Stephen A. Smith Praises Detroit Pistons Guard After Win vs Lakers

Stephen A. Smith had glowing remarks for Pistons guard Jaden Ivey.

Oct 30, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) drives for a dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Monday night, the Detroit Pistons secured their third win of the season against LeBron James and the LA Lakers. Following this impressive victory, one member of the roster received praise from one of the NBA's biggest analysts.

Dating back to the preseason, the play of Jaden Ivey has been a major takeaway for the Pistons. He has carried this momentum into the regular season, putting on multiple noteworthy performances. Ivey's outing against the Lakers was one of his best yet, finishing with 26 points and four assists on 62.5% shooting from the field.

On Tuesday's edition of First Take, Stephen A. Smith took the the time to give Ivey his flowers. He applauded his performance against the Lakers, and stated he's enjoyed what he's seen from the former No. 5 pick thus far.

"By the way this cat Jaden Ivey put it on them last night," Stephen A. said. "I love what I'm seeing from him, he's really grown. He's gotten a lot better this year."

While it's still early, Ivey is showing the potential of what could be a career year for him. He's putting up his highest scoring average yet (19.6) along with 4.5 RPG and 3.6 APG. The area Ivey has taken the biggest leap in his three-point shooting. Through eight games, he is knocking down 39% of this threes while attempting five a game.

Heading into this season, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff was adamant about Ivey and Cade Cunningham being able to co-exist together. If the 22-year-old can continue to play like this, Detroit might have it's backcourt of the future.