Paolo Banchero certainly stole the show in the Las Vegas Summer League opener, but he wasn't the only top-five pick who impressed the Thomas & Mack Center crowd on Thursday night.
No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey put his immense talent on display in the Pistons' 81-78 win over the Trail Blazers, totaling 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes.
Ivey, along with fellow first-rounder Jalen Duren, offered just a glimpse of what could be a very exciting future in Detroit.
MORE: Breaking down best player matchups at Las Vegas Summer League
Reactions to Jaden Ivey's Summer League debut
After watching the former Purdue star flash his elite speed and athleticism against Portland, members of NBA Twitter were happy to immediately jump on the Ivey train.
Jaden Ivey’s here
— Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) July 8, 2022
Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are going to be so fun together for the Pistons. Having Casey working with both of them is going to be huge.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) July 8, 2022
When you wake up BoilerNation…
— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) July 8, 2022
Jaden Ivey was NICE!!!!
Confirmed: Jaden Ivey is awesome and looks a lot better without a 7'4 giant clogging the lane
— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) July 8, 2022
Summer League takeaways from last night:
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) July 8, 2022
- Jabari Smith looked scared to put the ball on the floor and was uncomfortable dribbling. So much defensive upside. I like the shot.
- Paolo Banchero looked like the #1 player.
- Jaden Ivey will continue to get Ja Morant comps.
Jaden Ivey is gonna be so damn good.
— Mike Sullivan (@MikeSullivan) July 8, 2022
However, there was also some fair criticism of Ivey's performance. As is often the case with rookie guards, Ivey occasionally struggled to slow himself down, finishing with five turnovers.
Jaden Ivey (C+): It was the good and bad we've heard about. He was too turnt early. Settled a lot due to POR packing it in on D. Liked his game a lot more when he got to initiate vs trying to play off Saben in 2H. The Ivey who finished the game >>> the Ivey who started it.
— Brady Fred (@Brady_Fred) July 8, 2022
Detroit Summer League coach Jordan Brink acknowledged that there will be a learning curve when it comes to changing speeds at the NBA level.
"We're already trying to work on that with him because he's got that burst," Brink said. "And now, if he can slow down, sell his defender and then get to that burst, I think he's gonna be really hard to guard."
Jaden Ivey Summer League highlights
It didn't take long for Ivey to bring the fans out of their seats, as he found Duren for an alley-oop on the opening possession of the game.
The rooks are heating up early🔥@IveyJaden ➡️ @JalenDuren@Allegiant | @NBASummerLeague | #NBA2K23SummerLeague pic.twitter.com/bDJunQJx6v
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) July 8, 2022
Ivey also showed confidence in his shot, which was a question mark coming into the NBA Draft. He made two 3-pointers and all six of his free throws.
Perhaps his most impressive shot of the evening didn't count, as this deep triple was waved off because of an offensive foul call:
Called an offensive foul because of the kick, but what a shot from Jaden Ivey lol pic.twitter.com/FREs0s9REP
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) July 8, 2022
Of course, the part of Ivey's game that everyone loves to see is his incredible explosiveness.
With the Pistons holding a three-point lead and only 35 seconds remaining in regulation, Ivey hit the turbo button and flew to the rim for a clutch layup.
Jaden Ivey shifts it into high gear and glides to the rack late in Q4 to give the @DetroitPistons a 5-point lead!
— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022
Live Now on ESPN pic.twitter.com/0H1S8CS31r
Check out more of Ivey's best highlights below:
When does Jaden Ivey play next?
Ivey and the Pistons will next play against the Wizards on Saturday, July 9. They will face the Pacers and Cavaliers next week.
Pistons schedule at Las Vegas Summer League
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel (US) |
| July 9 | vs. Wizards | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| July 12 | vs. Pacers | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| July 14 | vs. Cavaliers | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
