The Detroit Pistons had one of the most dreadful losing streaks in NBA history, which was eventually snapped when they beat the undermanned Toronto Raptors, 129-127. The sigh of relief from the Pistons' players, coaches, and the rest of the organization was a pleasant sight to see, but it does not mitigate the fact that they have a slew of issues with their roster construction and need to make some serious tweaks to their rotation. That can start by giving Pistons center Isaiah Stewart less playing time.
Pistons star Cade Cunningham is the clear-cut No. 1 guy on the roster, but it still has not been evident if his capabilities are excellent enough to be a franchise cornerstone. Some individuals who must be developed and kept by the Pistons are Jalen Duren and rookie Ausar Thompson. These three must be the highest in their hierarchy of untouchables as they try and retool their lineup in the near future.
The lack of outside shooting is a glaring problem in the offensive schemes of the Pistons. In this era of basketball. it would be insurmountable to rack up successive wins if a team's outside shooting is terrible. Moreover, their lineup combinations are questionable as well, which has been an arduous job for coach Monty Williams.
With that being the case, here is why Isaiah Stewart is the individual who must get his minutes decreased to change the tide of Detroit.
Why Pistons should play Isaiah Stewart less
This is already the fourth season of Isaiah Stewart's NBA career. He has been a staple in the Pistons' rotation as the 16th overall pick in the draft in 2020. He's had his moments with the Pistons that have caught the eyes of pundits as a tremendous modern big man who is athletic and has a respectable perimeter shot. Starting in most of the contests for the last three seasons has been a welcome development in his career, but it does not necessarily translate to victories for Detroit.
The arrival of Jalen Duren has cut down on Stewart's involvement in the offense, and it has been a painful sight to see two big men trying to compete with versatile and quick forwards. When they are both healthy, Duren has overtaken Stewart in the pecking order, so it would be more advisable if Detroit focuses on developing a 4 that will complement Cunningham and Duren.
Utilizing Thompson or even Isaiah Livers at the 4 could be a more sustainable way of improving as a unit. Stewart's career is not plummeting by any means, but it is more of the fit that is not smooth with the Pistons roster.
A team like the Boston Celtics or Golden State Warriors need hefty big men who can contribute immensely in a short span of time, and Stewart fits the billing perfectly.
When Williams was successful as a coach of the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, he relied a ton on his forwards to hit the booming triples from time to time. Bojan Bogdanovic is the lone 3-point shooter in the Pistons lineup that can knock down threes at a consistent clip.
If the Pistons do decide to move Stewart, they must scour the market for shooters who still have upside in a ton of other departments as Williams will reward him with minutes to maximize his skillset.
Having two tremendous slashers in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey means that it is a clear indication for Detroit to surround them with reliable shooters. The spacing has been horrific for the Pistons and lessening the playing time of Isaiah Stewart to give someone like Thompson, Livers, or even a shooter like Marcus Sasser more minutes will be wonderful for their franchise.
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