Will the rookies have an immediate impact on the Detroit Pistons?
The Pistons won big on draft night as they selected dynamic guard Jaden Ivey from Purdue. General manager Troy Weaver had a plan and stuck with it as he was able to execute a trade that gave them the rights to big man Jalen Duren from the University of Memphis.
Both players will be expected to be a major part of the rebuild in Detroit and Weaver knows that he added two solid players to the roster. Ivey was very impressive in his first NBA Summer League appearance as he scored 20 points with six rebounds and six assists and was a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe in 32 minutes.
He was shut down after a blazing start in his second Summer League game due to an ankle injury but the Pistons saw enough to know that they made the right selection. He possesses captivating explosiveness and ha insane speed while his athleticism on the fast break is unbelievable and Pistons fans have to be anxious to see how Ivey and Cunningham will mesh together in the backcourt.
They will undoubtedly have one of the top young backcourts in the NBA someday and it’s going to be interesting to see how their chemistry will develop and how they complement one another. Out of all the players at his position in the draft, Ivey appeared to be heads and shoulders above the rest. He is unselfish and has the potential to become a star in this league. When the Pistons acquired Duren they knew they were getting a young physical inside presence on both ends of the floor.
If he gets even better on the defensive end and figures out how to flawlessly operate the pick-and-roll with Cunningham, they could start making noise in the East as a real playoff contender. There were rumors concerning Duren’s lateral quickness during the draft process but if that’s the case, it’s just a minor flaw that can be corrected through coaching. Along with his crazy athleticism and mobility, he is already an elite rim protector and could become a player who will put Pistons fans in the mind of a Ben Wallace who can shoot.
Hopefully, with these two rookies, the Pistons have solidified the core of their team.