Troy Weaver didn’t mince words when describing how good Thursday was for the Detroit Pistons.
They left the 2022 NBA Draft with a guard widely considered best in class, Jaden Ivey, and a big man, Jalen Duren, who could end up being the best center. They’re both explosive athletes in their own way — Ivey has elite speed and jumping ability, and Duren is built like a brick house and can catch and finish almost any lob from Detroit’s guards.
The Pistons have become much more athletic and more talented. Their front office is very happy.
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“Throughout the process, we had about seven guys that we really liked, and those two were at the top of the list,” the Pistons general manager said at an introductory press conference at Rouge Park. Friday. “I’m thrilled. You can’t see it because I’ve probably had six hours of sleep in the past 14 days, but I’m more excited than I’ve ever been.”
That’s high praise, considering the Pistons selected No. 1 overall Cade Cunningham less than a year ago. But it speaks to the advantage that Ivey and Duren bring. They have star power and their sheer athleticism gives Detroit an element it hasn’t had in years. Andre Drummond and Ben Wallace were both strong and could jump, like Duren. But who was the last guard who could reach the rim like Ivey?
Now head coach Dwane Casey and his staff need to figure out how the pieces fit together. Detroit has now drafted a guard with its first pick three years in a row, including Killian Hayes in 2020. Isaiah Stewart spent most of his time at center last season, which is Duren’s natural position. Some adjustments will be necessary, but there is optimism.
Hayes, Cunningham and Ivey all bring different skill sets to Detroit’s guard rotation. Hayes was the Pistons’ best perimeter defender last season and may be the best natural passer on the roster. The rest of his game is still progressing, but this year’s NBA Finals game showed the value of defense-minded guards. Derrick White and Marcus Smart recorded long minutes for the Boston Celtics on their playoff run, and Gary Payton II was a key contributor for the Golden State Warriors.
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Detroit’s three guards will need to improve their shooting next season. Ivey was inconsistent at Purdue and Cunningham shot just 31.4% last season – a percentage that should improve if Cunningham’s workload drops. But Cunningham’s overall versatility, Ivey’s ability to get down and Hayes’ defense could give Casey an intriguing three-guard lineup, which he intends to explore.
“They can play together,” Casey said Friday. “You’ve noticed in a lot of games we’ve finished with three-guard lineups. Jaden gives us speed and quickness, Killian gives us defensive presence and size for bigger guards. And Cade gives you a bit of everything. Those three guards, you’ll probably see them a lot over the year just because of that. That’s one of the reasons we wanted Jaden in this group, because he added a skill with which Cade and Killian weren’t born. This young guy here is one of the fastest in the league. That’s one of the reasons he fits into this group.
Detroit also sees an advantage in pairing Stewart with Duren. Stewart has spent time as a power forward in his two seasons, and last season showed his ability to stay ahead of smaller forwards and defensive guards. That versatility, along with his developing outside shot — he was 11-for-18 of 3 in the Pistons’ last 18 games last season — suggests he could eventually become a full-time power forward.
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“I mean, they’re different,” Weaver said of Stewart and Duren on Thursday. “(Duren) is taller, his presence is more pronounced. Isaiah has shown he can play on the court by shooting the 3. They can play together easily. Horford and Robert Williams have played together (for Boston) and “They have two grown kids in Cleveland to play together. I don’t see that as a challenge anyway. Two different players, but both guys bring hard hats and that’s what we’re looking for.”
Since the Pistons are still in rebuilding mode, they can afford to experiment and be patient. Ivey is 20 and Duren, who won’t be 19 until November, will be the youngest in the NBA next season. They will bring in recruits as fast or as slow as needed.
But one thing is certain, the Pistons will be much faster and much more athletic next season. And it could make life easier not just for the coaching staff, but also for Cunningham and the rest of the young core.
“To say they’re going to come and take over the world right off the bat, we don’t want to put that pressure on them,” Casey said. “We’re going to start with the fundamentals, and yes, we’re going to use it. We want to play faster and use Jaden and Jalen’s ability to handle the ground. There are a lot of different combinations we can play with. But we want to take advantage of their strengths and do what they do.
“I just told them, ‘I don’t mind mistakes, because all young players make mistakes. But do it loud. Make serious mistakes. I don’t care if you miss 10 shots, just play hard and do it hard things will happen,” and these two young men are playing the right way. They play extremely hard. This will help their growth process.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has launched a new digital subscription model. Here’s how you can access our most exclusive Pistons content. Learn more about the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.
