Here’s a sentence I’ve been waiting a long time to write: The Detroit Pistons won a basketball game!
It was their first regular-season win since April 11, leaving just one winless team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz.
Not the worst! Not the worst! Hang the banner!
Sarcasm aside, it was a much-needed team victory against a shorthanded Philly team, which had the Pistons lost, might have sent the fanbase into a freefall.
The Pistons used dominant 2nd and 3rd quarters to build a lead that not even they could blow in the 4th, though there were some nervous moments when Philadelphia went on a run late.
Just about everyone chipped in, particularly Isaiah Stewart, who was everywhere, blocking shots, affecting everything at the rim and grabbing tough contested rebounds that helped seal the game.
In fact, everyone on the team had a positive +/- except one guy, Jalen Duren, who fouled out in just 11 minutes after registering zero points.
And it’s on that note that we have to start a conversation about the center position.
The Detroit Pistons are better with Isaiah Stewart
However you want to measure it, through statistics or the eye test, the Detroit Pistons are a better team when Isaiah Stewart is on the floor.
He still hasn’t made a 3-point shot, and there are real concerns about his limitations on offense, but he is the team’s best defender, which benefits everyone. Yes, Joel Embiid was out last night, so things were easier on Beef Stew, but he was making plays all over the court and doing all the little things that lead to wins.
Here's a good highlight sample that shows what Stew was doing last night, which was contesting everything. Whether it was defending Maxey on the perimeter or affecting shots in the paint, Stewart was making plays that Duren simply doesn't.
He ended the game with three blocks, but he affected countless shots at the rim, and even when he didn’t get the block, used his body well to make it difficult.
The Pistons have a defensive rating of around 100 when Stewart is on the floor, which is excellent, and 122 when he is off, which is terrible. And since Stewart and Duren have logged nearly all the minutes at center, it’s Duren who is providing the 122 defensive rating.
By any quantitative measure, the Pistons have been better with Stewart than with Duren, and it hasn't been close, so what do we do with this information?
It’s time for Isaiah Stewart to start, or at least play equal minutes
Last night was the first game in which Stewart logged more minutes than Duren this season, but it won’t be the last.
Part of this is on Stew, as he has gotten into foul trouble that has limited him at times, which is exactly what happened to Duren last night.
On the season, Stewart is playing 20 minutes off the bench and Duren is playing 25 as the starter, two numbers that changed dramatically after last night in which Stew logged 34 minutes and Duren just 11.
I doubt the distribution will be that skewed, but even if Stewart doesn’t start, he needs to play equal or more time than Duren, as he gives the team the best chance to win.
Coach JB Bickerstaff may not want to disrupt his starting five or rotation, but putting Stewart into the starting five could help establish the Pistons’ defense early and set the tone.
And the way Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Tim Hardaway Jr., are shooting right now, it hardly matters that Stewart has yet to make a 3-pointer this season.
Duren is only 20, so would it kill him to come off the bench? To get a little more seasoning before he’s asked to be the defensive anchor of the team?
Part of the Pistons’ problem the last few seasons is that they have just handed young players roles they didn’t really earn, so what has Duren done to earn the starting spot this season?
He is an offensive talent, there is no doubt, but defense from the center position is more important for Detroit than a lob threat. Ideally, we could merge Duren and Stew into one player, but as it is, they both have flaws, it’s just that Duren’s hurt the team more.
If Stewart is going to start or at least play more minutes, then it also leads to a larger conversation that has been looming over the Pistons for three years.
Are either of the Pistons’ centers good enough? And if not, what do they do?
At this point in their respective careers, it’s fair to ask if either Jalen Duren or Isaiah Stewart are starting-caliber centers in the NBA.
I have no doubt both of them can be impact contributors, but one can’t defend and one can’t score, so it’s an issue.
The Pistons don’t have to do anything right away, as Duren is still so young and talented that it would be foolish to give up on him.
But it’s ok to ask if the Pistons need an upgrade at the position.
Right now, Stewart would likely have more trade value than Duren, just because he is under a reasonable contract for the next four seasons and Duren is extension eligible next summer.
Stewart has also proven that he can at least be an impact role player and he’s the type of big man contenders love coming off their bench.
Stewart is also the heart and soul of the Pistons and it would be tough to trade him, so would the Pistons consider moving Duren?
We’re not there yet and may not get there this season, as Duren needs time. Few big men are dominant defenders at age 20, which is what makes guys like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren unicorns.
Most will have shown signs by now though, and Duren really hasn’t.
The Pistons will eventually have to make a decision if they want to take the next step as a team, so this situation is one to monitor this season and especially next summer when the Pistons will have Duren’s extension to consider.