The Pistons became convinced Jaden Ivey, blessed with world-class speed, would prove superb in transition as they pondered the possibilities with the fifth pick in last June’s draft.
But now Ivey is convincing them of something with far greater importance: That he’s also superb at making transitions. Ivey’s rookie season is ending on a rocket ship headed up. He’s mastering the incredibly complex task of being an NBA point guard and the hundreds of decisions each game the job entails after coming to the Pistons expecting to play at the side of Cade Cunningham, whose aplomb at making those decisions was what elevated him to head of the class when the Pistons got the No. 1 pick in 2021.
Ivey faces another transition as Cunningham speeds toward his return for the 2023-24 season. It’s not nearly as daunting as the one Ivey already has successfully navigated, so no one is wringing hands over its outcome. But it’s a transition nevertheless.
“Getting used to, ‘Who’s running this play? That play? Who’s bringing the ball down in transition? There’s going to be a get-to-know-each-other period of time there,” Dwane Casey said. “It won’t be bad because both of them are willing teammates. They want to be better. They want the team to be better.”
Ivey’s speed – in transition and in the half court – carried him early in the season when the game was whizzing by at least as fast as he could carry himself. But when Cunningham went down after 12 games with a season-ending shin injury, Ivey had a transition to point guard thrust upon him.
“I would say mid-season, I feel like it started to slow down for me a little bit,” he said. “I feel I’ve improved in areas where earlier in the season I was making mistakes. I’ve really tried to watch film every single day with my coaches and look at the things I made mistakes on and next game being able to correct it. There’s still more growth to go.”
That he’s handled it so well speaks to his industriousness and teachability – and also to the way he handles curveballs. If Ivey could handle the transition to point guard and all that it entails, downshifting back to playing off the ball – his comfort zone – at Cunningham’s side seems like a slam dunk.
“The same way we played from game one when I played with him,” Ivey said as he envisions their pairing – next season and beyond. “Just finding each other. Knowing what he likes to go get and knowing just the both of us being able to stretch the floor and make everybody else around us better. That’s the biggest thing.”
Ivey’s growth in two key areas – as a pick-and-roll playmaker and a 3-point shooter – has been a revelation. His assists totals have picked up month over month, going from 4.6 a game before the All-Star break to 7.2 since. He’s scoring more efficiently inside than he did earlier in the season, as well, a function of refined decision-making. His 3-point shooting has jumped from 33 percent before the All-Star break to 37 since.
“He’s got so much speed and tonight he was hitting his threes and his mid-range shots, which makes him tougher,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said after Ivey scored 30 points while hitting 11 of 15 shots, including 4 of 6 triples, to go with seven assists in Tuesday’s game. “He’s a special young talent.”
Cunningham drew similar praise as his rookie season wound down from opposing coaches and players. Pairing them holds every potential to geometrically ratchet up the potency of Detroit’s offense. Hitting defenses from both sides with playmakers of different stripes is a luxury.
“That’s going to be huge,” Casey mused before Wednesday’s Little Caesars season finale. “The only thing they have to get is chemistry between each other. They were just barely getting that when Cade went down. Cade going down was a blessing in disguise for Ivey because it allowed him to grow and blossom and handle the ball a lot more than he probably would have if Cade had been healthy all year.”
For as much background work as NBA teams conduct these days before expending premium draft picks, it still takes being in a young player’s company day after day for months before you feel on solid ground judging their makeup. Ivey has exceeded every expectation on that front for his work ethic, diligence and selflessness. That goes a long way toward eliminating any minor concerns they might harbor about how he’ll respond to sharing primary playmaking duties or serving as Cunningham’s wing man.
“I want to win these games, these last games, and I know when he steps back on the court, that’s the mentality we’re going to have,” Ivey said. “Once he gets back and we’ve got everybody healthy, I believe and I know he believes we can be a dominant team. It’s just working hard in practice and being able in the summer to work out together. Just playing together over the summer will help the both of us a lot and having a clear mind. But I’m definitely looking forward to playing with him again and I know the rest of the team is.”
The Pistons were thrilled to land Ivey at No. 5 last season for everything they could see, but they went into it knowing there were still things they needed to find out that would determine the long-term success of making that pick. They’re miles down the road past doubt at this point. They know Ivey faces another transition as Cunningham returns to his role, but having made the one he’s already undertaken there is zero wonder how he’ll adapt.
“Ivey coming in, not being a point guard in college, and to learn to play the point guard in this league is one of the hardest things to do,” Casey said. “He’s checked that box.”