If there was any doubt, the Pistons have cleared up one issue: they’re the deepest squad in the league
Without Cade Cunningham or Jalen Duren in the lineup against the Bulls on Wednesday night, the Pistons didn’t flinch. They didn’t even blink. Instead, Detroit turned to the next man on the bully-ball hierarchy that’s come together in the Motor City, and Isaiah Stewart took the mantle as the squad’s offensive focal point against Chicago.
Stewart, the longest-tenured Piston on the roster, set a new career-high with 31 points in a starting cameo for Detroit. With a few perimeter shots mixed in, Beef Stew primarily did the brunt of his work in the paint, near the restricted area and around the rim– where he’s come to be known as a menace across the league.
As the NBA’s premier shot-swatter, Stewart knows his way around the cylinder, and the Detroit big man used that knowledge to post an efficient 14-for-17 shooting performance from the field. Stewart’s performance is emblematic of the mentality the Pistons have adopted all season– next man up, just as Stewart said in the post-game interview.
“It’s very fun,” Stewart said after Detroit's 108-93 win. “We had guys out, and it's the next man up and gives you a chance to help move us forward on offense. That’s what I was trying to do tonight.”
Stewart recognized that the Pistons needed him to roll hard to the basket against Chicago, and he fit the role that Duren usually occupies in the Detroit offense. As Stewart has shown this year, the 6-7 big man who plays well above his listed height is as versatile a player as any in the league.
Daniss Jenkins With A Bench Performance For The Ages
Many of Stewart’s buckets were created by Daniss Jenkins on Wednesday night, who entered the game off the bench and quickly asserted himself in the contest. Jenkins made plays all night and spread the ball around to the tune of 15 assists against Chicago, which marked the most by a Detroit player off the bench in the last eight years.
Jenkins carefully orchestrated the Pistons’ offense much like Cunningham normally would, and his pass-first thought process helped propel Detroit to an important double-digit victory.
Javonte Green’s Defensive Impact
From a defensive perspective, the Pistons began embarking on their big comeback against the Bulls in the third quarter. The two-man tandem of Javonte Green and Ron Holland worked relentlessly to force turnovers and pick up bonus possessions for the Pistons, and Green finished the night with four steals to go along with the 11 points he scored.
Green played a key role for Detroit down the stretch and was one of the primary players on the court for the Pistons to wrap up the squad’s 15-point win over a dangerous Central Division rival.
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