Pistons guard Jaden Ivey played 29 minutes off the bench last night
Last night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Jaden Ivey walked into the perfect scenario to retake his familiar place in the Pistons’ rotation. With Cade Cunningham picking up three quick fouls last night, Detroit turned to Ivey early on in an attempt to climb back from Kawhi Leonard’s sharp shooting display.
Ivey was part of a secondary unit for the Pistons that included Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert, but no combination of Detroit players was capable of slowing down Leonard in what was a 55-point effort for the six-time All-Star. Still, Ivey was counted on to play a meaningful role in a game that was close towards the end with 29 minutes on the night, but it was not exactly Ivey’s most peerless performance.
In the extended role, Ivey posted 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal, but it was not his most efficient day at the office. Ivey went 2-for-10 from the field, knocking down a pair of shots from behind the arc, but the fourth-year guard played tight defense and helped run the Pistons’ offense when Cade was stationed on the bench against the Clippers.
“I thought he was helping us,” Bickerstaff said after Detroit’s 112-99 road loss. “I thought he was playing well, and I didn't want to disrupt that with the minutes or whatever. So, I wanted to give him an opportunity to get out there and compete because I thought he was with some groups that were making some hay. So, I just wanted to make sure that he felt the trust and the confidence that we have in him when we were put in that position.”
Since returning from arthroscopic knee surgery in November, Ivey has played in the ballpark of 15 minutes per night for much of the last month as the Pistons have opted to gradually reacclimate the speedy shooting guard after missing almost a full calendar year of basketball. So, the fact that Detroit had the confidence to essentially double Ivey’s typical workload for a road game is a positive indicator that he is closer to 100%.
Now, it is unclear if Bickerstaff plans to ultimately reinsert Ivey into the starting lineup. Right now, Duncan Robinson has started every game that he’s been healthy for this season, and he’s entrenched himself as a starter thanks to his perimeter shooting and offensive gravity, but Ivey offers those same qualities with a much more useful defensive profile and a speed element in the transition game as well.
The long-term plan for the Pistons is likely to include Ivey in the starting lineup considering how long Robinson has already been in the league, but that can all change depending on how the two players perform over the next several weeks.
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