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Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons Must Understand The Big Man Impact
Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) scrambles for a loose ball against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at Little Caesars Arena.
|Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Detroit Pistons’ fifth-year big man Isaiah Stewart has had his overall impact on the team questioned over the years. However, the impact of the 23-year-old this season cannot be questioned; in an undeniably positive way. Due to this, Stewart and the Pistons must understand how much they need him on the floor.
Isaiah Stewart Must Be More Responsible
The Detroit Pistons have played 13 games so far, sitting at 5-8 and coming off a heartbreaking loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. This team has looked much better this season, but you can’t ignore opportunities Detroit has had to have a handful more wins to start the season. There are many reasons why the Pistons haven’t capitalized on opportunities, but the most recent one is Stewart getting ejected in the third quarter of the loss to the Bucks.
The Pistons were already down Jaden Ivey, Simone Fontecchio, and Tim Hardaway Jr. Along with this, the only player on the Detroit roster that can match up with the superstar Antetokounmpo is indeed Stewart. Stewart committed a Flagrant 2 foul in the third quarter, gave the Bucks two free points, and was ejected. The Bucks would go on to take advantage of this and outscore the Pistons 38-24 in the third quarter and win in overtime.
As a fifth-year player, Stewart must be more responsible, and smarter, and understand his importance to this team.
Stewart On/Off Impact
So far this season, the Detroit Pistons have been much better with Stewart on the floor vs. off the floor. Per 100 possessions, Detroit is 8.7 points better with Stewart on the floor this season. Stewart’s improvement as a roll man on the offensive end of the floor, along with the ability to space the floor (please shoot more threes), is no longer viewed as a possible liability on the offensive end of the floor.
However, the biggest difference that’s seen is on the defensive end. The Pistons have put a lot of stock in the development of Jalen Duren, their third-year big man. Duren is more skilled than Stewart offensively, but the difference on the defensive end is glaringly noticeable. The Pistons’ defense with Duren on the floor is 6.1 points worse than with him off of it; whereas the Pistons’ defense is 6.7 points better with Stewart, sitting at a 106.4 defensive rating.
J.B. Bickerstaff and the Pistons have seemingly made their decision to start Duren and develop him on the defensive end of the floor, which is not a right or wrong decision. It’s a reasonable decision that most in the community understand and are okay with. However, if Duren is going to continue to lag behind Stewart on defense and the team is going to continue to be this much better with Stewart on the floor, there’s no question as to who needs to be made the priority in the fourth quarter and important moments of a game.
Numbers To Pay Attention To
- The duo of Cade Cunningham and Stewart have a net rating of +1.90 in 200 minutes, versus the duo of Cunningham and Duren’s net rating of -4.34. Is this an early sample size overreaction, or will this trend continue to play out?
- Cunningham is averaging nearly a triple-double in the last six games of the season: Averaging 23.5 points, 10.5 assists, and 9.0 rebounds. Is Cunningham reaching the point of being a nightly triple-double watch player?
- Despite crafting an offensive roster, the Pistons sit at 22nd in offensive rating and 28th in turnover percentage so far this season. Tobias Harris being so inconsistent shooting-wise, and the turnovers by Cunningham+rest of the team are holding the offensive potential back. Will they snap out of it and start reaching that offensive ceiling?
I held off on writing about the apparent rash, or rise, of early-season athlete injuries because there’s always some recency bias involved when the subject comes up. Are there really more injuries this year than any other? Do we have the data to support it? Is there a new, underlying cause? Or are injuries due to the same compounding mix of bad luck and the NBA’s 82-game schedule running into a long postseason, running into the offseason, running back into a brand new long regular season and the erosion of bodies this eventually leads to?
A report early this week showed early-season injuries were up 35%, and indeed ESPN’s list of injuries, at a glance, looks like a ferocious Christmas tree, lit up in blazing reds and yellows. A handful of teams (the Grizzlies, Pelicans, Raptors) are cobbling together rosters game-to-game depending on who’s still healthy. TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott ran a draft of the injured list this week and each team reads like an All-Star squad on steroids, and when Abbott printed out the league’s official injury report it was 10 pages long.
Injuries are definitely up — but why?
The Paris Olympics proved extra playing time for a few top-tier stars, but most of them remain healthy. The early season schedule hasn’t served up any more back-to-backs to longer road game stretches, which tend to be more gruelling on athletes, than usual. However, when everything appears to be normal and the bodily price is anything but, perhaps it’s time to examine that “normal”.
The NBA’s current schedule of 82 games was adopted in 1967. Already, I’m sure your brain is picturing black and white basketball, that’s good. When you picture that grainy, glitchy footage, how fast is it going? The reality is that the game used to be a lot slower. Not just in its mechanics (think of an offensive passing sequence, the ball flipping from set of hands to hands at a speed that can be hard to follow), but the athleticism too. Bodies were moving slower. The game was still physical — the trope of players from the 80s and 90s complaining about the “softness” of current athletes is a trope for a reason — but full tilt sprinting, cutting, complex rotations, these weren’t the norm. Given that, the bodily mechanics were different. Guys weren’t stopping on a dime, pivoting hard, having to force their ligaments and muscles and bones into exacting motions with all sorts of volatile force behind them.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Analysis A few weeks into the season, and there have been some surprises. The Athletic looks at eight players to get to know better. (The Athletic, subscription required)
Analysis With Cade Cunningham and Ron Holland leading the charge, the Pistons are showing promise despite recent setbacks. Can they turn potential into wins? (Freep)
Preview The Pistons head up north to take on the Raptors in the group stage of the NBA Cup. Read the preview.(NBA)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Replay: Navigating the injury bug
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) holds his leg after a hard following a play against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Paycom Center.|Photo by Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
This week in the fantasy basketball world has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. A major talking point has been Chet Holmgren’s unfortunate injury, which has fantasy managers scrambling for replacements as the Oklahoma City Thunder adjust with potential lineup changes. Keep an eye on players like Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace — who might see increased minutes — and consider them as temporary pickups in deeper leagues.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Pistons podcasts.
Detroit Pistons’ Late Game Collapse Vs. Rockets: What Went Wrong? The Detroit Pistons, known for their resilience, faced a tough loss against the Houston Rockets, falling 101-99 after a late-game collapse. This defeat highlights a recurring issue for the Pistons this season—closing out tight games. Is Cade Cunningham stepping up as the leader the Pistons need? His development, particularly in defense and paint scoring, is a focal point of discussion.
BREAKING: Ausar Thompson Cleared To Return To Full Basketball Activities For Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are set for a transformation as Ausar Thompson returns to the lineup, promising to elevate both their offensive and defensive game. How will his comeback reshape the Pistons’ strategy in the NBA?
Explore the anticipated rotation changes, including potential shifts in Ron Holland’s minutes and the closing lineup dynamics. Isaiah Stewart’s role is under the spotlight, with a focus on increasing his three-point attempts to maintain offensive spacing.
How Detroit Pistons Secured A Thrilling Win Over Miami Heat Can the Detroit Pistons maintain their momentum after a thrilling 123-121 overtime victory against the Miami Heat? With Cade Cunningham’s late-game turnovers nearly costing them the win, the Pistons’ resilience and clutch plays, including a game-tying alley-oop to Jalen Duren, were crucial.
