The Detroit Pistons are without Isaiah Stewart again, but this time, there is no timeline for his return. He's out with a left calf strain, which J.B. Bickerstaff said the big man has "been dealing with," but that it "had been getting worse." With the start of the playoffs roughly a month away, it's probably a good idea for Stewart to sit out for at least the rest of the regular season.
Perhaps that will turn out to be the plan, but not to make sure he doesn't trigger a worse injury by playing. Fans need to prepare for the possibility that Stewart may not play again this season, as calf injuries are tricky to manage. The fact that he had been playing with the strain is scary enough.
The best-case scenario is that Stewart will be as healthy as possible before the first round. If he is before then, Detroit has to be certain that playing again in the regular season won't result in the injury that we're all thinking of, but don't want to name. The same goes for the postseason, too.
Pistons have to be play it safe with Isaiah Stewart's calf strain
Navigating the postseason without Stewart's defensive presence and physicality is the outcome no one wants. Unfortunately, it could be the reality Detroit faces. It got a taste of life again without him on Sunday in a 119-108 loss to a Toronto team that has been dealing with an identity crisis.
The past couple of weeks haven't been easy for the Pistons, either, so Stewart's absence is another hurdle they'll have to overcome. They're still four games ahead of the No. 2 Celtics in the standings, so they're not at great risk of losing their top seed. They have the 23rd toughest remaining strength of schedule, too, so they have that going for them.
In other words, being without Stewart for one, two, three, or even four weeks wouldn't be the end of the world, especially if it ensured Detroit could have him when it matters most. He is quite literally made for playoff basketball, and didn't get to enjoy it in last year's first-round series loss to the Knicks when injury limited him to only one game. Fingers crossed we don't get a repeat of that in April.
Isaiah Stewart is too important to what this Pistons team is trying to do. Let's hope he's healthy enough to be along for the ride.