DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons didn’t even make it to the first tip off at Little Caesars Arena before the first crucial piece of injury news dropped for the coming season.
After working for months to make his return to the court, Jaden Ivey will have to wait a little longer to return to NBA regular-season action after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to relieve right knee discomfort.
It’s a heartbreaking blow for Ivey, who has been champing at the bit to get back for the Pistons after a season-ending injury on Jan. 1.
Now the Pistons are tasked with replacing one of their key pieces for at least four weeks, when Ivey will next be assessed.
Detroit certainly spent plenty of time without him last season, but also had some strong options at guard behind him in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley ahead of the acquisition of Dennis Schröder at the trade deadline to build their postseason rotation.
Those three are all gone, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff is confident that they have the guys to pick up the slack while Ivey works back up.
“If healthy, we have the guys that can fill those spots. Playing with (Ausar Thompson) with the ball in his hands more. Caris (LeVert) has the ability to do that,” Bickerstaff said Thursday. “We’ve been extremely pleased with Marcus Sasser and how he’s been able to help us. We’ve got guys that we feel confident in all the way to (two-way player Daniss Jenkins). I feel confident you can put Daniss in a game right now and he can be impactful. So we’re confident in how we’re going to fill it. We just have to come up with the combinations that we think work best.”
The Pistons spent a lot of their final preseason matchup on Thursday running through a lot of different looks, playing all their guard options outside of Sasser, who has been out dealing with hip tightness.
LeVert and Duncan Robinson come in as veteran options with a lot of versatility. Both former Michigan standouts, they each joined the Pistons this offseason and figure to play significant roles. Robinson started in the second guard spot next to Cade Cunningham on Thursday.
But there’s a lot of young talent like Sasser, Thompson and Jenkins that will vie to take on some of the production expected out of Ivey.
Thompson’s been more ball dominant throughout preseason, showcasing his growth after developing through a full offseason without dealing with an injury. He looked set to resume his role as a starter regardless, but now he could be asked to do more in his third season.
Sasser — also entering his third season — is coming along as a point guard, but his sample size in preseason has been small due to the hip issue, which the Pistons are being cautious with.
Throughout Detroit’s four preseason games, it was hard not to notice the flashes of excellence from Jenkins.
With the Motor City Cruise in the G League last season, Jenkins averaged 21.2 points, 7.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
During preseason, the 24-year-old averaged 11.5 points on 51.7% shooting with four assists and 1.3 steals per game. He’s been explosive off the bench, driving to the rim or showcasing his 55.6% rate from beyond the arc, while being disruptive on the defensive end.
Jenkins’ teammates see the path he’s set for himself and don’t doubt he can be impactful for the team.
“He’s been great for a long time now. He’s been doing his thing day in and day out, working, being in the gym...being vocal, being loud. He makes it hard for people not to notice him,” Cunningham said after Thursday’s win. “That’s the thing I love about him so much. He’s a great dude. He’s a better dude than basketball player. He’s just a guy you want around. He took full advantage of this opportunity as far as getting real minutes in preseason. I thought he did great.”
Jenkins is ever-ready to step in for the Pistons. He only played in seven games for Detroit last season, but in Year 2 he knows he’s an underdog and needs to prove every day why he belongs on an NBA court.
As two-way player, Jenkins can be active for up to 50 games with the Pistons.
With a key injury and some early performances to back up his talk, the opportunities could start coming for Jenkins.
“I’m just trying to show that, like I always say, I can run a team,” Jenkins said Thursday morning. “I can be whatever the coaches need me to be, whatever the organization needs me to be. I can be that and I can show that and I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do.”
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