Detroit Pistons: Three reasons to trade Mason Plumlee this offseason
Detroit Pistons: The emergence of Isaiah Stewart
The Pistons drafted Isaiah Stewart with the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and no one thought he would be as impactful in his rookie season as he actually was. The undersized center led the Pistons in blocks last season averaging 1.3 blocks per game and accumulating 86 total blocks in 68 games. As a rookie, Stewart proved to be the Pistons’ best defender and a key piece to the team’s rebuild.
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Stewart was Plumlee’s backup during the 20-21 season. Stewart averaged just 21.4 minutes per game last season coming off the bench for all but 14 games. As he continues to develop his game, the former Washington Huskie will garner more minutes and will look to take over the starting role in the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
As Stewart’s role on the team expands, Plumlee will see his role diminish. While Plumlee is a veteran who can provide some mentorship to Stewart as he blossoms in the next few seasons, there are many centers the Pistons could sign in free agency who can fill that same role. Plumlee’s playing time will continue to go down and Stewart’s will continue to go up. With the 31-year-old center not in the long-term plans for Detroit’s future, the team would be better off trading him sooner rather than later.