CHICAGO-The Detroit Pistons have been stricken with injuries since opening night. On Sunday, two of their key reserves will return.
Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks will face the Chicago Bulls on the night on the road. Ivey had already missed four straight games due to illness, and Burks missed the last six. Both players were spotted Saturday during the team’s practice at their practice facility in New Center, and head coach Monty Williams said Friday night that Ivey was feeling better after battling a viral infection .
“He was struggling for a while, so we were happy to have him back,” Williams said. “He was getting vaccinated yesterday when I was at the gym, and today he went through a little bit more. He had a viral thing and it just kicked his butt a little bit.”
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The Pistons are still without five players. Bojan Bogdanovic (sprained right calf), Monte Morris (sprained right quad) and Isaiah Livers (sprained left ankle) have yet to play this season, and Joe Harris (sprained shoulder) will miss his fourth game consecutive Sunday. They will also be without Jalen Duren, who was shut down due to ongoing ankle pain.
Ivey is averaging 11.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 20.7 minutes coming off the bench. His role was reduced after starting 73 games as a rookie, but he was among Detroit’s most efficient scorers at 49.1% overall and 40.9% from 3. His lack of minutes compared to his rookie season has been a topic among fans and mediabut Williams wants to set the right tone on defense to start games.
He will join a deep guard rotation, as Killian Hayes and Marcus Sasser are both coming off their best week of basketball this season. In his last five games, Hayes is averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 assists and one steal on 50% shooting overall and 40% shooting from 3. Sasser has scored at least 19 points in three of his last five games shooting 48.5% overall and 42.4% shooting from 3.
The Pistons, who have lost seven straight, are 0-6 since Burks’ injury. He’s off to a strong start, averaging 15 points off the bench while shooting 53.8% from 3. He and Ivey will fill out a depleted rotation that has forced Williams to rely on two two-way players, Jared Rhoden and Stanley Umude.
