The Detroit Pistons will head back to New York facing a daunting 3-1 deficit in their first-round series against the Knicks.
The Pistons were frustratingly close in all three losses, and last night's took some spectacular shot making from the Knicks, coupled with some help from the refs, whoadmitted they blew the final no-call on Tim Hardaway that likely would have won the Pistons the game.
What’s even more frustrating is that the Pistons have been missing two key players this series, as Jaden Ivey has been out since January and Isaiah Stewart left in the 3rd quarter of game one.
You have to wonder how much different this series would look if those two players were available, particularly Stewart, the team’s best defensive player and best chance to slow down Karl-Anthony Towns, who was amazing last night.
But all we can do is wonder, as Ivey and Beef Stew sit on the bench in street clothes, something that has been a problem for Stewart in his short career.
Isaiah Stewart is too important for the Detroit Pistons
With Duren struggling at times this series, it’s become even clearer how important Isaiah Stewart is to the Pistons.
Even though he’s coming off the bench, he’s the anchor of the defense, provides physicality and is much better at moving around the court than either of the other two bigs.
Stewart is the team’s best rim protector and their emotional leader, so losing him for the series was a killer.
Stewart did play 72 games in the regular season after playing just 96 combined in the two seasons prior and I know it is killing him to have to watch most of the playoffs from the bench.
Even though Stewart did play most of the games this season, it came with a caveat, one that didn’t end up paying off.
Stewart played limited minutes and still got hurt
Injuries happen, especially to guys who play as physically as Stewart, who is usually going up against much larger players and isn't afraid to put his body on the line.
Coach JB Bickerstaff went to great lengths to keep Stewart healthy this season, which was clearly a priority after he had missed so many games in the prior two seasons.
Stewart played around 20 minutes per game all season, not even enough to qualify for the All-Defensive team, which requires players to appear for 20+ minutes in at least 65 games.
Bickerstaff stuck with this even though there were times throughout the season when it might have been beneficial to play Stewart more than Duren.
Even with all of the protection, Stewart has not been available when the Pistons needed him most. I am not blaming Beef Stew, as I am 100 percent certain he’d be out there if he could be, but the Pistons have to find a way to get the most of him in the regular season without him being too banged up for the playoffs.
Adding big-man depth would help ease his burden and add more insurance in case of injury, as right now the Pistons rely too much on a guy who has missed a lot of games.