Detroit Pistons: How Paul Reed Can Step Up In Isaiah Stewart’s Absence

Before the Detroit Pistons took on the Washington Wizards last night in what was a 130-117 victory, the team announced that Isaiah Stewart would be rehabbing his strained left calf for one week before he will be reevaluated. Given Stewart's impact on the defensive end of the court for the Pistons this season, his absence will not go unnoticed. 

With Beef Stew out of the lineup last night, the Pistons used a dominant 37-26 edge in the third quarter to cruise to another double-digit victory, and Detroit showed a glimpse of what their plan may be over the next several games. 

While Jalen Duren stole the headlines with a career-high 36 points against Washington, the Pistons benefited from another quietly productive night from their newly-minted backup center, Paul Reed. Though B-Ball Paul only logged 13 minutes last night with a nod given to Duren’s dominance, the sixth-year big man was impactful from the moment he stepped on the court. Reed finished the Eastern Conference battle with 10 points on 4-for-5 FGs, four rebounds and one assist for Detroit, but the Pistons may rely on B-Ball Paul even more given his effectiveness when Stewart is out of the lineup. 

According to Dynatyze on X, Reed had been steadily increasing his points per game in contests where Stewart was unavailable before last night’s game against the Wizards. Along those lines, Reed’s crowning moment came last month against the Toronto Raptors on a performance where the utility big man finished with 22 points, five rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals in Detroit’s 113-95 victory. 

While Stewart is a better mid-range and perimeter shooter than Reed, the latter excels when battling through contact around the rim. Reed is particularly skilled at changing the ball’s height after his gather while making his finishing moves near the bucket, and B-Ball Paul has a soft touch around the rim that lends itself to offensive rebounds and putbacks alike. 

However, the Pistons have enjoyed a positive offensive rating when compared to their season average in four of the nine games Reed has played without Stewart in the lineup, which shows that Detroit has at times struggled to score with a more limited frontcourt. 

Based on this data, the Pistons offense has been moderately turbulent in Stewart’s absence, but Detroit has figured out how to adapt better as the season has progressed. But Stewart’s primary value to the Pistons comes on the defensive end of the court, so it will be important for Reed to continue generating stocks over the next several games. 

From a rim-protecting standpoint, Reed accumulated three blocks or more in four of the eight games that Stewart missed before Tuesday night’s contest, so B-Ball Paul has been up to the shot-blocking task in order to continue the watch with Beef Stew sidelined. 

The Pistons have another game against the Wizards tomorrow night in a scheduling oddity, so Detroit will have another opportunity to establish their rhythm without Stewart as part of the equation, though the Motown squad may be forced to play without Cade Cunningham as well after the All-Star point guard’s back spasms on Tuesday. 

Tip-off between the Pistons and Wizards is tabbed for 7 pm tomorrow night. 

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