton Watson listed as probable.
You obviously don’t hope for anyone to be injured or sick, but LeVert being out does offer JB Bickerstaff some respite from tough rotation challenges he has had all season when the team is at full strength.
Daniss Jenkins and Jaden Ivey are better without Caris LeVert
Coach JB Bickerstaff has been given the tricky task of trying to keep a deep rotation happy and his players sharp, something that has been assisted by a seemingly non-stop parade of minor injuries.
The most recent is an illness that has sidelined LeVert for a few games, which has given Daniss Jenkins and Jaden Ivey more time to play together, which has benefitted both of them.
Jenkins is looking more comfortable running the second unit and Ivey has been knocking down 3-point shots off the ball at a high rate over his last five games, hitting nearly half of them, which is the perfect role for him while he works to get his burst back.
LeVert and Ivey have been particularly bad as a duo, and it’s become crystal clear that Ivey benefits from having a point guard on the floor, as he’s struggling even more with decision making now that he’s having a hard time blowing by defenders.
LeVert being out has allowed these two to settle into more consistent roles, which has been a hallmark of the JB Bickerstaff era so far. He wants his role players to know exactly what is expected of them, and that’s easier when he’s not trying to pigeon-hole them into spots where they don’t belong.
This also points to LeVert possibly being the odd man out at the trade deadline, as he hasn’t provided the secondary ball handling and scoring the Pistons had hoped, and to put it bluntly, they don’t really need him.
Trading LeVert won’t be easy, as he is under contract for another season and hasn’t played well, so if the. Pistons do move him and it’s not part of a larger deal, they can expect little return and may even have to pay to get rid of him.
It’s hard to imagine that happening, so it’s going to be up to JB Bickerstaff to figure out ways to continue to put role players in the best spots to thrive, which may not include LeVert being part of the bench unit.