Detroit Pistons Mailabag: Talking Stewart's Suspension, Historical Comps And Free Agent Targets

Now that All-Star Weekend is in the rear view mirror, the Detroit Pistons still have two more days before returning to action against the New York Knicks on Thursday. So, this is an opportune time to answer a handful of questions that were submitted by the readers for a fresh mailbag edition before the Pistons begin their final 29-game regular season stretch. 

Which past Pistons would you compare to current Pistons? Team role, skill set, impact etc. Ex: Cade Cunningham = Grant Hill - 6birdieman

One connection that seems clear to make right off the bat would be comparing Duncan Robinson to an early Allan Houston but without as much volume as the mid-90s shooter experienced after his rookie year. In terms of efficiency, Robinson is shooting 40.1% from distance this year, while Houston hovered around 42.5% during his second and third seasons with Detroit. 

Together, Robinson and Houston are two of the most dangerous outside shooters to ever suit up for the Pistons, though the latter was a bit more formidable off the bounce. Both Houston and Robinson can create for others, but their primary threat stood from behind the arc with Houston as a more gifted raw scorer. 

As for Cade, I like the Grant Hill comparison from a usage and versatility standpoint, but Cunningham has considerably more grit and toughness than the Duke product was known for. Now in his fifth season, Cunningham has already developed the mean streak that Hill drew criticism for lacking. 

Cunningham, who leads the NBA in assists this season, has more responsibility to create for others than Hill ever did, but they are both more than serviceable players in almost all facets of the game. From a triple-double standpoint, Hill holds the franchise record with 29 such performances, while Cunningham owns the number two position with 14 triple-doubles of his own. No other Pistons player has ever recorded more than five. 

Both Hill and Cunningham were top three draft picks, so they have a similar pedigree and high ceiling in that sense. Given Cunningham’s size, he contributes on the glass at a high level for a point guard but just behind Hill's rebounding rate. Taking into account how adaptable both players have been for the Pistons, Cunningham and Hill are joined at the hip together in terms of playstyle dopplegangers, but the best comparison would be a hybrid mix of Chauncey Billups’ leadership combined with Grant Hill’s all-around versatility. 

One member of the Pistons with a fairly clear connection to the best is Isaiah Stewart with Rick Mahorn. Both players earned a reputation to be feared across the league, and Beef Stew has earned the title as an enforcer in Motown just like Mahorn did many years earlier. Stewart is never shy to mix it up with an opponent if a dispute arises, and his current status serving a seven-game suspension for fighting against the Charlotte Hornets corroborates that assertion. 

As for Jalen Duren, the All-Star center’s athletic, above-the-rim attack is reminiscent of an early Chris Webber. Now, Webber didn’t play with the Pistons until the tail end of his career, but the similarities between the type of player C-Webb was coming out of Michigan and the leaping ability that JD has displayed throughout his four years in Detroit are uncanny. 

Duren is a nightly double-double threat in the post, and he's compiled a fairly lengthy highlight tape filled with lobs and thunderous slams that harken to shades of C-Webb at his most spry. Duren participated in his first All-Star Game over the weekend, so he still has four more to go before catching up to Webber, but JD is still refining his game at just 22 years old with room to grow. 

There are probably more connections the further you look, but these were the comparisons that stood out the most to me. 

Will they start resting their starters closer to the playoffs? - RogerCastillo

At this point, the Pistons stand in first place of the Eastern Conference at 40-13, so it would make sense for J.B. Bickerstaff to start thinking towards the playoffs, but that’s not the way Detroit’s coach operates. The Pistons have a 5.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics, but a logjam in the East quickly emerges after that with the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers in hot pursuit. 

Now a year and a half into his time in Detroit, Bickerstaff has fostered a culture where every player in the locker room wants to compete on a nightly basis if they’re healthy enough to go. From Cade Cunningham down the roster to Chaz Lanier, every member of the Pistons has a level of self-belief that they can contribute to winning basketball– perhaps no player is a better example of that than Daniss Jenkins. 

So, I have a hunch that the players themselves would want to stick out the final games of the season to help keep their rhythm leading into the playoffs. As the adage goes, you don’t have to get ready if you stay ready, and the Pistons strike me as a team that wants to stay ready for whoever they face in the first round. 

What kind of offseason planning do you think should be done for the upcoming season? Which players do you see being moved on from the team? Among the free agents, who would you bring in and under what conditions? Who would you like to see as Draft, FA, and trade targets, and how would you address the team's gaps with these players? - KKY23BG

Around the trade deadline, Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon mentioned that he thinks the team is still in a mode where this upcoming playoff run will inform the team on what– if any pieces– they still need to add. Given that patience and pragmatism, I would not expect a dramatic shakeup over the offseason, and there’s no reason for one either with such a young core. 

But in terms of players the Pistons could move on from, this feels like a make-or-break 30-game stretch for Marcus Sasser to close out the regular season. Since Jenkins has emerged as Detroit’s backup point guard of choice, Sasser’s opportunity in Motown could be slipping away. 

The Pistons will also have a decision to make regarding Tobias Harris since his contract expires at the end of this season. Harris has been a valued veteran presence during his second go-around in Detroit, but the team has a young core and may look in a younger direction to keep continuity with the up-tempo, physical style of play that’s become essential to earn playing time on the Pistons. 

In terms of free agency, I think the Pistons need to direct all of their offseason attention towards stacking the three-point line with dangerous shooters, especially if Kevin Huerter has any difficulty settling into his new role in Detroit. The only glaring weakness on the Pistons right now that could rear its ugly head in the postseason would be their three-point shooting, so that should be the main focus for the front office until otherwise. 

As far as which shooters will be on the market, here are a group of perimeter threats that could feasibly help take the Pistons’ offense to the next level: 

Lavine is largely expected to exercise his option for the 2026-27 season since he’s due such a large sum of cash, but Powell, Sexton and Wiggins are three lower-cost options that would make a noticeable impact to the Pistons’ outside shooting threat. 

On a scale of 1-10 how concerned are you that Stewart will be suspended for a playoff game at some point? - AdamStark

Surprisingly, not as concerned as Stewart’s active seven-game suspension would probably suggest. A few days before the brawl against the Hornets, Stewart was put into a pseudo-headlock by Denver Nuggets big man Jonas Valanciunas, but Beef Stew kept his cool and laughed off the moment as he walked away. Now, Duren did step in to deliver a strong shove with Valanciunas’ name on it, but Stewart himself was on good behavior for the interaction. 

What that shows is that Stewart does know how to keep his cool when others expect him to be hot-headed, at least when the pressure is on him. But if another member of the Pistons is disrespected in his presence during the postseason, that’s where the risk arises of losing Beef Stew for crucial playoff games. Right now, let’s put the concern level at six since Bickerstaff is likely to sit down with Stewart and stress how important it is for him to avoid taking the bait from other teams. 

This season, Stewart has racked up eight technical fouls already, which means he has seven more to work with before receiving an automatic suspension. Fortunately for Beef Stew, his technical fouls will reset heading into the postseason, so Stewart at that point will have seven more technical fouls at his disposal before the NBA would issue a mandates playoff suspension. 

How do the Pistons’ moves at the deadline affect their ability to make the Finals? - gdorland24

Though Huerter hasn’t played a major role in his short time on the Pistons so far, the tape he has put out there looks good. Huerter is a heads-up player that can be counted on to make the right pass and run the offense once he becomes more comfortable in Bickerstaff’s system. But Huerter’s a vet, so he’ll pick up the rotations and schemes sooner rather than later, and that’s when Detroit needs his three-point shot to click. 

Based on the Pistons’ typical half-court sets, Huerter’s value will likely come on the wings or stuff in the corner for kick-out three-pointers. This season, Robinson has taken a steady diet of shots from those locations, and it’s more than likely that Detroit will find looks for Huerter in those zones as well. 

Over his career, Huerter is a 37% shooter from long-range, but he struggled over the last half season with the Chicago Bulls, logging just a 31% clip from beyond the arc. But in Chicago, Huerter did not have the advantage of an All-Star point guard dishing him the rock for clean looks, so look for Huerter to make more of an impact on the Pistons as the season stretches on. 

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