The Detroit Pistons moved on from one of their core players this summer, trading Isaiah Stewart in a move that made sense but was painful nonetheless, as he was a fan favorite.
I knew it wouldn’t be long before Beef Stew gave some kind of interview or quote in which everything he said would be taken out of context to make it look like he was mad at Detroit.
That came recently in an interview with Marc J. Spears in which Stewart talked about the trade and his feelings about his new team in Memphis.
Of course, the grifters are all just focusing on one out of context part of it, where Stewart said, “I’d rather be where I’m wanted than headed back into a situation where it’s not the best.”
This is after he went on about how much he loved the city of Detroit, his former teammates (who called to wish him luck) and the fans in the Motor City. No one will mention that bit though because it’s the dog days of the offseason, there’s nothing to talk about, so we need something juicy.
It really wasn’t, but I do think Stewart had some good points when he was talking about some of the frustration with how he was used last season and how he thought he should have had a bigger role.
The Pistons could have done more with Isaiah Stewart
As far as his role in the playoffs, it did seem like Stewart was injured, otherwise he would have been in there, as Jalen Duren wasn’t playing well.
But I do think the Pistons missed some opportunities to turn Stewart into more of a stretch five. He showed he could hit the 3-point shot and didn’t offer much else, so they should have leaned into it more than they did.
He went from a guy who was taking nearly four attempts per game and making 38 percent of them to a guy who would barely look at the rim. Some of that is on him too, as no one was stopping him from taking shots, but the Pistons could have worked him into the offense more than they did.
But it’s also fair to say that Stewart didn’t show much growth on that end over the course of his time in Detroit, as he still had unreliable hands, couldn’t create at all off the bounce and wasn’t much of a passer.
This is why the Pistons should have used him more in the pick-and-pop, so I do agree with Stewart that they could have been more creative with how he was used and that the situation wasn’t “the best.”
That’s why the Pistons had to eventually pull the plug and go with the cheaper player in Paul Reed, a guy who also happens to be much more dynamic on offense.
Anyway, Stewart didn’t trash the Pistons, had nothing but love for everyone, and this is really a non-issue, but as a fan, I would have loved for it to work out in Detroit and I will be somewhat annoyed if Stewart goes on to become a reliable 3-point shooter in Memphis.
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