NBA Draft: Grading every first-round pick after rookie year

5. Detroit Pistons – Jaden Ivey, Purdue

Heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, there was a clear top tier of three players, and they indeed went 1-2-3 on draft night. After that, it was a hot discussion as to which player deserved to be next, but the clubhouse winner was Jaden Ivey, an athletic high-scoring point guard from Purdue. The Kings passed on Ivey at 4, letting him fall to the Detroit Pistons at pick No. 5.

Ivey still shows all of the flashes his supporters pointed to coming into the draft, with bursts of speed and athleticism that drop your chin to the floor. He also shot just 41.6 percent from the field and averaged 3.2 turnovers; that’s natural for a young guard, but it obviously has to improve for him to be anything other than a negative. Such is the path for most guard prospects.

If you believed in Ivey a year ago, nothing has changed to crack that belief. If you were enough of a skeptic to have him in the back half of the top 10, that also seems fair. The Pistons are probably quite happy with their selection, and seeing him play alongside Cade Cunningham for a full season is the next major step.

Grade: B+