Jaden Ivey was a bit of a forgotten man around the NBA last season, as the Detroit Pistons made the playoffs without him and he didn’t feature in their entertaining playoff series with the Knicks, but Ivey is the biggest X-factor next season and there are reasons to believe it will be a breakout year for him.
It was Cade Cunningham who made the leap to All-NBA last season, and while Ivey is unlikely to reach those heights, if he can get to fringe All-Star status, the Pistons will be very good, with their roster potentially set for years to come.
On a recent episode of Yahoo Sports, the hosts shared some reasons why they think Ivey could explode onto the scene next season and remind everyone why the Pistons took him with the 5th pick of the 2022 draft.
Jaden Ivey: Dominating while Cade Cunningham is on the bench
Ivey only played 30 games last season, but there were already promising signs that he can be that guy, which is why fans and pundits eager to ship him out should at least have the patience to see him play for half a season before passing judgement.
In his 30 games last season, Ivey was lights out on catch-and-shoot 3-point shots, hitting over 45 percent of them. That may not hold for a whole season but it’s a good sign that he can thrive off the ball and provide space in the offense.
However, Ivey does have to get better at attacking off passes, especially when it comes to decision-making in the paint.
Cade and Ivey have to show they can share that space and thrive off each other, which should include both of them more in a screener role for the other.
But what will really set Ivey apart is what he does when Cade Cunningham is on the bench. The Pistons don’t currently have a Dennis Schroder waiting to take over the lead ballhandling duty, so that job will fall on Ivey and there should be optimism he can thrive in this role as well.
Last season (according to Yahoo Sports), Ivey averaged 18 points per 75 possessions when Cade was on the floor, which is good, right where you want him to be. He averaged a staggering 26.6 points per 75 possessions when Cade was off the floor, and if he can keep that up, we are looking at a fringe All-Star next season.
It will also make the Pistons less reliant on one guy, take some of the pressure off Cade to do everything and make the Pistons’ offense far more dynamic.
There are plenty of players who can thrive playing next to a guy like Cade, an elite passer who draws a ton of attention, but Ivey has to show he can run the team when Cade is out.
Pistons fans know Ivey’s importance to this team, but he’s a breakout star not a lot of others will see coming after he missed most of last season.