The Pistons made a controversial decision this offseason when they traded away Isaiah Stewart, but a recently-surfaced video of Stewart punching former Suns center Drew Eubanks has reminded everyone why Detroit might have made the right call. The timing of the Stewart trade is still questionable, since it might have fueled Jalen Duren's ongoing holdout around his contract extension, but the logic is sound considering Stewart's multiple temper flareups.
Stewart was a headcase for the Pistons
In many ways, Stewart's temper and willingness to start (or end) a fight at all times endeared him to Pistons fans. It brought back memories of past championship teams, whether it was the Bad Boys or the Goin' to Work era. But in reality, those moments of aggression often cost Stewart and the Pistons more trouble than they were worth.
Over the past 5 seasons, Stewart received 5 total ejections that cost him 15 cumulative games. That's not even counting the other games where he was ejected for a flagrant or technical foul. Lapses in judgement like that not only hurt Stewart's own production, but also made his teammates' jobs harder.
No matter what maturity Stewart showed in a given stretch, he was always a liability to lose his cool and experience the same setback eventually. If an ejection or suspension came at the wrong time, the Pistons could find themselves in a major hole with playoff ramifications. That's why it's not so hard to understand the front office's decision to move on from Stewart after 6 years as a Piston.
The Pistons will miss Stewart but adapt without him
Certainly, the Pistons will feel Stewart's loss throughout next season. Their defense will suffer the most harshly, as they rely even more on Ausar Thompson to uplift the team on that end while he tries to develop offensively too. But Detroit will respond with adapatability, just as they have in every other situation over the last two seasons.
The Pistons still have a slew of solid defenders, including guys like Ron Holland II and Javonte Green coming off the bench. They should be able to maintain solid defense for 48 minutes per night if they want to, even without Stewart.
Detroit also has another center ready to take Stewart's mantle as one of the best backup bigs in the NBA. Paul Reed was incredible whenever he got the chance to showcase his skills last season, and he'll have even more opportunity with Stewart gone. In fact, Reed's strong playoff showing was the final nail in the coffin that made Stewart an expendable trade piece.
The Pistons couldn't afford the uncertainty of potential suspensions and ejections anymore from a player who became a luxury item. They didn't need Stewart any longer, especially if he kept up his antics.
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