Under the Hood – it’s time to see what’s really going on inside this Pistons team. Firing on All Cylinders All five starters finished in double-digits in last night’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Daniss Jenkins – 17 PTS and 4 AST View Link Duncan Robinson – 15 PTS, 4 RE B, AND 3 AST View Link Ausar Thompson – 12 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, AND 3 STL View Link Tobias Harris – 10 PTS, 6 REB, AND 3 AST View Link Jalen Duren – 20 PTS, 15 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, AND 2 BLK View Link Transmission Trouble In a game that didn’t feature Cade Cunningham and Caris LeVert, this felt like an opportunity for Jaden Ivey to get some increased playing time, but that didn’t happen. JB Bickerstaff played 10 players last night and Ivey ranked 9th in minutes – only Javonte Green played less than him. Ron Holland, Marcus Sasser, and Daniss Jenkins all played more minutes than Ivey. It does feel like Ivey’s shot creation in the midrange has improved and his three-point stroke looks good, but his burst and explosiveness that made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of Purdue isn’t there anymore. Perhaps with more time it’ll slowly come back, but right now, he doesn’t have it. As I watched last night’s game, it made me wonder: at this point, what does Ivey do that Sasser can’t? There are more similarities to their game now than pre-Ivey-leg-break. Based on the depth at the guard position for Detroit, I think this is what makes Ivey expendable. Jenkins is more of a point guard, Sasser brings more offensive juice at a lower cost, and Green brings a 3-and-D look that no other guard on the roster can. I think the writing is on the wall when it comes to Jaden Ivey’s future in Detroit. Mechanic’s Note This possession got me hype last night: View Link I’ve been a consistent criticizer of the spacing on this team, usually due to the lack of shooting from Ausar and Duren, but the blueprint is there for these two co-existing. Ausar’s inability to shoot isn’t an issue if he’s the on-ball initiator on offense, especially when he’s going downhill. I’m confident in his passing ability to find JD for a lob or make the right read to an open shooter at the three-point line. If you pause the video right before Ausar throws the oop, you’ll see Duncan and Ivey in the corners with Tobias on the wing, and they’re all ready to shoot while spacing the floor. This is a great possession that minimizes the weaknesses of Ausar and Duren while also giving them ample room to operate inside. ...read more read less