It’s been a long time since the Detroit Pistons made this big a splash in NBA headlines, but following a dramatic night in the 2024 NBA Draft, the team has added a pair of exciting players. Both are talented enough to be legit candidates for an NBA award next season.
For those interested in sports betting in Michigan, the 2024-23 NBA Rookie of the Year market will be one to watch. The Pistons have not one, but two lottery picks on their roster: No. 5 Jaden Ivey and No. 13 Jalen Duren.
Detroit Pistons 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds
Here are the odds for the top players to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award for the 2024-23 season, including the Pistons’ Ivey and Duren.
| Player | DraftKings | BetMGM | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero, ORL | +300 | +325 | +300 |
| Chet Holmgren, OKC | +350 | +375 | +420 |
| Keegan Murray, SAC | +600 | +650 | +650 |
| Jabari Smith Jr., HOU | +700 | +600 | +750 |
| Jaden Ivey, DET | +750 | +650 | +800 |
| Bennedict Mathurin, IND | +1000 | +1100 | +1200 |
| Shaedon Sharpe, POR | +1800 | +1700 | +3000 |
| Jalen Duren, DET | +3000 | +3000 | +4200 |
Lions have young stars, too: Detroit Lions 2023 NFL Rookie of the Year odds
Jaden Ivey: NBA Ready Guard With Inside & Outside Game
The Sporting News listed Ivey, a star at Purdue, as the best guard available in the draft. There were some pundits who thought the 6-4 guard was the best NBA prospect in the draft, period. The fact that he was available for Detroit at the No. 5 pick shocked almost everyone on draft night. (Thank you, Sacramento)
But where will Ivey fit in with Detroit? What can fans expect from him in The Association?
In college, Ivey had the ball in his hands a lot, serving as a point guard much of the time. Since the Pistons have Cade Cunningham as the quarterback of their offense, the role for Ivey at the pro level is different. With both a lethal jumper and the ability to weave through the paint to the rim, Ivey can play the No. 2 guard, but he still has the poise to bring the basketball court at times, freeing Cunningham to be a scoring threat receiving the rock.
Cunningham and Ivey give the Pistons their best backcourt duo since Joe Dumars and Allan Houston were in the ugly teal-and-purple uniforms of Pistons basketball in the 1990s. Or maybe even since Dumars and Isiah Thomas teamed on the Bad Boys.
But unlike 25-30 years ago, the NBA today demands outside shooting, and both Ivey and second-year man Cunninghman have that aspect in their game. The result should be a much more efficient and dangerous offensive attack for DEEEEEE-TROIT BASKETBAAAALL.
Jalen Duren: Young Man With a Wingspan
Few were prepared for what the Pistons pulled at the 2024 NBA Draft when general manager Troy Weaver nabbed Duren with the 13th pick following a three-team trade with the Hornets and Knicks. All Detroit surrendered was the 2025 1st round pick (acquired a few days prior from Portland) and some cash to pay off Kemba Walker’s soon-to-expire contract.
Weaver has been universally heralded as the biggest winner of the draft, practically swindling the Knicks and Hornets out of one of the draft’s most dynamic players.
Duren is a 6-11 center/forward with a prototypical NBA big man body, but it’s what he has under the hood that excited Weaver. At the University of Memphis last season, Duren averaged 12 points and eight boards. He has a 7-5 wingspan, and he’s an excellent leaper and defender who also runs the floor and can slash to the basket. He’s a quick, large man.
“We want to play fast and use (Duren’s and Ivey’s) ability to run the floor. There’s a lot of combinations we can play with, but we want to take advantage of their strengths,” Weaver told MLive.
Duren is 18 years old and won’t be 19 until a month into his first NBA season so expectations should be tempered. It may take a season or two for the teen to acclimate to the whirlwind lifestyle and crunching athleticism of the NBA, but he has the potential to be an All-Star.
Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire
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