Detroit — Jaden Ivey showed glimpses of his ability to use his athleticism in transition during the Pistons’ Summer League stint in Las Vegas in July.
In the first game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Ivey found himself in a two-on-one fast-break situation alongside forward Braxton Key. In most transition scenarios, the wing receives the ball to score. However, Key lobbed the ball to the explosive No. 5 overall pick for a two-handed slam.
It’s apparent that Ivey has an innate ability to soar for lobs and contort his body in different ways to score inside or find his teammates. But through the Pistons’ first two practices, Ivey’s showing the ability to connect from distance, an area of his game that will help when the defense keys in on Cade Cunningham or Saddiq Bey.
“He’s getting in the paint. He’s collapsing the defense and either getting to the rim and finishing, or he’s finding and that’s going to help everybody. That’s his gift,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said after Wednesday’s practice.
“The good thing about it is he’s knocking down shots in our scrimmage and that’s good to see because if Cade (Cunningham) penetrates and kicks it out or if Killian (Hayes) penetrates and kicks it out, he’s able to knock down the 3.”
Ivey improved his 3-point percentage from 26% (25-of-97) as a freshman in 2020-21 at Purdue to 36% (64-of-179) during his final season of college basketball. Casey said the adjustment with 3-point shooting for most young players coming from college centers around the distance of the NBA 3-point line (23-feet, 9 inches around the arc; 22 inches in the corners), compared to the college line (22 feet, 1¾ inches).
“That little distance is different,” Casey said. “Everything else is a plus because the floor is open. One problem a lot of guys have in the corner is stepping back and stepping out of bounds. That’s always a rookie or guy that’s played in a different league.”
Ivey connected on 50% of his 3-pointers in Las Vegas before he missed the majority of Summer League due to an ankle injury, which he says didn’t hinder any of his offseason workouts. Despite the limited playing time, he averaged 15.5 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in two games.
When asked about his impressions of his brief stint of NBA basketball, Ivey’s response centered around the physicality of the game. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Ivey is a lean combo guard, but he’s up for the challenge to adapt to this new level of basketball.
“I would say the physicality of the game is definitely different from college,” Ivey said. “I definitely felt that when I was out there. I feel like everyone was locked in and ready to compete. I think just the biggest thing was the physicality and just trying to get adjusted to that and when I step out on the floor, I feel like it’s going to rise even more. I’m definitely looking forward to that challenge.”
Sharing a backcourt with Cunningham should pay dividends for Ivey, who is stepping into a similar situation as last year’s No. 1 overall pick. The two spoke glowingly of each other during media day, and they’re confident they’ll find some continuity on the court once the season arrives.
Cunningham shoulders the load of the ball-handling load, but Ivey’s arrival spreads some of that responsibility to make life easier.
“He’ll make it a lot easier for everybody,” Cunningham said of Ivey. “Obviously, he has a great feel for the game and he wants to win. That’s something that’s easy to see. He wants to play through his team and he loves to share the ball. I feel like that’s all is something you love to see in someone that’s joining the team. He brings a different dynamic to the team with his athleticism and skill set, so I’m super excited to take the floor with him.”
Ivey is a rookie and most of the Pistons roster is young, but he’s not leaning on that as an excuse not to compete. He also didn’t mention many individual goals during his first presser of the season. Instead, he’s striving to bring Detroit back to playoff prominence.
“The biggest thing as a team is trying to get to the playoffs this year,” Ivey said of his expectations. “That’s the main goal. We want to win a lot of games this year. I really don’t have anything else on my mind than winning.”
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2