The Detroit Pistons have amassed a ton of promising, young talent in recent years but are amid an ugly losing streak at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Jaden Ivey, the fifth overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft, is one of the several pieces Detroit is still trying to figure out. While he was one of last year's top rookies, he began this campaign in a reserve role without any warning from the Pistons' staff.
"There wasn't anything said," Ivey told Yahoo Sports when addressing the build-up to him coming off the pine. "Once I saw what was going on, coming off the bench was no problem for me. I love every single one of these dudes in here. I'd ride for them any day. Coming off the bench isn't a confidence thing or a downer for me. I'm still confident in my game and play the same way."
Ivey logged at least 28 minutes in his first four starts of the season but has since fallen short of 20 minutes in his previous two outings. Detroit benched Ivey for Killian Hayes on Thursday against the New York Knicks and seemed to prefer 2025 first-round pick Marcus Sasser over him in that competitive matchup.
The Pistons seem adamant about continuing to mix things up as they look to turn things around. Detroit's lineup decisions moving forward are worth keeping an eye on, as Ivey could be a valuable trade target alongside Bojan Bogdanovic this season.
