What questions have Pistons answered this season?
Friend of the pod Laz Jackson walks through what the Detroit Pistons have proved of themselves this year.
CLEVELAND — It has been three weeks since the Detroit Pistons brawled with the Charlotte Hornets on the road. That means Isaiah Stewart, who received the lengthiest punishment of the four players involved, is finally ready to return.
Stewart, who served a seven-game suspension, will be available when the Pistons face the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Tuesday, March 3. The Pistons have missed their best rim protector; they get Stewart back in time for tough road games against the Cavs and the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.
Despite the defensive help and outside shooting Stewart delivers, the Pistons thrived without him, going 6-1 against a rough schedule. Admittedly, some of the wins were ugly, such as their eight-point win over the shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder last Wednesday and their overtime win Friday over the Cavaliers at LCA. The lone loss came against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs at LCA on Feb. 23 in a game that again exposed the Pistons’ lack of consistent outside shooting.
Stewart’s return will lift the defensive floor of a team that still managed to play at an elite level on that end without him.
“He’s ready to go,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Friday. “We talk every day. You miss him obviously. He’s one of, if not the best rim protector in the league, he’s one of the most versatile big defenders that you have in this league. Obviously you’re going to miss him. He’s working, he’s doing what he needs to do and will be ready when he gets back.”
The 24-year-old big was with the team during road games against the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls immediately after All-Star Weekend and participated in morning shootarounds. The suspension prevented him from joining the team during their wins over both teams, though.
During their seven games without Stewart – beginning on Feb. 11 – the Pistons were second in rim defense, holding opposing teams to 58.5% within four feet of the basket (according to Cleaning The Glass) and had the league’s third-best defensive rating (106.5). They remained in the top three in both categories – as they have all season – thanks to Jalen Duren, who returned from his two-game ban from the brawl to earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors Monday, and Paul Reed.
Both players stepped up in Stewart’s absence. Duren is playing like a superstar, averaging 25.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and one block in five games since his suspension. With Duren and Stewart both suspended, Reed was the starter; he posted 22 points, five rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a win over the Toronto Raptors and 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks against the Knicks.
“It’s next-man-up mentality obviously but you can’t deny what Stew does,” Duren said after the Pistons’ win over the Thunder last week. “He’s, I think, if not defensive player of the year, then it should be [Ausar Thompson]. You can’t deny what he does.”
Cade Cunningham has continued to play at an MVP level, including a monster 42-point, 13-assist, eight-rebound, two-block performance with Duren and Stewart both out against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Thompson also has helped the Pistons sustain their play on both ends, particularly on defense. The third-year wing is making a case for an All-Defensive First-Team nod.
Thompson might’ve been the biggest catalyst in Sunday’s 106-92 win over the Orlando Magic on the road. He tallied nine points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, and his impact on both ends went beyond the stat sheet. He had two blocks and a steal in the third quarter and sparked the Pistons’ transition offense, helping them hold the Magic to 30.8% shooting in the second half and overcome a 4-for-30 performance beyond the arc.
As good as Stewart is at protecting the rim, Thompson is equally good at creating havoc along the perimeter. It’s one of many reasons why the Pistons have seemingly not missed a beat without Stewart.
“You have to account for how he creates that chaos and extra opportunities for our team,” Bickerstaff said of Thompson. “The deflections, the steals, the blocks, the rebounds, he gives, like we talk about Tobias [Harris] offensively being a run stopper or starter, and that’s what he is defensively for us. He can stop a run on his own. He can create a run on his own on that end of the floor because of his ability to make uncanny play after play after play.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
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