The Detroit Pistons walked away from last season’s playoff loss to the Knicks knowing they needed a secondary playmaker and hope Jaden Ivey can be that guy.
Cade Cunningham clearly needed help, as the Knicks were trapping him all series and daring someone else to beat them.
Jaden Ivey only played 30 games, but in that time, showed that he can effectively play off the ball with Cunningham, as he was good attacking the rim (though needs to add a floater to his game) and knocked down over 45 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-point shots.
Zach Lowe and Nekias Duncan talked about Ivey at length on a recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show and said his growth as an initiator will be key after the loss of Dennis Schroder in free agency.
Ivey should get his chances, as the Pistons currently do not have a backup point guard and will rely on him to handle some of those minutes with Cade Cunningham on the bench.
For this to work, Ivey needs to improve in a couple of areas.
Jaden Ivey: Decision-making and a two-man game with Isaiah Stewart
Ivey did average four assists per game in his 30 games last season, but he added three turnovers, a number that has to decrease if he is going to run the offense when Cunningham is off the floor.
A lot of this comes down to decision making, as Ivey has a bad habit of jumping before he knows what he wants to do with the ball, something he has been able to get away with his entire life because he was more athletic than everyone else on the floor, but doesn’t cut it against NBA defenses that close space quickly.
Ivey was especially problematic in the floater area, where he shoots a low percentage and often looks to make tough passes instead of pulling up for a shot. Ivey has to improve his decision making in these situations, get rid of the ball quicker or be ready to take that shot.
He also needs to develop more of two-man game with Isaiah Stewart, who will be on the floor for much of the time Ivey is playing as the primary ball handler. Stewart taking a few more 3’s on the pick and pop would help create space, and you do have to wonder if Beef Stew is eventually going to work that back into his game, as it would raise his offensive ceiling and impact considerably.
Ivey will need to navigate screens more effectively with the ball, make quicker decisions and take better care of the ball. Growth in this area would alleviate concerns about a backup point guard, so the Pistons need Ivey to upgrade as a playmaker.