The 2023-24 NBA season has not gotten off to a strong start for the Detroit Pistons. At 2-6, they are tied for the second-fewest wins in the league with the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings. Only the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies currently have fewer.
The start for the Pistons is certainly disappointing as they were hoping to be more competitive this season. After selecting near the top of the NBA Draft in recent years, there is a good collection of young, talented players on the roster. However, there is already some contention building within the team.
Head coach Monty Williams opted to start rookie Ausar Thompson, looking for someone who could make an impact defensively. Along with Cade Cunningham in the backcourt, the Pistons have been starting Killian Hayes.
That decision by Williams has resulted in last year’s first-round pick, Jaden Ivey, being moved to the bench. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, via NBACentral on X, formerly known as Twitter, that is something that Ivey reportedly wasn’t thrilled with.
As a rookie, Ivey started 73 out of the 74 games he played in. Coming off the bench in Year 2 after being the No. 4 overall pick the previous year is a major adjustment, as he has also seen his role on the team scaled back drastically as well.
After playing 31.1 minutes per game and averaging 13.3 shots, Ivey is down to 20.7 and 8.8, respectively. While he isn’t happy with his role, he isn’t letting it impact his performance negatively. Despite the drop in opportunities, Ivey is making the most of them with an impressive shooting split of .491/.409/.833 through six games.
Given the struggles of Detroit in the early going, it would not be surprising is Williams shakes this up eventually. But, if a change isn’t made, expect some trade rumors to start swirling. There are plenty of teams who would love to add a player with the upside Ivey possesses to their backcourt rotation.
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