Pistons’ Injured Rising Star Putting in Work Ahead of Knicks Series

Jaden Ivey is working on recovering as the Pistons prepare for the Knicks series.

Nov 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) drives to the basket against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

When the Detroit Pistons pay a visit to the New York Knicks for Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Saturday night, Jaden Ivey is not expected to get the nod to play.

The rising star remains in recovery after dealing with a leg injury, which led to surgery earlier in the season. Although Ivey isn’t expected to take the court this weekend, he remains around the team, and was even seen putting in some work after the last two days of practice.

via @HuntPatterson_: Jaden Ivey working on some form shooting here after Pistons practice this afternoon:

Jaden Ivey working on some form shooting here after Pistons practice this afternoon: pic.twitter.com/LXoINpUc8o

— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) April 16, 2025

via @WoodwardSports: Jaden Ivey is getting ACTIVE at Pistons practice. That reevaluation is coming soon…

Jaden Ivey is getting ACTIVE at Pistons practice

That reevaluation is coming soon… pic.twitter.com/LqErKH9x53

— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) April 17, 2025

On January 1, Ivey was in the midst of a dominant performance against the Orlando Magic. During the third quarter, a defender's dive for a loose ball resulted in Ivey's left fibula getting broken. Ivey was seen exiting the court on a stretcher and underwent surgery shortly after.

The Pistons didn’t rule out Ivey for the remainder of the season. They’ve been releasing updates one month at a time. When the Pistons released their latest update a little over one week ago, the team publicly stated that Ivey would go through a re-evaluation in two weeks.

The chances of Ivey returning in time to play against the Knicks in round one are slim. He likely has a better chance of getting on the floor if the Pistons can pull off the upset and take out the Knicks. Either way, any progress is positive, even if Ivey cannot be utilized in the playoffs for Detroit.

Heading into the 2024-2025 season, Ivey was viewed as a potential trade candidate as analysts were skeptical about his fit next to Cade Cunningham. A 30-game sample size this season was enough to overcome those questions. Ivey averaged 18 points on 46 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from deep. He also averaged four rebounds and four assists.

The injury was unfortunate, as it took a key player off the floor for a thriving Pistons team, but at least the Pistons know they’ve got a talented young guard returning to the lineup at some point.