Head coach JB BIckerstaff said the words no Pistons fan wanted to hear when he revealed Jaden Ivey had been held out of practice and was currently “day-to-day.” He didn’t disclose any further details but it was enough to have Pistons fans concerned.
Ivey has only played in one preseason game and looked rusty, as he was pressing, rushing everything and looked like a guy who hadn’t played in 10 months.
We haven’t seen him since, and now that it’s been revealed that he was held out of practice, Pistons fans are officially concerned.
After swapping out Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schroder for Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert, there were already concerns the Pistons wouldn’t have enough shooting and offense, particularly in the half court.
The Pistons are counting on Jaden Ivey’s return offset some of that, so if he has to miss any amount of time, it’s a big deal. We are not there yet so there is no need to panic, but given he is coming off a devastating injury it’s not surprising that it’s going to take some time to get going even if he is not injured.
Luckily the Pistons have been there before and have an option if Ivey isn’t a full strength right away.
Detroit Pistons starting lineup: Duncan Robinson can fill in as needed
If Ivey is unable to start the season in the first five, then the Pistons will likely turn to Duncan Robinson which is not a bad second option, as he is a more respected shooter than Ivey and has shown he can be effective in various offensive sets.
There were concerns about the shooting in the starting five, as Duren and Thompson don’t look to shoot at all, so having Robinson’s 3-point shooting in the lineup should help some of those concerns if Jaden Ivey is not available.
This is obviously not ideal, as it would weaken the Pistons’ bench and force players like Marcus Sasser (who is also nursing a minor injury) into bigger roles.
The Pistons have a tough schedule to open the season, so not an ideal time to be shorthanded, but this is a team that made the playoffs without Ivey last season, so it’s a position they’ve been in before.
Let’s hope this is all precautionary and that Ivey will be ready to go on opening night, but if he’s not, the Pistons will have to find answers quickly and move on without him.