Jaden Ivey will have an important role to play for the Pistons next season. Not only will he be the starting shooting guard, but he’ll also fill in as the backup point guard when Cade Cunningham is off the floor. The Pistons will be expecting a lot from Ivey, but they must be cautious as he recovers from a traumatic leg injury.
The Pistons must be patient with Jaden Ivey.
Last season Ivey unfortunately only played 30 games before suffering a catastrophic freak injury. In those 30 games, he was having a career season averaging 18 points per game and shooting 41 percent from three. He showed tremendous growth from the season prior and he’ll have to take yet another leave to prove himself as Detroit’s second star.
Ivey will certainly be eager to prove himself as his next contract hangs in the balance. The Pistons’ ability to build a contender around Cade Cunningham will depend on Ivey’s next contract and how he lives up to it. So they are understandably hesitant to commit to him long-term without a larger sample size. However, rushing him back from injury may lead to more setbacks and create more questions for both sides.
By the time the regular season starts in October, it’ll be over nine months since his injury took place. Pistons fans will expect Ivey to be 100 percent from opening night, but that might not be the case. Whether it’s physical ailment from his broken leg or the rust of not playing an NBA game in that long, Ivey may take some time to ramp up to his midseason form.
One option for the Pistons to keep Ivey healthy as he ramps up is distributing his expected workload across multiple players. This can mean giving more backup point guard opportunities to Caris LeVert and limiting Ivey’s minutes in favor of other guards on the team.
Ivey has been relatively healthy throughout his career. He played 70+ games in both of his first two seasons while averaging around 30 minutes per game. Last season his injury was caused by a reckless play from an opposing player and not indicative of a recurring issue.
The fanbase and front office must both be patient in evaluating Ivey’s performance. His next contract will take him through crucial years of his career, and it would be a shame to overreact based on his first few games coming off a disastrous injury.
Ivy‘s performance next season and in the future will determine the Pistons ceiling as a core and team. As he gets healthier and proves his value, the Pistons’ future outlook will get clearer. But until then it’ll be important to not jump to conclusions.