JB Bickerstaff has mostly pushed all the right buttons for the Detroit Pistons as they’ve surged to a 5.5 game lead in the Eastern Conference, but there is one duo whose numbers are getting concerning.
Coach Bickerstaff has been handed a tough task of dealing with injuries but also trying to get minutes for a deep rotation when all of his players are healthy.
He tightened up his rotation against the Celtics last night, giving us a preview of the players we could potentially see in the playoffs, with the normal starting five and Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland II, Caris LeVert, Jaden Ivey and a splash of Javonte Green.
Taking out Green, these were the Pistons’ top nine guys coming into the season and at the halfway point, it does appear as if that still holds true for JB Bickerstaff, even though there is now ample evidence that Jaden Ivey and Caris LeVert are not a good pairing.
LeVert and Ivey have a –2.4 net rating when sharing the court, which they have for 150+ minutes this season. Compare this to Daniss Jenkins and Ivey, who have a staggering +42 net rating, but have only played 31 minutes together.
LeVert has also benefited from playing with Jenkins, with a +2.4 net rating overall, and both Ivey and LeVert have positive net ratings when the other one isn’t on the floor.
The evidence is starting get overwhelming that both Ivey and LeVert are better when playing with a point guard, but if I had to guess, I’d say JB Bickerstaff will be stubborn and stick to his strategy, as there are possible long-term implications he has to consider.
The Pistons bench has to figure it out
I know a lot of fans want to see more of Jaden Ivey with Daniss Jenkins and the numbers support that, albeit in a small sample size, but for the Pistons to make a deep playoff run as currently constructed, they are going to need both Ivey and LeVert, and will need them to be able to play together.
Neither guy is really a point guard, which has made the half-court offense clunky at times when they are together and Cade Cunningham isn’t out there. But it’s also fair to say that we haven’t seen the best of Ivey or LeVert, who have both dealt with injuries this season and are trying to find their way on a team that has no time to slow down for them.
They are adjusting to new roles and new teammates on the fly while also trying to regain the lost comfort and confidence that comes with injuries, especially to the legs.
But both are guys who can go off and eventually win games for the Pistons, so while it may be frustrating for fans, the only way to get this to work is for these guys to play together. No offense to Jenkins, but if the Pistons have to lean heavily on him in the playoffs just to get by, then they are in trouble.
JB Bickerstaff will continue this juggling act as he tries to establish consistent and clear roles for Ivey and LeVert, who will hopefully start thriving together as they get more reps, but if not, coach Bickerstaff may have to abandon this strategy at some point.