Coty Davis and Tarohn Finley agree the Pistons shouldn’t trade for future Hall-of-Famer Anthony Davis.
Coty Davis and Tarohn Finley agree the Pistons shouldn’t trade for future Hall-of-Famer Anthony Davis.
Detroit — A rare five-day break allowed each member of the Detroit Pistons to recover from the usual wear and tear of the first quarter of the NBA season. For Jaden Ivey, the extended time off provided him with an opportunity to improve and get more up to speed after being sidelined for 11 months.
“It is very rare to have a week to regroup, and for me, it was a blessing,” Ivey said. “The NBA schedule is a lot, you could be on the road for a long period of time. It was rare to get this kind of time, but I wanted to utilize it and enjoy it.”
Since returning from injury against the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 22, Ivey’s comeback came during one of the Pistons’ busiest stretches of the season. He was thrown into the mix as the Pistons entered a nine-day stretch with six games.
The Pistons had a week off after failing to advance to the knockout round of the Emirates NBA Cup. The break allowed coach J.B. Bickerstaff to conduct back-to-back extended practices at the Henry Ford Pistons Performance Center, which became ideal as Ivey continues to reintegrate himself into the team.
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“It’s continued growth. I can’t say it enough, but what he’s doing is difficult,” Bickerstaff said. “To go 11 months without playing an NBA game and then coming back and having to play at NBA speed in the middle of the season is just not easy. But again, he’s a guy who’s embraced the challenge. He’s going out there and competing with his teammates. His teammates love having him out there.”
Aside from a few moments where it was evident that the former first-round pick was still shaking off some rust, Ivey has made a promising return. He has appeared in nine games so far this season, averaging 7.6 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field and 41.7% from 3-point range, to go along with 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
His best game amid his long-awaited return came during the Pistons’ 113-109 loss to the Bucks on Dec. 3. He recorded a season-high 15 points and six rebounds inside Fiserv Forum while playing 19 minutes. The game showcased Ivey’s significance to the Pistons’ core while also demonstrating his mindset since returning from injury.
Ivey believes he still possesses the attributes of being a three-level scorer, capable of scoring over 20 points in every game he plays. However, he has prioritized the team’s needs over his own individual goals. While patiently waiting for his moment, Ivey has been exploring different ways to impact the game while keeping the Pistons’ winning mindset in focus.
“When I get into the game, I’ve been doing the best that I can to affect the game in different ways,” Ivey said. “It may not be the highlight play, where my game is always been predicated on. But if I am doing my job the right way, in what the team needs, and heading in the direction that we see, that’s what I’ve been focusing on.”
Everyone within the organization — from the coaching staff to the players — has been encouraged by Ivey’s performance. They believe each game he has played demonstrates the new dynamic he brings to the team. Although Ivey’s return has been promising, it has not come without challenges. He has been on a 15-minute restriction since his return, which has made it difficult to maintain a rhythm at times.
The season-high Ivey scored during the Pistons’ loss against the Bucks marked the only game where he surpassed his minutes restriction. It has been the lone reason his return has been frustrating, but Ivey views it as another way to overcome adversity.
“Adversity has been a part of my career; there is nothing that I cannot overcome. There isn’t anything that I haven’t been able to handle,” Ivey said. “With coming back and not playing in months, adversity will be there. But, I’m just grateful to be in this position. I’ve been taking it one day at a time.”
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Prior to sustaining a broken left fibula on Jan. 1, Ivey was playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 17.6 points on 40.9% shooting from 3-point range, along with 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 30 games. He was on track to make his anticipated return at the start of the season, but a knee injury during training camp forced Ivey to have arthroscopic surgery in October.
Ivey hopes the Pistons’ recent break allows him to get closer to the player he was before his recent setbacks; however, through it all, he will continue to lean on his faith more than anything during his comeback.
“I trust in the Lord; when the setback happened, I took a step back and started to trust in him with my career and the things that I see,” Ivey said. “That has been the biggest thing for me. Trusting in the Lord, and that has kept me even with everything that I’ve been through.”
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24