Jaden Ivey’s injury back at the beginning of January completely changed the Detroit Pistons’ season in many ways.
It was a brutal turn for Ivey, who was playing well and answering a lot of the questions we had about him coming into the season.
But the injury also allowed Ausar Thompson to move into the starting five, which changed Detroit’s defense and was one of the reasons they started to surge.
This is not to say the Pistons are better without Ivey, because they aren’t, but his injury was the beginning of the shift that has become the team’s identity.
The injury also complicated the offseason for the Pistons, as Ivey is eligible for an extension and now they have to make that decision with less data at their disposal, as it’s very possible that we don’t see Jaden Ivey again this season.
Ivey’s injury had a huge impact on this season in several ways and now his return could be an X-Factor for the Pistons in the playoffs.
Jaden Ivey injury update: Will Ivey return this season?
The team gave an update on Ivey yesterday, which is that he is progressing nicely, has been cleared for basketball activities and will start ramping up his conditioning.
Possibly the most exciting part of the announcement is that Ivey will be updated again in two weeks, which is a shortened timeline compared to the four weeks in between the last update.
This doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to go in two weeks, but that shortened timeline does open the door for his return this season, especially if the Pistons make it to the second round.
The first round of the playoffs starts on April 19th, which makes it unlikely Ivey will play in the opening round, but if the Pistons were to advance?
Jaden Ivey could be an X-Factor
It’s going to difficult for Ivey to get back into game shape and ready to play this season, especially when you factor in the rust and the fact that he’s not been a part of the on-court chemistry the team has been building.
Throwing him into a major role (even if he were ready for such a thing, which is highly unlikely) will make for a tough adjustment for everyone else, but Ivey could potentially play in short bursts off the bench, which would be a huge boost for the team, both emotionally and in terms of basketball.
The Pistons’ bench has been struggling to score of late, and having Ivey come off it for 10-15 minutes to crank up the pace and take the pressure off everyone else would be huge.
He’s also a guy the other team won’t have seen or game planned for at all, so Ivey could certainly make an impact in a small role if he can return.
It’s still a long shot, but the Pistons can increase the odds of seeing Ivey again this season with each game they win in the playoffs.