The Detroit Pistons have finally reached a point of confidence. A month and change into the season, the Pistons are 9-13 and 20th in net rating (minus-2.4), per Cleaning The Glass. That net rating has spiked almost eight points from last year (minus-10.2). They’re five wins away from matching last season’s paltry 14-win total, despite only playing 22 games thus far.
Jaden Ivey’s growth has been instrumental to Detroit’s progression. In a pivotal year three, he’s improved nearly every facet of his game. Following a sophomore season littered with inconsistent minutes and deployment, Ivey’s role under new head coach JB Bickerstaff’s is much more stable. Averaging 18.4 points (55.7 percent true shooting), 4.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, Ivey’s scoring volume and efficiency are both career-high marks.
Since his days as a prospect at Purdue, his offense has been the focal point of his basketball existence. He’s playing noteworthy ball on that end, but his defensive growth is arguably more impressive. Across the board, the Pistons are defending at a much-improved level. They’re currently 12th in defensive rating after finishing 25th last season.
What Ivey Is Doing Differently As A Defender
With most of its offseason moves catered toward offensive spacing, Detroit didn’t added a bevy of defensive stalwarts. Bickerstaff has inspired confidence and energy from his squad, and Ivey’s defense looks as strong as ever. Early in their careers, young guards often struggle defensively as they adjust to the speed and pacing of the NBA. Few boast the physical tools Ivey does — 6-foot-4 with blinding speed and agility, and a 6-foot-9 wingspan.
He’s weaponizing his tools for positive defensive impact more than ever before. His Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus has increased each season, now sitting at a career-high minus-0.4 (38th percentile). Defensive metrics don’t paint a complete picture, but they can help us navigate toward one and they reflect Ivey’s general development.
At the point of attack, his physical tools allow him to overwhelm ball-handlers of all shapes and sizes. Honing in his technique and footwork, Ivey slides his feet to mirror drives and force bad shots. He’s squeezing every drop out of his physical and athletic advantages as an on-ball defender.
opposing players are shooting 8.8% below their average at the basket when jaden ivey contests their shots (per nba rapm), he’s locked in at the POA this year
such an imposing physical talent and the technique and focus are catching up pic.twitter.com/TaQoFvbquu
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 2, 2024
Screens are still a notable obstacle for him on defense, as he lacks the strength to consistently absorb blows and can lose focus. He’s often fast and fluid enough to recover, but picks can remove him from plays. That limits his off-ball defensive impact and Ivey’s never been much of a playmaker. His 1.5 percent steal rate is a career-high but still ranks below the 50th percentile.
Despite his lack of turnover creation, Ivey’s off-ball defensive attention and focus have grown. Detroit funnels shots to the midrange, placing top six in lowest opponent 3-point (40.9 percent) and rim frequency (31.4 percent), according to Dunks and Threes.
Ivey’s off-ball defense helps the Pistons execute this game plan. His speed enables some excellent closeouts and weakside zoning, denying easy corner threes, while forcing extra passes and drives.
jaden ivey is defending his ass off this season, he’s learning how to weaponize his speed and explosion to win as an off ball defender. love how he’s reading the floor pic.twitter.com/jtk2W8P4kH
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) November 30, 2024
Assessing Ivey’s Offensive Growth
The progress defensively is a welcome addition to Ivey’s offense, which will ultimately determine his ceiling. He’s still scoring around league average efficiency (1.1 points below league average true shooting), but he’s shown clear strides with the ball in his hands.
Blistering speed and explosion usually come with a tradeoff. Young guards like Ivey who can scorch defenders often struggle to slow and counter their speed. That’s been the case for Ivey through two seasons, but he’s playing a bit slower in year three. Compared to last season, his average time per touch has increased from 3.56 seconds to 4.29 this year.
He’s controlling the pace of play better than ever before. Especially given Detroit’s dearth of ball-handling talent outside of Cade Cunningham, Ivey’s growth as an initiator is critical to his team’s offensive production. When his initial forays to the hoop don’t work out, he’s more willing to pull back out, evaluate the situation and execute positive decisions.
it’s been encouraging to see jaden ivey slowing down and making better decisions with the ball this year. still not perfect, but his control and patience are progressing nicely pic.twitter.com/KluZoSzd55
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 2, 2024
Ivey’s increased offensive responsibility render his improved efficiency and decision-making all the more impressive. Up from 46.6 last season, his touches per game have skyrocketed to 63.6 in 2024-25. Last season, the Pistons’ net rating was minus-9.8 with Ivey on the floor and Cunningham off of it, per PBP Stats. This year, their net rating is only minus-2.8 during those minutes.
We can explain some of that jump with Detroit’s injection of talent. Steadying veterans like Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. boost the baseline competence of this team. But these lineups wouldn’t function the same without Ivey’s growth as a creator.
When he plays off of the ball, next to Cunningham or anyone else, his improved 3-point shooting has buoyed his value. He’s nailing a career-high 38.3 percent of his triples (33.9 percent his first two seasons), including 45 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts, according to Synergy.
That number will likely regress to some extent, but Ivey’s confidence shooting the basketball inspires hope for its sustainability. To reach his lofty offensive ceiling, he’ll need to improve his scoring efficiency across the board. His speed, explosion and handling allow him to create advantages at will. Ivey can access any shot he pleases, but he’s still shooting 56.6 percent within five feet (19th percentile) and 36.8 percent from midrange (22nd percentile).
Still 22 years old, he has time to up his scoring efficiency. He’s far from a finished product, but his progression on both ends in year three undeniably inspires some optimism. His physical tools and flashes are that of a perennial All-Star. Achieving consistency, especially on offense, will help him get there.
More than any win total, this Pistons season necessitates finding answers. They must learn which of their young players will be foundational building blocks and which may be future trade fodder.
Jaden Ivey’s start to his third NBA season provides a promising image of the player he could eventually become. His growth defensively raises his floor. Most importantly, he’s capable of coexisting with Cade Cunningham and functioning as an offensive engine when Cunningham sits. Assuming he continues on this upward development track, Ivey is proving himself as instrumental to both Detroit’s current and future success.
