It was James Wiseman’s vast potential that motivated the Pistons to make a significant move at the trade deadline. It was Isaiah Livers’ presence that comforted them enough to sacrifice Saddiq Bey in the process.
Livers provides the 3-point threat Bey brought to the Pistons and melds it with superb defensive awareness and versatility on top of perhaps the best basketball IQ – at least with Cade Cunningham sidelined by injury – among the young core players Troy Weaver has brought to the organization.
Livers, dogged by frustrating, nagging injuries that have delayed a full-fledged breakthrough during his first two NBA seasons, put all of that on display in Monday’s 110-104 loss to Portland when he matched his career high with 17 points. He scored efficiently, forced Damian Lillard to launch 28 shots to get his 31 points, put the ball on the floor to make plays and got himself open often enough to help Jaden Ivey set a new personal best with 13 assists.
Bey’s departure and Bojan Bogdanovic’s absence – he was one of six Pistons to miss the game, sitting with Achilles tendon pain in both legs that demands caution – gave Livers the license to claim more minutes and a bigger role. Some of the plays normally run for Bogdanovic went to Livers. That he handled the added responsibility, uh, responsibly is a promising window into the future for the 24-year-old Michigan native.
Livers hit 3 of 7 3-pointers and 7 of 12 shots, both figures depressed by two last-minute 3-point launches with the Pistons scrambling from behind. In 39 minutes, he committed only two turnovers, grabbed five rebounds and assisted on two buckets. Livers can be a 3-and-D savant, but don’t limit him to only that. He made Portland pay a handful of times for overaggressive closeouts.
“When you get the shooter claim,” he said, using air quotes around shooter, “they think all you’re going to do is sit there and shoot. I have a lot more to my game I’m going to continue to show these last 20, 15 games. Coaches, everybody encourages me to. Once you have the green light to shoot, the world’s yours.”
The addition of Wiseman to go with Jalen Duren, Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Stewart means the Pistons are likely to play with two big men half or more of the time for the foreseeable future. A big part of Livers’ appeal is how he fits in any lineup. The Pistons are going to need to surround those two-big lineups with shooters who can defend. That’s Livers.
He can start and complement the big lineup and be a sidekick for Cunningham or come off the bench and fill a more central role as he asserts himself more forcefully. In either case, Livers’ trustworthiness makes him the kind of player any coach would feel comfortable playing on closing units.
He'll also benefit as much as anyone from Cunningham’s return next season. Livers’ sense of spacing and movement off the ball meshes ideally with Cunningham’s knack for tilting defenses and exploiting open spaces. Dwane Casey was encouraged by the off-the-dribble element Livers used effectively against Portland.
“They’re going to run him off the line. He did a good job tonight of attacking their force. They closed out short to him; he attacked their feet, got to the rim and made a play. It’s the combination he has to have. I thought Livers had one of his better games tonight both offensively and defensively.”
Over the season’s final 17 games, Livers intends to pile similar performances atop each other to cement his place in the pecking order for next season and beyond.
“That’s what it’s about, especially being young guys,” he said. “We got some old guys out right now. This is the time to compete. This is your time to shine. Guys are doing it every day, getting their work in and being ready to play every day.”