For the Detroit Pistons, every regular-season win was a big success last year. The team was desperately trying to get out of the pit that they had dug for themselves over the last couple of seasons. Finally, having a competitive team that was racking up wins created a very positive atmosphere in Detroit. With last season's playoff appearance, however, comes heightened expectations. Now, instead of celebrating every win, every loss will be scrutinized.
The biggest driving factor for success in Detroit will once again be Cade Cunningham. The star point guard has emerged as an All-NBA caliber player and will be the leader of this team going forward. Yet, there is one player who will determine how far the Pistons will actually go.
Jaden Ivey Will Be Pistons' X-Factor Next Season
Even if Cunningham takes another step forward and emerges as an MVP candidate, the Pistons need more shot creation and shooting. Detroit's half-court offense still left plenty to be desired last season. Considering that the team didn't make any big offseason splashes, it has to be Jaden Ivey who will need to play the secondary creator role.
Before he suffered his season-ending injury last season, Ivey was on his way to becoming that player. He was averaging 17.6 points and 4 assists in 30 minutes per game on 46.0/40.9/73.3 shooting splits. This small sample size was Ivey's best season so far, and the Pistons will need the 23-year-old to pick up where he left off.
Detroit's offense when Cunningham is on the bench was a constant struggle. Ivey has to help keep them afloat when running bench units. Perhaps, most importantly, however, the 6'4" combo guard needs to continue his shooting improvement. To fully optimize his fit with Cunningham, Ivey needs to be a near-40% shooter from downtown. This team already has too many questionable shooters with Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, and Jalen Duren. If Ivey regresses from downtown, his offensive fit next to the Pistons' other core players becomes more of an issue.
That is why Ivey's offensive play will be the biggest swing factor for the Pistons next season. If he is looking like a high-level second option who can play on and off the ball, the Pistons could make a deep postseason run. Otherwise, GM Trajan Langdon will have to find a long-term backcourt partner for Cunningham.