One of the most impressive things about the run the Detroit Pistons have been on is that they are doing it without Jaden Ivey.
Ivey has basically been out since the new year began, which happens to coincide with the Pistons’ surge, which is a sign to some people that the Pistons don’t “need” Ivey and that he’ll be trade bait next offseason.
I’ve never understood fans who think having a bunch of good players is a bad thing, or that the Pistons are somehow be better off without Ivey, which is just silly. You can debate the future, but as for this season, of course the Pistons would love to have Ivey back.
Ivey was playing well before his injury and there have certainly been times when the Pistons could have used his scoring, so even if you believe Ivey is destined for a bench role in the future, he’ll still be a big asset to this team.
The question is whether we’ll get to find out this season, when that might happen and what it will look like for the Pistons if it does.
Jaden Ivey injury update: Return left open but just a crack
Ivey’s injury was last updated on March 13th, when it was revealed that Ivey was now able to do “weight bearing” activities, had started running and also doing some stationary shooting, which are all good signs for his progress from a broken leg.
The injury report also said that Ivey would be updated in another four weeks, which would be April 10th on the calendar if they stick strictly to that timeline.
That doesn’t mean that he’ll be ready to return on April 10th, only that we’ll get another update around that time. Even if the best-case scenario happened and Ivey was ready to return on that date, the season ends on April 13th, so it would give him precious little time to prepare.
Even if Jaden Ivey does return...
If everything goes perfectly between now and then, and Ivey gets clearance to play in April, that doesn’t mean he’ll be returning to the lineup.
Being physically capable of playing and being ready for the intensity of the playoffs after not having played a game for 3.5 months are two very different things. It’s hard to imagine Ivey being in game shape, so even in the unlikely event that he returns before the playoffs, I wouldn’t expect him to have a big role.
The playoffs are no time for a guy to be working himself back into shape or fine-tuning his rusty game, so it’s far more likely that the only way Ivey returns this season is if the Pistons make a deep playoff run, which would give him the time to prepare himself.
Regardless, you aren’t going to see Jaden Ivey in the starting lineup or playing big minutes this season, and the chances are much higher that you don’t see him at all.
But if the Pistons were to make the playoffs and advance to the second round, the door is open a crack for Ivey’s return, which would be a great story, and if he is 100 percent or close, would be a great addition to the roster.