Many subscribe to the belief that going through adversity is necessary to build character. But for the Detroit Pistons, they would very much rather forget how terrible their 2023-24 season was. That season set the franchise back a few years; they set the record for the longest losing streak (within a single season) in NBA history and the developments of a few of their key youngsters either stalled or went through the gutter completely.
But the dawn of a new season brings the promise of a fresh start for a malaise-stricken Pistons franchise. Monty Williams is out as the team's head coach, and in comes J.B. Bickerstaff — a man who helped turn the Cleveland Cavaliers' fortunes around in the post-LeBron James era. Bickerstaff also dealt with a young core in Cleveland (Darius Garland and Evan Mobley), and he helped build a winning team there even before Donovan Mitchell arrived and took the team to the next level.
The Pistons will expect a similar kind of impact from Bickerstaff; some of the criticisms levied towards him may be warranted, but he knows his way around a rebuilding team, which is not something that can be said for Williams after the disastrous season he had last year.
With a more rebuild-friendly coach in town, as well as a much better cast of role players and floor spacers to help ease the youngsters in, the Pistons could very well oversee breakout seasons from players they view as franchise cornerstones. But this player might be the most primed for a breakout year, as playing under Bickerstaff could unleash him fully.
This might be the year the Pistons push Jaden Ivey to the moon
Last year, Jaden Ivey was put in figurative shackles by Monty Williams. It was confusing to watch unfold in real time. The Pistons took Ivey with the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft with the intention of developing him into a star in a talented backcourt alongside Cade Cunningham, but Williams showed some tough love to Ivey, bringing him off the bench to begin the year behind Killian Hayes, of all people.
Ivey then stuck on the Pistons' starting lineup from December 18, 2023 onwards, and from that point to the end of the season, he put up 17.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 55 games — solid numbers that had no business being kept on the bench in favor of Hayes who's no longer expected to be a rotation player in the NBA.
While Ivey did begin to show signs of breaking out as he established himself as a starter for a moribund Pistons team, J.B. Bickerstaff's trust-level in Ivey seems to be on a much higher level than Williams' ever was, at least from the looks of things in the early goings of preseason. Thus, there might be an overall increase in usage for Ivey, which could then help him blossom into a 20-point per game scorer or better.
During the Pistons' first two preseason games, the ball has been in Ivey's hands more often than ever, which speaks volumes to how much the team will rely on him to do the heavy lifting on offense alongside Cunningham next season.
Ivey's offensive game looks more well-rounded than ever; he remains shifty and speedy off the bounce, but his jumpshot looks smoother, which could then help him avoid off nights — a true characteristic that a lead star must have. He's also playing with so much freedom, as if he was unleashed to the world after a short period of imprisonment. Body language rarely, if ever, lies, and Ivey looks to be playing with as much joy as he has throughout his short career so far.
The 22-year-old guard has also been active on the defensive end; he's been handling matchups against Damian Lillard and Devin Booker in preseason, and he hasn't looked out of place.
Through the Pistons' first two preseason games, Ivey has averaged 19 points on 57 percent shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes per night. He could be on his way to averaging 21/4/5 next season on efficient shooting splits, which would get his development into a star back on track after a trying 2023-24 season.
Assessing the team's other youngsters
Jalen Duren has been a double-double machine through the first two years of his career, but the true progression of his career will depend on his development on defense. The Pistons will need him to protect the rim, but he must learn the ins and outs of positioning if he were to blossom into more than a rebounding paint scorer.
Ausar Thompson was a defensive monster to start his career, but his playing status remains up in the air as he battles blood clot issues. With the new veteran shooters on the roster, it will be easier to fit the non-shooting Thompson in key lineups once he returns to action.