BREAKING: Jaden Ivey’s SHOCKING Injury Setback | Can Detroit Pistons OVERCOME This Devastating Loss?

BREAKING: Jaden Ivey’s SHOCKING Injury Setback | Can Detroit Pistons OVERCOME This Devastating Loss?

The Detroit Pistons have to prepare to play without Jaden Ivy to start the season as we’ve gotten some disappointing news surrounding his status for the start of this year. Can the Pistons start the year and survive without Jay Kn? We’ll break it down today’s episode. Locked on Pistons podcast. Let’s go. You are Locked on Pistons, your daily Detroit Pistons podcast. Part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What’s the deal? Welcome back to another episode of the Locked On Pistons podcast. Per usual, I am your host Kahill. I’ve been covering the Detroit Pistons for the last four years for the Lockdown Network brand credential media member over the last three years. And as usual, I appreciate all of you guys who make Lockdown Pistons, your first listen every single day. We are free on all your podcast platforms. If you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel, locked on Pistons, hit that subscribe button, or leave us a fivestar review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. It’s another great way to support the podcast. And today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Head to fanduel.com to get started today. Later on, we will discuss just how great Kade Cunningham and Jaylen Duran looked in this game and really just how great Cades looked throughout the entire preseason. We’ll talk about that. Also, point Assar dialed back a little bit in this final game. Does this mean we’re not going to see a SR with the ball in his hands this year? We’ll break it down coming up. This was the Pistons foul preseason game, but we have to start with some disappointing news. Very, very, very, very sad, unfortunate news. Um, I do want to let you guys know that this is my second time recording the podcast because the first time I recorded the 35minute podcast, I didn’t capture any of my audio. So, this is now the second time we’re doing it. Hopefully, everything goes well. Um, the heartbreaking sad news is that Jane Ivy is going to be out at least four weeks as he had a procedure done on his knee. He’s had surgery. JB Bigger Staff, it was reported, I should say, today by Sham Sherania confirmed by the Pistons PR team and JB Bigger Staff spoke about it today um before the Pistons preseason game and said that this was something that Ivy was dealing with in training camp. It got worse as training camp went on. It got worse in the Memphis Grizzlies first their first preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies and it got to a point where they felt like the best case scenario or the best thing to do for Ivy was to go ahead and have the surgery to clear it up. Now, they say he will be re-evaluated in four weeks, which means in four weeks we’ll probably get the update that in two weeks we’ll get another one. The assumption is that usually how this goes is in four weeks we’ll get the update that says Jane Ivy will now begin ramping up in practice to you know get to get ready for game. We’ll have another update for you in two weeks. That’s that’s usually how it goes. Um so I’m going to assume that he’s out at least six weeks. That’s going to be my assumption. That’s usually how this works. Um if if it goes, you know, somehow it goes way better and this is surgery, so I don’t feel like you should rush anything like that. and Pistons fans, especially Pistons fans, have seen what star players and specifically their starting guards going through getting knee um surgery, minor procedure, what can happen when you come back too soon. I mean, we’ve seen it from the in the last like we know how that that would go. So, don’t want him to rush back. Wait till he gets 100% healthy. I’m going to assume at least six weeks. Um, I want to start by saying I feel really bad for Ivy. U, this is this is he spoke about it at media day how he felt like he was in a dark place after this the the injury he had last year and how I just my voice just cracked just now. That’s weird. Um, how he felt like he was in a dark space and he had to really work his way back and he had to really work on the mental and it really felt like that last year really challenged him mentally and he had talked about how he had worked himself back to feeling like himself and all that stuff. So, the fact that before the the season even starts, he gets he gets his return delayed again due to another injury just from him trying to ramp up, he has to get surgery. I I feel bad for him. I like it’s it’s you don’t like it’s just terrible to see. Really unfortunate for I I I really feel bad for I wish him a speedy recovery. Obviously, that’s from his perspective. I I feel like that’s where you should always start. Can the Pistons survive without Ivy? I think so. Like I’m not s I want to make it clear. I am not sitting here saying that the Pistons are better without Ivy on the team. I am saying that this team played well without him last year. They played well the second half of last year, made this leap without him. And now they have usar for a full year getting into full shape. They brought in Caris Levert who last year they didn’t get that secondary, that backup point or whatever until Dan Shruder midway through the year. Now they have it already on the roster to start the year. They have Duncan Robinson. Like they have their vets. They have the the backup point guard that they didn’t get until midway through the year. NSR is here all year. And they were able to play well without Ivy this past year. I think they have a roster to where they should be fine. They should be fine without him. They should be able to play well and win a lot of games without like I without him the ceiling gets dropped for sure. Like I get that. But they should still play really well. They should still be good. So I’m not It’s It’s obviously unfortunate. You want Ivy out there, but I don’t think this is like panic time. Pistons fans should be like, “Oh god, here we go. Season’s already getting screwed.” Like, no. I think the Pistons are still going to be really good for this time to start the year. I think they’ll be fine. That’s the onc court stuff. The offc court stuff, it’s Look, man. Again, it’s just so unfortunate for him because in four days is the rookie extension deadline. October 20th. That’s the deadline for an extension. I’m not saying he was getting one. I think it was unlikely he was getting one, but nonetheless, four days from now is his rookie extension deadline and he gets hurt four days before. Has to get surgery. Like just unfortunate. He’s going into a contract year after missing the second half the last 50 games of last year. Before this season even gets started, he then has to miss even more time. So it could we really could be getting close to a year since he’s played basketball going into a contract year. Just incredibly unfortunate for him. Just like like it’s just unlucky and unfortunate. And then like okay the best case scenario for the Pistons right is that they play extremely well without him still they able to they’re able to play really well they still win a lot of games right and this starting lineup of Kade Assar Duncan Robinson which I this is what it’s going to be Duncan Robinson Tobias and Duran they play really well and they’re still able to continue last year’s success right that’s the hope the other side of that is that if that does happen when Ivy returns like it’s it’s going to be like unavoidable and awkward situation because everyone all of us want the Pistons to play really well and win a lot of games despite Ivy being out and if they actually do do that when Ivy does come back would you bring him back in the starting lineup? Would you if that starting lineup is playing so well and they’re winning games now what like do you do you bring him back in the starting lineup do you potentially shake up something that’s really working? Do you bring him off the bench? would he be okay with like is is that really what he wants to be doing in a cont like it just and I again obviously what’s at the forefront is him get healthy and get back and you worry about this later but like these are the thoughts that eventually are going to come to pass and they’re all just like unfortunate situations that neither the team nor Ivy could control. It’s not like either team, either side of this, anyone made this happen. Like, it’s just events that you can’t control. And the last part of this that is obviously going to be a thought, and I I already see some fans talking about this there. It’s now on the board. It’s on the board. Not I’m not saying this is the likely scenario, but it’s now on the board that through four years we may see Traan have to make a decision without ever getting the sample size anyone ever wanted. First year K’s gone for the year. So you don’t get it there. Next year Monty Williams like everyone takes that out, right? next year Ivy misses 50 games missed the entire second half of last year. Then in fourth year and again this is not people this is not anyone rushing it. It’s just this is what the timeline is demanding. He’s in a contract year. This is when decisions have to be made. This is the year he’s going to be restricted free agent. Like this it’s unavoidable. Fourth year think you’re finally going to get this sample size the first half of the year to where you can make a decision. you can feel confident and be like, “Okay, we finally got the sample size. Where do we want to do? Where do we want to go? What do we want to do?” And then before the season even starts, this he gets surgery and he he he can’t play. He’s going to miss miss time. So, it’s now on the board that we may reach a point where Tan ends up having to make a decision without the Pistons ever actually getting the sample size that they wanted at any point with all the young guys together. And sometime we’ve seen that happen throughout the NBA. Sometimes it happens like that because of unfortunate situations. I’m not saying that’s the likeliest scenario. I’m not that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that it’s now on the board. And if that does end up happening, what an absolute unlucky and unfortunate situation. What what abs that would be so incredibly disappointing. Like it I I feel bad for him obviously. Ivy feel bad for the team. Like it this is just tough, man. It’s absolutely tough. And the fact that that’s now on the board, it’s just like who would have thought that we’re going into year four now. And again, if if I am right that we’re looking closer to six plus weeks, which is what I think we’re looking at somewhere around there. We’re not getting a return from Ivy until midway December, midway through December, late December, maybe something like that. It will be like a year since he’s actually played basketball. So now even when he does return, it’s going to be damn near a year since he’s played. He’s going to have to knock off Rust for like a I I don’t know. I don’t think anyone’s expecting him to come back and immediately be a star. That’s not fair to him. He’d have to knock off Rust, get back into game shape. How long is all that going to take? Now you’re even minimizing the sample size. You can really take away even like it’s just there’s just no way. There’s no way that we’re going to wrap up. There’s a chance that we may wrap up year four and come away saying we never got the sample size we really wanted. Like it like it’s there’s there’s no way that that’s that’s that’s that could possibly happen. Just feel bad for Ivy. I hope he comes back 100% as soon as possible. You know, I don’t really want him to rush, so I take back as soon as possible. I don’t want him to rush back. Um but I hope whenever he can get back to 100%. I like that’s obviously what we’re rooting for here. Real bad for him. Wish him the best. Hopefully I think the Pistons can survive without him. I think they have a roster to do so. We’re going to talk about another reason why I think they will survive. Cade looks he he looks good. Um but this is just this is incredibly unfortunate, man. Feel bad for everything invol everyone involved and especially Ivy, man. I hopefully that hopefully he’s in a better spot mentally to handle this um after what he said at media day. I I hopefully his I know his teammates will be there, but tough situation, man. I feel bad for him. Let me know comment section down below or over on Twitter. What was your guys’ reactions and what are you guys thinking right now? What are the thoughts in your head? Like what’s going on? Let me know what you guys are thinking. Comment section down below or over on Twitter. Coming up, we’ll talk about some more positive stuff. Jaylen Duran and Kade Cunningham looked absolutely fantastic in this last preseason game. And Kade really, he looks like he’s on an even different level than last year through preseason. We’ll break it down coming up. Today’s episode’s brought to you by Wayfair. The holidays are going to be here as before you even know it, which is exciting. But getting your home ready for guests and celebrations can feel like a lot. Maybe your whole house needs a whole new makeover. You want everything look brand new. You want you want all kinds of different looks for all your friends and family to come over and really be impressed by your place. Well, Wayfair is there for you. It has everything you need to get your home holiday ready. from Christmas trees. 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If you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel at Lockdown Pistons. Hit that subscribe button or leave us a fivestar review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. That’s another great way to support the podcast. I did just drop another film breakdown going over preseason game three today. Um, going over all the Pistons pick and roll possessions. They struggled mightily in game three without Cade in the half court, especially in pick and roll possession. They scored just 0.33 points per possessions. I went through all their pick and rolls, broke down. Was it just bad execution? Was it bad reads? What’s leading to it? I went through and looked at it, broke it down for you guys. So, click the substack down below in the description if you guys want to check out that film breakdown. Also, if you want to join us for the live watch parties when the Pistons uh open their season on the 22nd, click the playback link down below, download the playback app on whatever your Google store or app store, go to watch Pistons, join the room, and you’ll be able to watch the game with me and the rest of the Pistons fan base. always a fun time. But let’s go ahead and get into it. Cade and Jaylen Duran were fantastic in this game. And I’m going to start with Jaylen Duran because Cade I’m going to go for a while. But JD in this game against the Wizards, 20 points, six rebounds. He had three blocks, two steals in just 19 minutes of action. 19 minutes of action. Three blocks, two steals, 20.6 only six rebounds. He looked absolutely fantastic in this game. He had multiple really good rim protection reps in the half court here, which great to see. He had a incredible chase down block that was like I don’t know how he got got to it or stayed with it. Like it he played really good defensively in this game. I thought very active offensively. You saw the the connection between him and Cade there. I I seriously think this year they’ll have an argument for like the best pick and roll duo in the league. Like they just have such a crazy connection where they’re just they’re connecting on passes on lobs that you just don’t think are there and then all of a sudden it’s an easy dunk. Their connection is incredible. It looked great in this game. And then obviously we saw some of the dribble drive stuff from Jaylen Duran in the half court. Some of the isolation from the high post and his footwork looks even more improved in this game. His touch around the rim is still there. Finishing still there, but the footwork, the creative finishes looks even better or looked even better in this game I should say than we saw last year. JD, we talked about this earlier with Ji. Four days from now is their rookie extension deadline. Now Ivy looks like it’s unlikely now. I thought it was unlikely beforehand. JD may get extended. We don’t know yet. I think it’s more likely he would get extended and closing the preseason out like this. Just stay tuned. Keegan Murray from the same draft class this week got a $28 million per year extension. I believe two days ago he got that. Another player from that extension or that class that got an extension, Jabari Smith, he got it for 22 and a half a year. I think the Pistons would like to get JD between that 28 and 22 and a half. Um, so just stay tuned for that. But I I thought JD looked fantastic in this game. The connection with Kade obviously off the charts. The last thing I want to say though about Jaylen Duran, we finally got one of the best reps through preseason finally between him and Duncan Robinson and DHO’s. It was over on the left wing. JD read uh the defender on Duncan. It was really tight. So JD threw ahead a pass or threw ahead for Duncan but threw it behind uh his own back. Threw it let Dur or Duncan chase after it. Really creative pass was able to screen Duncan’s man get just enough of him to create a wideopen look for Duncan to just run into a pass off of DHO. hit the three and one because the defender had to try to jump to block it from behind because JD had a good screen and just such a good screening angle really and a creative pass created and one opportunity for Duncan. Their best dribble handoff rep of the preseason by far. It was fantastic. It looked like they finally got something going. So, I love seeing that that you’re going to see more of that in the pre in the regular season, I’m sure. But, it was it was good to finally see it because it’s something that we’ve all been looking forward to seeing. Looked really good. Um, all right. Now, let’s get the cade. Man, I like guys, I am trying my hardest. I I can’t lie to you. I am trying my hardest to not overreact. But this is what Kate has done in 1919 19 24 minutes. First game 20 and four on eight of 11 shooting in just 19 minutes. Next game in just 19 minutes, 26 points, six assists, six rebounds on eight of 14 shooting. in 19 minutes. Then in this game in 24 minutes, 16 points, 12 assists, two steals, one block, six attempts from the field, and oh by the way, he’s shooting around 57% from three. Look guys, if this type of timing, if and look, we have seen guys look great in preseason, then not look good in pre in the regular season, and guys that don’t look good in the preseason, then look good in the regular season. The point with bringing that up is that it’s hard to to read in the preseason and know what you can take away for the regular season or not. Obviously, it’s not suggest I’m not suggesting that Kate all of a sudden is going to come out the regular season not be good. My point is that I don’t we we it’s hard to know just how much of this is actually real. Like this next level it looks like he’s taking is actually real until we see it in the regular season. With that said, the finishing improvement looks like it’s there. He is. I’m not even just looking at the finishing numbers, the percentages. I’m looking at the type of finishes he’s doing, the type of finishes he’s getting to. We’ve already seen him like three or four finishes in this preseason go to shots around the rim that he just didn’t attempt last year. The first shot he made tonight was a drive going up against Alexar at the rim, who’s a good rim protector, and instead of trying to go through him and force a tough finish on the same side of the rim, goes to a crafty reverse from the middle of the from like the left side of the floor, like the left side of the paint, I would say. Nice uh reverse, a finish that you just wouldn’t have seen him even attempt last year. Really, really crafty and clever finish. He had a few finishes with his left hand as well on the other end of the floor when they switched sides in the second half that were really impressive. There was one drive I really liked. He drove right baseline, tried to do that little fake half spin that he loves doing. They cut it off. He gave the guy a little bit of a bump, created just enough space right around the block and kind of just elevated for a soft touch floater type. It I don’t want to say a floater because it was too close to be really considered a floater, but it wasn’t like a finger roll. It was like a nice touch. uh soft touch shot I guess a soft floater and it was just all net just creative finishes that he just I haven’t seen him go to these finishes before. It wasn’t just this game, previous games, too. He’s much stronger on these drives at the rim as well. You’ve seen him power through finishes and kind of make finishes that last year, you can see he falls away from the basket. The the bumps at the rim maybe bother him. This time, you can tell that he’s stronger and he’s not. He hasn’t fallen away from the rim. He’s going to the basket. He’s tapping out at the glass on finishes. He’s bullying guys at the rim. He’s absorbing that contact. The finishing looks improved already through preseason. I I look I know we’ll have to wait to see if it translates to the regular season, but it looks improved to me. Like I it looks improved to me, which is huge, which is the it was the biggest area he had to improve on. Then the pull up three-point shooting. He’s hitting contested threes. He’s hitting step back threes. He’s hitting yank back threes. He’s hitting sideep threes. Like he is catch and shoot threes with someone in his face. like j today he hit someone with the Kobe Bryant uh the Kobe Bryant 2K26 jab step and then pull up three in their face like look man he looks he looks like he’s on a different level from last year and last year he was a third team allNBA guy he was great last year and through preseason he looks like he’s on a different level and I’m saying what I’m about to say is not suggesting that Kate didn’t have confidence already He had confidence in himself. But you’ve heard players talk about this before. You can have confidence in yourself, but until you actually do it and prove to everybody else and prove everyone else either wrong or right, whatever it it it takes your confidence or your what’s I don’t want to say I guess confidence is the only word I can think of, but like confidence and comfortability to another level once you actually do it. Once you do it for a season, you’ve got that pressure off your shoulders. Like, okay, I believed I could do it, but I actually did it now. I proved everyone wrong or right, whichever one, and I got that burden off my shoulders. Now I can just go be great. Now I can go I know who I am, and now I know I can reach this next level. Let’s go do it. You can tell that’s where Kate is at right now. You can tell that having that season last year, the pressure’s off of him, he’s proven it to everybody that he is the that dude, and now he’s just comfortable in that. He’s comfortable in the idea that I am one of the best players in the league and now I’m just going to go out there and show it. Now I’m just I know that’s what I am. There’s just this level of swag and and and comfortability you’re seeing from him where it’s like, yeah, I’m one of the 10 best players alive. I’m going to be MVP conversations this year. Like that’s how I’m I’m that great. Whereas last year it was like he’s trying he’s proving himself. He’s proving himself now. You can tell there’s a different type of energy with him. He’s he he he’s looking really good, man. And if he’s playing like this in the regular season, we’re talking top five MVP finishes. And this is another reason why despite the Ivy news, I think the Pistons will be fine because Cade is looking different. He’s on some different timing. So, let me know comment section down below or over on Twitter, Cuckahill, how you guys feel about how Jaylen Durham played in this final game. And then also, let me know what you’ve seen from Kade this all or during this preseason, how you guys are feeling about him going to the regular season. comment section down below or over on Twitter, Cuckah Hill. Coming up, Assar Thompson. We saw the point Assaar dialed back in this final game. Does that mean we’re not going to see Assar with the ball in his hands now? We’ll break it down coming up. Today’s episode’s brought to you by FanDuel. 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Make locked on Pistons your first listen every single day for a podcast platforms. If you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel at lockdown pistons. Hit that subscribe button or leave us a fivestar review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. That’s another great way to support the podcast. I feel like I’m losing my voice a little bit. It’s probably because I had to record the podcast a second time and I was on live stream for the watch party before that for the previous two hours. I like feel like I’m losing my voice. Hopefully that uh that drink of water helps a little bit. My goodness, I may not be able to record no more. Just joking. Um, all right. In this final game, we heard from JB this week that he wanted the final two preseason games to simulate regular season action a little bit more, but he wasn’t able to do it last game because Cade was out, Caris Levert was out, Ivy was out, but before we knew that it was like a longer term issue, but really because Cade was out. You can’t really simulate live action when your best players on the floor. So, they were able to do it a little bit in this game. Now, obviously, they didn’t reveal their full deck of cards. They they were still experimenting with certain things. You could tell they were playing a little bit more freely at times. Not, you know, there was definitely some possessions when you saw them not take it as serious or maybe just throw up, you know, whatever. But you did get an idea. They did play this a little bit more real, I would say. And you got an idea. You could see into what is you could have some takeaways, I I will say. And one of the things you saw in this game is that you did not see much of the point of SAR point of that we saw through the first three preseason games. So, does that mean that when the regular season comes around, you won’t see points, I will say real quickly, just Asar stat line. He had eight points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and 23 minutes of action. Three of six from the field, hit both of his free throws. I know that’s been some people have been talking about. Um, but thought he had a fine game. Thought he played fine. Played good. Um, does that mean we just won’t see point guard this year? I like did did people actually think we were going to see point guard Assaar? Like did did people think that’s what like we were going I I I hope like I feel like too many people read way too much into the amount of usage Assar was getting in the preseason because it was to a point in some games where he was more of the point guard than Kade was. Did anyone actually think that we were going to see more on ball Kade than on ball Assar or more on ball Assar than on ball Cade? Obviously not. It was very clear that they were throwing all the reps at Assar, letting him get as many reps as possible in in the preseason to practice and then dial it back to wherever they wanted to when the regular season rolls around. So, are we going to get point guards? No. I don’t think I never thought we were going to get point guard where he’s the main ball handler on the floor. No. Were we ever going to get primary ball handler Assar Thompson? No. That was never on the board. You’re not going to get primary ball handling Assar Thompson when you have Kade Cunningham on the basketball team. That’s that’s not the role for Assar Thompson. Are you still going to get ball handling Assar Thompson? Are you still going to get secondary playmaker Assar Thompson? Are you going to get secondary ball handler Assar Thompson? Yes, you will get that. And the rotations from JB in this game kind of showed that Assar was the first person subbed out of this game around like the seven and a half minute mark. and he was brought who came in was Isaiah Stewart and they played double bigs and I said this during the live watch party. I ended up being right pat myself on the back a little bit. Um I said okay my guess here is what they’re doing. They’re going double bigs. They’re going to split the the back of four minutes between Stu and Ron and they’re going to bring Assar back in about three minutes with Ron for Duran and Tobias. That way Ron and Assar are always playing their minutes with Stu. Ron and Assar split or Ron and Stu split their minutes at the four. Then Ste can just bump up the five. That’s how you can get Steu more minutes. And then you stagger Cade with Assar. So I was a little I was off just a little bit. Assaar came in for Cade, not for Tobias, but everything else I was mostly correct with. There’s JB was staggering Assar and Cade. And why was he doing that? Because especially now without Ivy on the floor, I believe you’re going to see them like they did in this game. They’re going to stagger Assar and Kade. Kade’s gonna handle the ball when he’s on the floor. When Kade’s off the floor, I think you’re going to see Assar handle the ball. You’re going to see him initiate the action. You’re going to see him initiate the offense, him and Caris Levert. Um I know you saw Dannis play a lot in this game. I don’t anticipate Dannis Jenkins playing um in the rotation when the season comes around. He’s looked fine. He I like we like Danis, but I don’t think he’s going to be in the rotation when the season comes around. Honestly, if anyone cracks a rotation because of Ivy going out, it should be Marcus Sasser. He’s he fits that role much better, the offball scorer. That’s exactly what Sasser does. Like, this should be the perfect opportunity for Sassar to finally play what he’s supposed to play. But that’s a whole different topic. Um, you saw JB go to it. They staggered Assar with K because they want Assar to be that guy who initiates the offense, that hands the ball when K’s off the floor. That’s the whole point of that. So yeah, I think you’re going to see Assar with the ball in his hands. You’re going to see him as an initiator, as a ball handler. And through the first three preseason games, you got some good and you got some bad. And that’s why they gave him as many reps as possible so they can get an idea of, okay, this is where he looked better at. This is where he didn’t. How much do we believe we can give him and how soon should we increase the load? That’s the whole point of that. Um, so and even in this game, you didn’t get nearly as much the first two games, obviously, but even in this game, you did see him initiate some offense with Kate on the floor. I’d say probably like three possessions he initiated with Kate on the floor. And then when Kate off the floor, it was him and Caris initiating some action. Danis had a lot of that usage as well, but I don’t anticipate Danis taking up that much usage. And obviously, like I just mentioned in the rotation as well. So yeah, you’re going to see SR dribble the ball. You’re going to see Assar ball handle and create. You’re not going to get primary ball handling Assar Thompson. You shouldn’t. I don’t think anyone really wanted or expected that. You’re not going to get point guard Assaar. I don’t think anyone really wanted that in the context of what people were it seemed like a lot of fans were taking it as. But you are going to see Assar do more this year and hopefully he plays well doing it. Um, can’t wait for the opening night, season opener, and how they really want to unlock unleash, I should say, their ball handlers, what the the hierarchy is with that. Um, yeah, I thought Assar played fine in this. I thought he looked good. He looked like Asar. So, played more off ball for sure. Um, had a really tough three. Air ball a three from the top of the key off a pullup. Don’t know if we should be getting pullup threes from Assar, but preseason, I guess, whatever. Um, we’ll just have to wait for the regular season to find out just how much of the usage he’s going to get as a ball handler, but you are going to see some of it for sure. For sure. Um, that’s all I’ve got for you guys today, though. Thank you guys for making Locked on Pistons your first listen of every single day. We’re free and available on all your podcast platforms. The Pistons open their season on the 22nd, Wednesday. We’ll be there with the playback room. It’s unfortunate, man, that this is going to be another season without or not another season without Ivy, but we’re still going to be without Ivy on the floor. It’s It’s going to be tough to see that. Um, again, unfortunate situation for him. Feel really bad for him, but Piss’s got to go on and hopefully they continue to play well and get a win opening night. Um, again, that’s all I got for you guys today. Think you guys make a lot on Piss First Listen. Hit that subscribe button to the YouTube channel. Leave us a fivestar view, whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. And until next time, I will see you guys later. Stay safe out there and peace out everybody.

Jaden Ivey’s knee surgery shakes up Detroit Pistons’ lineup. Will this setback derail their season plans?

Host Ku Khahil analyzes the ripple effects of Ivey’s four-week absence, dissecting how it impacts the Pistons’ rotation and future decisions. Cade Cunningham’s preseason brilliance takes center stage, with Khahil breaking down his MVP-caliber performances: Jalen Duren’s dominant final preseason game and Ausar Thompson’s evolving role round out the discussion.

Tune in for expert insights on the Pistons’ potential rotation strategies and how they’ll navigate this early-season challenge. Can Detroit overcome Ivey’s absence and capitalize on Cunningham’s hot streak?

PLAYBACK: playback.tv/watchpistons

SUBSTACK: kukhahil.substack.com

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