Pistons May Have Tough Choices Ahead in 2022-23 Season
Going into the season, I'll be completely honest with you, dear readers. I had the Detroit Pistons first on the my League Pass Rankings, but without immediate expectations for this year's rookie crop.
I had my eyes set on Year 2 of Cade Cunningham, and whatever excitement Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren would provide, it would ultimately be a bonus. Because surely the Pistons would be bad, and surely they wouldn't really try to win, regardless of what they say in the media.
But if Ivey and Duren, aged 20 and 18 respectively, are going to duplicate their efforts routinely like they did against Orlando, the Pistons will have a pretty tough time tanking, no matter how hard they try.
In what was The Game Of Rookies, the Pistons duo was outstanding.
Ivey scored 19 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished four assists, and collected three steals. Duren collected 14 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.
Even more impressive than the raw stats were the activity level of both players. Ivey attacked the rim, aggressively sought gaps in the Magic defense, and refused to defer to veterans as most rookies tend to do.
Ivey even looked like a veteran himself, taking ownership of possessions, and scaling back when he knew he didn't have the advantage. He constantly scanned the floor for options, which would be an intriguing addition to his game, if he can develop more of a pure point guard vision.
That isn't to say that his future role is that of a playmaking point guard - that would negate his strongest skill of being a high-level scorer - but it's an element that would only give the Pistons backcourt more to work with.
Duren, who came off the bench, was arguably even more inclined to let his vets function as observers, as he took 13 shots in 22 minutes, not including the drives where he got fouled.
The 6-foot-10 center also showcased an impressive ability of re-positioning himself in the paint, when teammates would attack the basket, forcing the Magic defense to rotate or turn their heads. Duren would immediately move to separate himself further from the defense, opening up a passing lane or open shot.
Most of Duren's damage was off dunks, and he was primarily assisted on his baskets. That needn't be a bad thing, at least not now. For Duren, self-creation can an element for down the road. Catching lobs, and dunking in transition is a good way to build confidence, and getting the team going.
As long as he's active defensively, and on the glass, there simply isn't a great need for him to have an advanced set of skills in the low post.
(And no, we can't ignore that Paolo Banchero put up 27 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in his debut for the opponents, rounding out a rather incredible display of rookie debut prowess in one game.)
For the Pistons, you know Ivey and Duren won't necessarily put up those numbers every single night. But the mere fact that they did in their first game likely means they're more ready for the competition than originally anticipated, and that could change the outlook of the season.
Which brings me to this.
If the above scenario of Ivey and Duren being more ready proves accurate, and if Detroit finds themselves flirting with a .500 record by Christmas, they will need to seriously consider the possibility of moving off veteran pieces.
The reason is two-fold.
Firstly, it's an investment in the future core, whereby freeing up more minutes will be a strong sign of confidence in said core.
Secondly, and you know where this is going.. this isn't exactly a year where a young team, still undergoing a rebuild, can afford to avoid playing the draft game when the price of the freaking decade is sitting right there.
Even if Ivey and Duren continues to impress, it's unlikely they will lead the Pistons higher up in the standings without vets such as Bojan Bogdanović and Cory Joseph.
That's obviously long-term thinking, but given how that rookie duo looked last night, the Pistons might be forced to make plans earlier than expected.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.