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Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey says he avoided a major injury after turning his ankle in Saturday’s NBA Summer League game against the Washington Wizards.
Ivey had 11 points in five minutes of action before going down in the first quarter on a three-point shot attempt. Wizards forward Isaiah Todd was given a flagrant-1 foul for being in Ivey’s landing area.
“I thought you saw him a little bit more comfortable at the start of the game already from game one to game two—just the pace,” Pistons summer league coach Jordan Brink said. “We wanted to get him a little bit more space to operate and use his quickness, and I thought you already saw the game slowing down a little bit for him.”
In all likelihood, we’ve seen the last of Ivey on the basketball floor until the preseason. It would not make much sense for the Pistons to send him back out for meaningless summer-league games, and Ivey flashed enough brilliance in his short Las Vegas stint to give fans in Detroit hope for the upcoming season.
The Purdue product will team with 2021 top pick Cade Cunningham to give the Pistons one of the most promising young backcourts in basketball.
Ivey is expected to start at the point guard spot next season.