Can Jaden Ivey be Successful Playing Off of Cade Cunningham?

A breakdown of what Jaden Ivey showed playing off the ball at Purdue.

We know that Jaden Ivey played on the ball plenty during his time at Purdue. According to inSTAT his top 2 most used PlayTypes that resulted in a shot attempt or turnover were as a pick-and-roll handler and in isolation. 

(PlayType is possession that resulted in a shot attempt or turnover)

We also know that the Detroit Pistons have their on-ball creator and face of the franchise in Cade Cunningham. Combining those things together leads you right into asking the question, can Jaden Ivey be successful playing off the ball in the NBA?

The only data point we currently have to answer that is going back to his sophomore season at Purdue and looking at the possessions where he was asked to do this. Breaking this down into five different play types, we can see his strengths and weaknesses in each and what the numbers say.

Catch-and-Shoot: 0.99 Points Per Possession

4th Most Used PlayType | 67 Total Possessions with a Shot Attempt

Ivey will have to improve his overall shooting efficiency to be a successful off the ball player in the NBA but he did show a comfort level and willingness to do it. There are some concerns about how much of a set shot he has but the burst and first step should cause defenders to close out short to him allowing to get that shot off.

Catch-and-Drive: 0.98 Points Per Possession

5th Most Used PlayType | 51 Total Possessions with a Shot Attempt

The first step will immediately be Ivey’s go to skill in the NBA. This is an incredible attribute he possesses even for NBA standards and when he does get a defender closing out to him he readily and easily is able to attack them and create advantages. Why is the points per possession so low, then? Multiple of these possessions resulted in help defenders coming over and Ivey having to go to his mid range pull up which he simply is not very good at right now.

Screen Offs: 1.36 Points Per Possession (Best)

6th Most Used PlayType | 36 Total Possessions with a Shot Attempt

This is the off ball PlayType that is very intriguing with Ivey. 36 total possessions is not enough to make any overwhelming statements but the PPP in this PlayType is impressive. The film backed that up as Ivey does a really nice job reading screens, flaring off them, curling, etc. when the defender's path dictated it. Ivey is so fast, with or without the ball, that it automatically creates an advantage in these possessions. His overall success running off screens will again come down to how effective of a 3-point shooter he becomes in the NBA.

Hand Offs: 0.77 Points Per Possession (Worst)

7th Most Used PlayType | 26 Total Possessions with a Shot Attempt

This is the PlayType that will be most interesting to watch during Ivey’s rookie season factoring in how much the Detroit Pistons like to run this type of action. Including the first play of NBA Summer League that resulted in a lob pass to fellow rookie, Jalen Duren. It was surprising, initially, that Ivey was not more efficient in these possessions but teams would just rely on going under the dribble handoff and forcing Ivey to settle for a step behind 3-pointer.

Cuts: 1.00 Points Per Possession

8th Most Used PlayType | 16 Total Possessions with a Shot Attempt

There is not a lot to unpack here from the film but when considering Ivey’s explosiveness and ability to read defenders off screens there is hope he can be a successful off the ball cutter on an NBA spaced floor.

Ivey will get plenty of on the ball reps in his rookie season in the Motor City whether he comes off the bench or staggers minutes with Cade Cunningham. Ultimately, his success with the Pistons will still be determined by his efficiency off the ball when playing with Cunningham. 

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