2022 NBA Draft: Detroit Pistons select Jaden Ivey, Purdue shooting guard

Purdue shooting guard Jaden Ivey is off the board in the 2022 NBA Draft. With the No. 5 pick of the first round, Ivey was selected by the Detroit Pistons.

A four-star recruit in the Class of 2020, Jaden Ivey played two seasons at Purdue before entering the NBA Draft. He was a key leader on the 2021-22 Purdue Boilermakers team. The Boilermakers finished ranked 10th in the AP Poll. They also made it to the Big 10 Championship Game, before losing to Iowa and then the Sweet Sixteen, where they fell to St. Peter’s.

Ivey’s best scoring performance came against Indiana State in the Cheez-It Hall of Fame Tip-Off, when he had 27 points. Ivey was also First-team All-Big Ten and a Consensus second-team All-American in 2022.

On his career, Jaden Ivey averaged 14.9 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game. He shot 44% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range.

Throughout the NBA Draft process, Ivey has been one of the most exciting prospects. Both ESPN and CBS Sports have listed him as lottery picks in numerous mock drafts, and predicted him going as high as fourth. It’s easy to see why they love him.

“(He) is tough to stop when he gets a full head of steam, especially in transition when he has space to roam,” writes Josh Cohen for NBA.com. “His plan A, in most instances, is to get all the way to the basket. There aren’t many defenders who can stay in front of him one-on-one.”

“One would think that Ivey’s defense would suffer because of the amount of energy he exerts on the offensive end. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’ll chase shooters around screens, get into the air space of ball handlers on the perimeter, use his nearly 6-foot-9 wingspan to deflect passes, and frustrate opponents with his tenacity and dynamism.”

His game isn’t perfect, of course. His decision-making does need to improve. Meanwhile, Ivey’s shooting has gotten better during his time at Purdue, but it needs to continue to progress for the modern NBA.

Jaden Ivey comes from a strong basketball lineage. His mother, Niele Ivey, is the Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach. She also played for several seasons in the WNBA. Now, her son, Jaden Ivey will have the opportunity to pave his own way in the NBA.