Why Jaden Ivey fits perfectly off the bench for the Detroit Pistons

Jaden Ivey has been undergoing a slow, uphill climb to return to full health.

The 23-year-old suffered a season-ending injury at the tail end of the 2024-25 NBA campaign, breaking his left fibula, resulting in knee discomfort nearly a year later. He then required arthroscopic right knee surgery this past October, before returning back to the court in late November.

Fortunately, it seems he's finally back on the court, although not fully back to the previous playstyle that made him such an effective contributor. He's played in 17 games, averaging 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists a night on shooting numbers of 45.5% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc.

Its not the level of production he had when he was a starter for the team the previous three stints, but what he is giving out is helping lead the Pistons to wins. Since he's returned, the Pistons have lost just six games.

Jaden Ivey per 36....He's part of the solution, not the problem. pic.twitter.com/wtdqczhaes
— Mitch Kaiser (@mitchkaiser6) December 27, 2025

While Ivey would like to be a starter again this season, it doesn't make much sense, at least for the foreseeable future. The last thing the coaching staff wants to do is wear him out and see him reaggravate his injury.

He provides a spark off the bench that many other teams across the league wish they could have. His ability to provide high-efficiency shooting and speed is just what Detroit was lacking prior to his return to the court.

“He looks good. You almost forget how fast and explosive he is,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “His ability to explode from a stop to a start and get to full speed on his first step is remarkable.”

The No. 5 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft played a season-high 29 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, scoring 11 points and dishing off three assists en route to a plus four plus-minus.

The cherry on top, although it was a loss, was that his conditioning seemed to be right back where it needs to be. He ended up playing the entire fourth quarter.

Bickerstaff has liked his productivity, especially in late-game situations when the Pistons are able to get him out there.

“I thought he was helping us. I thought he was playing well, I didn’t want to disrupt that with the minutes or whatever,” Bickerstaff said in his postgame on Sunday. “So I wanted to give him an opportunity to get out there and compete because I thought he was with some groups that were making some hay.

"Just wanted to make sure that he felt the trust and the confidence that we have in him when we were put in that position.”

With limited minutes, Ivey's impact is going to be spotty, more specifically on nights where he's playing in under 20 minutes of action.

However, if he can at least give superstar guard Cade Cunningham a chance to rest or reset his mind during an off night, Ivey's having an impact. He might not return to the level of play he provided Detroit with in the 2024-25 season for a good bit of time, but you take what you can get, and Ivey's giving you something to be happy about.

If the Pistons are serious about NBA championship contention, Ivey's role off the bench may be the right fit for now.

The Pistons return to the floor on Tuesday, Dec. 30, with a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tip-off between the two sides is set for a late 10:30 p.m. EST.