The Detroit Pistons look like the team is starting to figure it out after winning four of their last five games. The emergence of Jaden Ivey has been one of the primary reasons this Michigan-based squad is doing much better than the previous season’s historically lousy outing.
Wanting to kick off the new year with a win, the Pistons were on their way to a victory until Jaden Ivey got injured in the fourth quarter after his left leg was twisted awkwardly right after a collision with Magic guard Cole Anthony.
Silence engulfed the Little Caesar’s Arena as Ivey was heard hurting while his Pistons teammates gathered around to say a prayer that the injury wouldn’t be as severe as it seemed.
After the final buzzer sounded, the Pistons tallied their 15th win of the season over the Magic, 105-96, beating their previous record of 14 with more than three months to play in the regular season. Jaden Ivey led the Pistons in scoring with 22 points, four assists, and five three-pointers before getting stretched off the basketball court.
During the post-game press conference, Cade Cunningham spoke out about what the team felt about Ivey’s injury and shared an optimistic approach.
“It’s tough on the whole group. To see him hurting like that is tough on us,” said Cunningham. “He’s built for it. He’s gonna shake back. Knowing him- he is going to be better when he gets back.”
Cade Cunningham finished the game contributing across the board with 19 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and four three-pointers. Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren are both not far away, chipping in 18 points each with the win.
Who will replace Jaden Ivey in the Detroit Pistons rotation?
While the final word on Jaden Ivey’s injury is still up in the air as of this writing, the Detroit Pistons have a good depth in their guard and wing rotation that may fill in the hole left by the former Purdue Boilermaker.
Malik Beasley has seen a resurgence after signing with the Pistons in the off-season and is currently the third-leading scorer behind Cunningham and Ivey. However, upgrading him to the starting five may have its cons, as the bench will need another player to step up and lead the second unit.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a starter for the Pistons, and the team may look to Ausar Thompson to take the starting role. Ron Holland II has also been providing good numbers in his rookie year, and he should get more minutes along with Marcus Sasser with Ivey’s playing time being distributed.
Before the game against the Orlando Magic, Ivey had been averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. His three-point shooting has also improved this season, registering 40.9% after Roy Vinzon’s coaching.
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