The Detroit Pistons have played 20 games so far this season, and it’s mostly been positive.
They are in first place and have done it without their full complement of players, which should give fans hope that this team can compete for the Eastern Conference if it’s fully healthy.
Most players have been on a upward trend this season overall, as we’ve seen clear growth from the entirety of the young core minus Jaden Ivey, who is still trying to get up to speed.
Even with a 16-4 record, there are concerns, but also reasons to be excited.
Jaden Ivey is trending up but still has a long way to go
Let’s start with a positive one, as it has been great to see Ivey back in the lineup even though he hasn’t played particularly well so far.
If you’ve ever broken a bone, especially in the leg, then you know it takes a long time before you are confident and the same applies to professional athletes. I don’t get the fan outrage over Ivey’s performance when the guy hasn’t played in a year.
Even though he’s been rusty, Ivey is starting to show signs.
For one, I think he’s defended fairly well considering it isn’t a strength. He’s had some good stops on defense, which is a great sign.
Ivey looked more comfortable and confident in the win over Miami and could be forced back into the starting five with Duncan Robinson potentially out tonight.
It’s going to be a process and it’s going slowly, but Ivey is trending in the right direction. See me in two more weeks.
Ausar Thompson is trending down since returning from injury
Thompson has not looked like himself since returning from an injury, and the numbers support it.
Before Ausar went to the injury list, he was averaging 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Even though it wasn’t pretty at times, he was aggressive trying to get to the rim and was doing a good job of bailing Cade Cunningham out of double teams.
In the five games since his return, Thompson has averaged 8.5 points, five rebounds and two assists. Not only that, but he hasn’t looked confident with the ball or going up for shots at the rim. He’s leaving everything short and doesn’t look comfortable rising up for dunks, so has had to do acrobatic layups instead which have not fallen consistently.
I’m not really worried about Thompson, as this is just a matter of getting his legs under him again. He’ll be fine, but it’s worth monitoring, as the Pistons need him to be aggressive and confident on offense.
Tobias Harris has been great of late
Tobias Harrs has been exactly what the Pistons needed since returning from injury, as he’s averaging 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists after missing nine games.
He’s also shooting 64 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from long range in that time, providing the scoring the Pistons were lacking.
Harris has been this team’s security blanket when they need a bucket and has now stepped into a secondary scoring role, showing he’ll do whatever they need. This is why fans should be a little more cautious about throwing Unc into every fake trade.
Ron Holland’s offense has disappeared
Ron Holland had a very good game against the Miami Heat, and when it comes to defense, he’s been everything the Pistons could hope for, as he is as disruptive as any perimeter defender in the league, and you always know when he’s on the court.
I never expected Holland to instantly develop on offense, nor does he need to, but it would be nice to see a little more out of him. Last game was only his second in double figures all season, and he’s really not even looking to shoot right now.
Hopefully, that Miami game will get him going, but he’s also had an inconsistent role at times, with JB Bickerstaff turning to Caris LeVert for more offense. I’d like to see Holland play more, not less, as he just needs reps and his defense changes games.
But eventually, he will have to show more on the offensive side of the ball, especially with finishing around the rim.