MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 13: Isaiah Stewart #28 of the Detroit Pistons walks down court … More during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on November 13, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
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“It’s [about] putting a group together that puts together a Detroit Pistons identity,” Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon said during his media day press conference.
This year of Pistons basketball — the first with the new regime — was never about wins and losses. It was about figuring out the pathway toward building the next great Pistons’ team and determining which players were on that list.
So far, the team is doing a lot more winning than we anticipated (currently seventh in the Eastern Conference), but more importantly, they have established the identity they have long been searching for since the late aughts, in large part thanks to a player that many people had written off.
The Anchor Of The Detroit Pistons’ Defense
As it stands, the Pistons currently sit at 10th in defensive rating, which is the first time they’ve held that status since 2017-18.
Any coach will tell you that it takes a village to build a strong unit of fortification, and no one player can be singularly credited with a team’s defensive success. However, there are players that carry more water than others, and for the Pistons, that individual is the team leader in on/off plus-minus, Isaiah Stewart.
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Yes, Stewart, the longest-tenured member of the team who, after starting 98% of games over the last three years, received what many would view as a demotion by being asked to pivot to a backup center role. The same guy who many analysts (myself included) predicted would be traded by the team for draft capital in order to further reset this roster.
How is this guy the driving force behind this defense? The defense that is now the hallmark feature of a potential playoff team.
“I’m always up for the challenge, no matter what that is,” Stewart told me in an exclusive interview for Forbes.
This quote illustrates Stewart’s superpower as a basketball player: his supreme work ethic. Despite (almost) becoming an afterthought on this roster, Stewart never wavered in his dedication.
Having great personnel gives you an advantage, but many great defenses have been constructed on the backs of players who are in sync and bought into the cause. Stewart’s relentlessness has an infectious quality to it, inspiring those around him to put their bodies on the line possession after possession.
“It’s not an easy game, but I have pride. I can’t go home and look at my wife if I don’t give my full effort on defense. That’s how seriously I take defense,” Stewart told me.
As a general rule, centers (because of their ability to protect the paint) are the most impactful players on defense. And the Pistons’ defense is never stouter than when Stewart is the soldier occupying the five spot (79th percentile in defensive rating).
A big reason for this is that, despite being relatively undersized (6’8), Stewart is a master at protecting the rim. Opponents are shooting 15.7% worse than expected on shots within six feet of the rim when Stewart is there to contest it (per NBA.com). Of the 59 centers who have played at least ten games, Stewart is sixth in this category. Look at the stalwarts Stewart’s name is situated near on this chart (namely Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren):
Stewart is especially adept at destroying lob passes (like this) — a skill he credits to his knack for deception and anticipation.
“It’s all about timing,” Stewart explained. “I like to bait the ball handler – make him think I don’t see the potential for a lob pass behind me. I play the cat and mouse game. I stunt at the ball handler. Then, when he gets ready to throw it, I time my steps and go get it.”
Outside of his tenacity, Stewart amplifies the team’s defense with his communication skills. The average layperson knows Stewart for his notorious brawls with key basketball figures (like LeBron James). So, when they see his mouth moving on their television screen, they assume that it’s merely a hot head chirping at his adversaries.
However, in that regard, their ignorance has failed them. What Stewart is actually doing is instructing his teammates (and officials) of his defensive intentions.
“I’m calling out my spots. I’m letting my teammates know that I have the low man and the help behind them if they get beat off the dribble,” Stewart revealed. “I’m also talking to the referee and letting them know that I know I only have three seconds in the paint (an art known as 2.9ing).”
Stewart may be built like an Adonis, but he also has the mind of an Einstein, and the heart of a gladiator.
In reference to that metaphor, Stewart has developed a reputation for shutting down the league’s best bigs. Isolation defense is often overrated in the grand scheme of things, but there is still a great deal of value in being able to clip the wings of the best offensive players at your position. Here is how Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis have fared against Stewart over the last two years:
“For me, it’s just about not bowing down. I don’t bow down to anyone. Each game, I come to conquer the paint,” Stewart told me. “So, when these elite players come in, I’m letting them know that they aren’t getting an easy shot all game. I’m fine maintaining that intensity the entire night.”
A New Role On Offense
A quick glance into the analytics shows that Stewart has always had a positive imprint on the defensive side of the ball. What’s changed this year is the Pistons are actually able to profit off of it now thanks to his new role on offense.
Last season, Stewart almost always played with another big man on the floor, spending 76% of his minutes at power forward (per Basketball Reference). That’s consequential because it meant that Stewart would often have to act as a spacer while the other big on the floor was being used as a screener. Stewart has improved a great deal as a shooter since entering the league, but not enough to flourish in that role (38th percentile in 3-point volume in 2023-24).
This funky fit tanked the Pistons’ offense (27th in offensive rating) and created a difficult quandary for them. Yes, Stewart is a great defender, but he also isn’t a good enough perimeter player to be a power forward on offense.
This year, the Pistons have been staggering Stewart’s minutes with the minutes of Jalen Duren. So, 99% of Stewart’s minutes are now at center. This enables him to spend more time as a screener/roller, something he is much more comfortable doing.
“I love being back at center on offense,” Stewart revealed. “Playing at the power forward spot, I wasn’t really involved in too many actions. At the center spot, I’m constantly setting screens and using my body.”
And thanks to all the shooters that the Pistons added this offseason (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, etc.), the lane is a lot less congested when Stewart is barreling down into it. As a result, he’s having a career year in roll man shooting efficiency (per Synergy Sports).
“It’s always easier to finish as a roller when you don’t have your teammate sitting in the dunker spot,” Stewart emphasized.
Stewart has long been one of the league’s premier defensive forces. It’s just that the Pistons weren’t good enough as a team, and Stewart’s offense as a power forward was too damaging for anyone to really take notice.
Now, the Pistons are respectable and have discovered their own distinct style, and the torchbearer of that newfound identity is the man they call Beef Stew.