Trajan Langdon in a short time, has done a good job of acquiring durable and dependable veterans to support Detroit’s young core. But in a league ran by stars there are two players that are essential to how far the Pistons can ascend to rise out of the cellar of the NBA.

JADEN IVEY

Jaden Ivey finished his rookie season with an average of 16.3 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game. His assist total, being the highest amongst all rookies. Despite that he finished outside the finalist for rookie of the year. Ivey managed all this without his backcourt mate Cade Cunningham for much of the year, and there was a lot of optimism about what jump he could make with a player of Cade’s caliber alongside him. Ultimately, Ivey would fall victim to the perpetual Sophomore slump which began with him losing his starting role for the first handful of games to Killian Hayes who is no longer in the league. Ivey’s averages would fall across the board including his points, assists, rebounds and 3pt. efficiency. The glaring issue statistically was his inability to convert on spot up scenarios. While he ranked in the 94th percentile on Isolation opportunities. He was in the 10th percentile on spot up conversions which was a major fall from the 46th percentile his rookie year. With the Pistons looking to take a jump, after a historically bad year they will be leaning on Ivey to not only provide some offensive punch alongside their star, but in addition, he may be asked to shoulder the load as a primary ballhandler in staggered minutes when Cade needs some rest. Ivey may have to fend off Free Agent Acquisition Malik Beasley who could be viewed as a better compliment next to Cade given his success in the past as a volume shooter,

anyways here’s some jaden ivey highlights
pic.twitter.com/vPz8DKnKz5 https://t.co/RTe0dVvBJ2

— BULLYBALL (@RealBullyBall) May 8, 2023

JALEN DUREN

Jalen Duren’s Sophomore Season got off to a very hot start. He averaged 18 points and 15 rebounds in addition to 2.6 blocks per game. An early season ankle injury versus the Memphis Grizzlies seemed to nag Duren for the remainder of the year. Overall Duren’s stats improved across the board from his rookie season, and he was even tasked with the freedom to bring the ball up the court. Duren established himself as an elite rebounder averaging nearly 12 per game. The biggest question mark for him was his interior defense. Duren averaged under a block per game which is very peculiar for a player of his stature and athletic ability. Jalen finished with a Defensive Rating of 115.4 which ranks amongst the worst in the league as far as Centers are concerned. Some would attest his struggles to adjusting to a new defensive scheme, transitioning from the switch-heavy approach of Dwayne Casey to a more drop coverage concept that Monty Williams incorporated. The numbers show that when Duren asserts his dominance defensively, the Pistons perform better as a unit. Detroit was 7-5 when Duren recorded a minimum of 2 blocks in that game.

Jalen Duren 23-15-5, 9-of-11 FG in a win over Chicago in game #3 last season, three weeks before his 20th birthday pic.twitter.com/NEHOviNb6u

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) August 11, 2024

Detroit’s new Head Coach JB Bickerstaff is no stranger to developing young players. During his time in Cleveland he assisted in the molding of dynamic guards such as Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, as well as young budding low post players ala Evan Mobley. Both Ivey and Duren’s names have come up in trade rumors so they very well could be auditioning for another team if Detroit decides to go all in on a big name at the trade deadline.