After missing the second half of last season with a left fibula injury, Jaden Ivey played only one preseason game for the Detroit Pistons before undergoing surgery on his right knee. Detroit announced the news on Oct. 16, and Ivey will be re-evaluated in four weeks, which is now three weeks away.
As discouraging as the injury was for fans, it was even worse for Ivey, who was playing the best basketball of his young career last season before he got hurt. However, the good news is that Pistons GM Trajan Langdon said on a recent episode of "The Zach Lowe Show" that it was a "clean-up" of loose particles that were causing discomfort in Ivey's knee.
Langdon added, "I think he's feeling better already. He's walking, he's starting his rehab. We're going to make sure he's good to go. I think that will go pretty easily." On the surgery, he said, "It was very, very simple. It was nothing. He was literally in the surgery room for 15 minutes. It was quick."
Langdon pointed out that Ivey being in great shape will help him bounce back quicker, but that doesn't mean that Detroit wants to rush him back. The Pistons want to make sure that Ivey is healthy before returning, and that he will stay that way.
Langdon's explanation of Jaden Ivey's knee procedure is a relief
Detroit and Ivey did the right thing by immediately addressing the discomfort rather than letting it escalate. Weighing if you'd rather be without Ivey for at least four weeks, or potentially, the entire season, yields an easy answer. It's always better to err on the side of caution, particularly with a player who is already coming back from a significant injury.
The Pistons opted not to extend Ivey before the Oct. 20 deadline, which was a more than reasonable decision. They want to see if he can replicate what he was doing before he got hurt last season, as Ivey was averaging 17.6 points per game on 46% shooting from the field and 40.9% from three.
His latest setback is another obstacle Ivey will have to overcome before he can prove to Detroit and the rest of the league what kind of player he is.
It's better that he's missing time now in October/November, rather than missing the playoffs again. Pistons fans can only hope this is the only major hurdle Ivey will face this season.