Facing the Pacers for the second time in two weeks, the Detroit Pistons will have a much deeper bench to work with this time around. 

During the team’s initial matchup with Indiana Nov. 17, the Pistons were still reeling from a series of untimely injuries, and Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was cobbling his starting lineup together. Still, the Pistons dug deep and pulled out a 15-point win thanks to a huge 31-point, 15-rebound performance from Jalen Duren. 

Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham was still recovering from a hip contusion at the time, so Detroit opted to use Daniss Jenkins as the team’s floor general for the Eastern Conference showdown. Jenkins acquitted himself well with a career-high 26 points and eight assists, but the Pistons were still considerably shorthanded on the night. 

Cunningham: ‘Whole Team Is Lit’ About Jaden Ivey’s Return The Detroit Pistons welcomed explosive guard Jaden Ivey back to the lineup on Saturday night

Now a week later, the Pistons have welcomed power forward Tobias Harris back into the starting lineup after his recovery from a sprained ankle, and Jaden Ivey made his season debut against the Milwaukee Bucks two nights ago. So, the Pistons are the deepest they have been so far this season, and having Ivey back in the lineup provided a boost for Detroit from both a mental and physical perspective. 

“I think everybody was showering him with love, seeing him back in practice and doing his thing again,” Cunningham said of Ivey’s return. “But it's really cool to have the team as healthy as we are right now. [We’ve had] a lot of guys banged up here and there, so to have everybody come back and get the reinforcements is exciting.”

Despite the rampant run of injuries, the Pistons kept the ship on course and have continued to win no matter who was available in the lineup. Right now, the Pistons have an active 12-game winning streak, and a victory against the Pacers tonight would tie a franchise record. 

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But looking back on Ivey’s return over the weekend, the explosive fourth-year guard bounced around with a level of suddenness that was impressive for a player who has been out of the lineup since Jan. 1. Ivey moved quickly in the transition game, and he felt deputized with the green light to go for his shot when the opportunity arose, so his 10 points ranked atop all Detroit bench players against the Bucks on Saturday. 

“He looked good today,” Cunningham said. “I thought he looked really comfortable out there. Doesn't look like he's missed as much time as he has, so it's a credit to his work and how much time he's put in, but we're all just super happy for him being back out there this past week.”

Last season, Cunningham and Ivey were clicking at a high level and flying down the court before Ivey broke his leg, so having another speedy sharp-shooter available who can create their own shot will be a big boost for the Pistons’ offense. Detroit has dominated the paint through 16 games this season and ranks among the NBA’s best in that department, so adding a healthy dose of outside shooting should work to benefit the already-first-place Pistons. 

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