Before the 2022 NBA Draft, many compared Purdue’s Jaden Ivey to Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant, and the comparisons made some sense.
Both brag top tier athleticism and have the powers to explode at the rim. Morant, however, led college basketball in assists before he was selected by Memphis. But on the other hand, my primary concern about Ivey was his willingness as a passer.
Other recent lottery picks his height (or shorter) with a similar collegiate assist rate to Ivey have typically not translated as high-level distributors once playing in the NBA. This isn’t a knock on Ivey so much as it is a feature of his playing style. He has a score-first mentality, which makes him more of a two-guard than a floor general.
According to Synergy, Ivey was one of 21 drafted players who completed at least 50 passes out of the pick and roll last season. Among those players, only Jaden Hardy (27.4 percent) and Bennedict Mathurin (33.7 percent) looked to pass less often than Ivey (34.2 percent) last season.
Just for comparison: The most willing and deferential of the pick-and-roll playmakers on the other end of the spectrum were Vince Williams Jr. (55.6 percent), TyTy Washington (58 percent), Andrew Nembhard (58.6 percent), and JD Davison (66.5 percent).
ROOK to ROOK
Jaden Ivey & Jalen Duren link up for an alley-oop on their first play in the #NBA2K23SummerLeague on ESPN pic.twitter.com/TbgcBPB4Lt
— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022
But what impressed me most about Ivey’s professional debut during NBA 2K23 Summer League was, in fact, his playmaking. Watch the first play of the game, above, to see Ivey curl off a screen for an alley-oop lob to fellow rookie Jalen Duren.
It was incredibly encouraging for me to watch Ivey continue to use his speed and force to drive towards the basket, then kick it out to his teammates on the perimeter or the midrange.
With his explosiveness, Ivey will draw so much gravity his rim pressure will bring defenders with him towards the basket. As those opponents give him the attention he deserves, teammates including Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey will have more space to shoot wide-open attempts.
By my count: Jaden Ivey with 5 kick-out passes to direct catch-and-shoot open 3PA vs. Portland, all off live-dribble paint (or near paint) touches. Downhill burst looked excellent — half-court PnR creation or in the open floor pic.twitter.com/vgZqHEfSlw
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) July 8, 2022
Detroit had a relatively low assist percentage on drive-and-kick scenarios last season, and Ivey should immediately bolster their attacking game.
Most of all, however, Ivey is best utilized in a downhill offense as the ball-handler in transition. He recorded four such assists during his professional debut against the Trail Blazers in Las Vegas, and it’s an aspect of his game that should continue to translate well during the regular season.
Possessions like the one below, a jumping behind-the-back pass, are not always going to work against NBA defenders. But the daringness to try speaks volumes about his confidence and experimental mindset.
No bucket but how did Jaden Ivey make this pass?! pic.twitter.com/hw4PKVtEBh
— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022
I’m not sure I would have recommended the degree of daringness that Ivey bust out on this possession, and maybe it wasn’t the best read on the floor.
Ivey, though, is showing he is someone who is more than willing to make high-risk, high-reward gambles. We saw some of those flashes while he was in college, too.
I loved the aggressiveness with which Ivey looked to pass during Summer League, and while it’s still only one game, it leaves me optimistic about his overall future.
