Jaden Ivey can fit into the perfect role for the Pistons by following the blueprint of Tyrese Maxey. Maxey was originally considered a great costar for Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, but has now emerged as a great primary option. Maxey was just named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and is averaging 33 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists per game this season.
Maxey can fit in perfectly into any offense
Maxey has carefully crafted his offensive game to fit multiple gameplans. Playing alongside an injury-prone superstar in Embiid, he has to succeed as both an on-ball creator and off-ball threat. Jaden Ivey shares this dual responsibility because of the Pistons' lack of a true backup point guard. Ivey has to play as an off-ball shooting guard when he shares the court with Cade Cunningham, but will have to create for himself and others when Cade is off the floor.
Ivey will need to ramp up his 3-point shooting to fill the void on the Pistons left by outgoing veterans from last season. If he can get anywhere close to Maxey's shooting (48% on 9 attempts per game this season), he will be the missing piece to complete the Pistons offense. Ivey has not shown the same shooting talent as Maxey throughout his career, but he did get up to 41% on 5 attempts per game last season.
Maxey didn't get to his current status as a superstar guard immediately. He had years of development, including winning the Most Improved Player award in 2024, before supplanting Embiid as the Sixers' top star. The Pistons have seen tons of growth among their young players, but won't be true contenders until Ivey can elevate the offense.
Defenses are particularly struggling to guard Maxey because he is so deadly off the ball, even when he's the primary option on the court. He uses his blazing speed to get open and make life easier for all his teammates. His combination of deep shooting and rim attacking make him a perfect dual threat that defenders cannot keep in front.
Maxey has also taken a jump as a passer and is averaging a career-high in assists: 8.5 per game comapred 6 per game the last two seasons. He's embracing the challenge of being the team's primary playmaker. Importantly, he has done so without raising his turnovers too much - still at 2.9 compared to 2.4 last season.
Even as he has grown into one of the league's most dynamic guards, Maxey has avoided dominating the ball excessively. This has made him equally effective with or without Joel Embiid. Jaden Ivey fitting into the same mold will be the perfect development for the Pistons. It can raise the offense to new levels with the entire starting lineup, and keep it alive whenever Cade needs a breather.