To truly understand the belief that the Detroit Pistons organization has in Isaiah Livers look no further than Aug. 6, 2021.
That’s when Livers, then a 23-year-old rookie not far removed from a foot surgery that would delay his NBA debut, signed a guaranteed contract. By basketball standards, Livers entered the NBA as an old geezer. He was one of the final 20 selections in the 2021 NBA Draft. He hadn’t played a meaningful basketball game in several months because of the injury, one that often scares teams. Those guys aren’t usually guaranteed money, they’re not usually guaranteed a roster spot. Young players with all of that working against them, in today’s NBA, tend to have to show and prove themselves before a commitment is made, no matter how minuscule it is on the surface.
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Detroit, though, wanted to make it clear from Day 1 that Livers was someone it believed in, so much so that it was willing to eat a lost season if his foot injury didn’t heal properly.
The idea of what Livers could become was too much for the Pistons not to make it known how much faith they had.
“In Weaver we trust,” Isaiah Livers told The Athletic, referencing Detroit general manager Troy Weaver. “He took a chance on me, and I respect it. To this day, I remember having my first conversation with him. He brought up a lot of old stuff. He’s been watching me for a long time. He brought up things I didn’t think anyone knew about. That tells me he knew a lot about my game and what I bring to the table. Signing that guaranteed contract was him putting his money where his mouth is. With Weaver and (head coach) Dwane Casey, there’s nothing but respect from me.”
Now healthy and in the midst of yet another Pistons’ season that is prioritizing player development, Livers is beginning to show why he was worth the early investment. The 6-foot-7 wing is Detroit’s best team defender and most versatile on-ball defender. Casey will be the first to tell you that. Livers, who was known as a 3-point shooter while at Michigan, is having a down year from beyond the arc, but a down year for him is still a respectable near-37-percent clip.
On the surface, Livers has the makings to be the 3-and-D wing that Detroit so desperately needs now and for when it is ready to turn a corner back to relevancy. However, that box is something Livers doesn’t want to be placed in. As he’s shown over the last five games, since becoming a starter and playing big minutes, there might be more than meets the eye.
Isaiah Lives (Mike Stobe / Getty Images)Livers toes the line of confident and self-aware brilliantly. He’ll be the first to tell you if he messed up or if his team needs to do this or that better. Livers doesn’t have a filter, but he’s so well spoken that any criticism sounds like a college lecture rather than harsh acknowledgment. Livers knows why he’s on the court, and he knows what is expected of him, but he’s also insistent that there is more than just a 3-point-line-to-3-point-line archetype living inside of him.
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In his very short NBA career, Livers is showing off more things, consistently, with the ball in his hands than were spotted in only flashes while playing college ball in Ann Arbor. That’s why the Michigan native scoffs at the narrative that an “old man” like him, or any other senior college player who followed a similar path, can’t go to another level.
“To be honest with you, I think it’s bulls—,” Livers said when asked about the thought that four-year college players don’t necessarily carry the upside of one-and-done blue-chippers. “I think it’s a way of investing money into younger players, when the younger players haven’t even learned to play basketball correctly at the high level. You’ve got older guys, and yeah they may have a couple of injuries, but they know the game. It’s all about, as a GM, what are you trying to do? Do you want to bring the younger guys here and try to develop them for two to three years in the G League? Do you want a guy who is ready, maybe banged up, but can learn how to manage themselves and take care of their bodies like a pro? You know which one I’m a fan of. The older guys have had their ups and downs. I don’t think the younger guys have had their ups and downs yet. It’s nothing against them, but it’s just about experience.
“The thing about me, when I came out, I knew I was a first-round pick. I just knew the circumstances. I was older and I got hurt. If teams aren’t going to take that chance, that’s fine.”
Anyone who has watched Livers from high school to now shouldn’t be surprised by what he’s provided for the Pistons defensively. He’s always had that in him. What is catching people’s attention now, though, are the strides he’s made as a pick-and-roll creator. He’s patient, taking multiple dribbles and creating space for himself to get off his comfortable midrange jumpers. Over his last seven games, per NBA.com, Livers is converting on 46.2 percent of his pull-up jumpers, which is second on the team. He’s also taking advantage of the growing knowledge that teams have of him being a legitimate 3-point threat and is making plays when run off the line.
These aren’t things that he showed with great regularity in college, and is one big example of how, at 24, Livers is tapping into untouched potential.
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“Not only is Liv a great player, but he’s a great teammate, too,” Pistons rookie center Jalen Duren said. “He’s waited his turn. Now, he’s coming alive. Me coming in … I’ve realized how good of a shooter he is. During the games, he’s doing what he has to do for the team to win. Early on, we had a lot of offensive guys like (Bojan Bogdanović) and (Alec Burks) who now aren’t playing, so this is his time to shine. He’s a great shooter. He’s getting to his spots. He’s been looking good.”
Since the trade deadline, the narrative that Livers is someone the organization really believes in has only strengthened. Trading wing Saddiq Bey to the Atlanta Hawks was not only a chance for the Pistons to roll the dice on 2020 No. 2 pick James Wiseman, but, whether directly or indirectly, an opportunity to give Livers the time he needs to develop.
For the past three seasons, the Pistons have been investing and banking on a bunch of teenagers. With Livers, Detroit is also putting a down payment on a house that still has good, young bones but a little bit of paint chipping.
Character.
“People don’t talk about this, but a guy who I consider a core member for us, who has been out and is not talked about enough, is Isaiah Livers,” Weaver told The Athletic back in January. “His absence has been profound. Getting him back healthy has been great. Now, it’s time for him to stay healthy, to have the kind of season and growth that Killian, Isaiah (Stewart) and these other guys have had.
“He’s a big part of our future and what we’re trying to do.”
(Top photo of Isaiah Livers: Rick Osentoski / USA TODAY)
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