Jaden Ivey 'Gonna be a Star' After Pistons' Preseason Debut vs. Knicks

Doric SamOctober 5, 2022

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Jaden Ivey #23 of the Detroit Pistons goes to the basket during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 04, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The Detroit Pistons opened their preseason with a 117-96 blowout loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, but the good news is that the team appears to have found a gem in rookie point guard Jaden Ivey.

The 2022 fifth overall pick had an impressive debut, posting 16 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and no turnovers in the loss. He shot an efficient 6-of-9 from the field, made all his free throws and connected on his only three-pointer.

Ivey was a stabilizing force in the Pistons backcourt on a night when 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham struggled. The second-year combo guard finished with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting with four turnovers.

The steady performance from Ivey drew a massive amount of praise from fans of social media, with many predicting him to quickly develop into one of Detroit's top players.

Tony Jones @Tjonesonthenba
Man, Jaden Ivey is gonna be a star in this league

Malik Hobson @OriginalMalik_
Jaden ivey really one of them

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Jason Anderson @JandersonSacBee
Good first half for Pistons rookie Jaden Ivey in his preseason debut. He has 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Bally Sports Detroit @BallySportsDET
Jaden Ivey is calm, cool, and collected as he swishes the Pistons first 3-pointer. 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pistons?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pistons</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkFordFirst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThinkFordFirst</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZJNVojOjqa">pic.twitter.com/ZJNVojOjqa</a>

Full-Time Dame 💰 @DP_NFL
Jaden Ivey can help maximize Cade Cunningham on offense. Not only will he push the ball on the break but handing the ball allowing cade to play off the ball. <br><br>Spot up 3s, back door cuts, feed the post vs smaller guards!

Ryan Hammer🔨 @ryanhammer09
Cade Cunningham & Jaden Ivey will be the best backcourt duo in the NBA within the next 5 years.

Aaron Johnson @AJohnsonNBA
If the first half of the first preseason game means anything… Jaden Ivey has silenced any notion he needs to start the season coming off the bench.

jeff @retrojeffhoops
jaden ivey looks fantastic

PistonsThoughts @PistonsThoughts
Jaden Ivey is Him

Thomas Stapleton @TStapletonNBA
Jaden Ivey putting guys in jail and changing speeds >>>

PistonsMuse @PistonsMuse
Jaden Ivey makes the game look so so easy. Incredibly talented

Tyler @therealsikmoney
Jaden Ivey is gonna be fun to watch

Danny @dajosc11
Very mixed first half for the Pistons. Rust and bad decision making all around. But Jaden Ivey… that dude.

All Day Pistons @AllDayPistons
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pistons?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pistons</a> offense has been super sloppy so far. One of the main positives: Jaden Ivey looks very solid. The rookie looks comfortable and is getting to the rim at will.

Knicks Mafia @Knicks_Mafia
Jaden Ivey is so fast in transition, him and Cade are gunna be a fun duo

🦬 Kale McCall 🚂 @K_McCall_WL
Jaden Ivey in his NBA preseason debut <a href="https://t.co/XshLnevKJ2">pic.twitter.com/XshLnevKJ2</a>

James L. Edwards III @JLEdwardsIII
Assuming Jaden Ivey is done for the night, he finished his first unofficial, official NBA game with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 0 turnovers.<br><br>The latter might be the most impressive, especially for a young guard, playing his first game in MSG against that defense.

Ivey made a name for himself during his sophomore season at Purdue when he was named to the All-Big Ten first team and All-American second team.

He averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists to lead the Boilermakers to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16. The school also achieved a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll for the first time in program history with Ivey leading the way.

It appears that Ivey is already comfortable enough to step into a primary role for the Pistons, so the 20-year-old is ahead of the curve in his development.

If he can continue playing like he did on Tuesday, Ivey will likely be in the Rookie of the Year conversation by season's end.