With Tobias Harris unable to play against Memphis on Monday night, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart started his first game of the 2025-26 regular season, though it may not be his last given how well the 6-8 power forward has played.

In Detroit’s eight-point victory over the Grizzlies, Stewart was a difficult force to contain on both ends of the court as he logged 26 points and 14 rebounds, a crucial performance as the Pistons were shorthanded without Harris. Beef Stew then tossed in an additional four blocks for good measure. 

Now, Stewart is known for his physicality down low, and he was instrumental as Detroit etched a 58-30 advantage for points in the paint. Stewart started alongside Pistons center Jalen Duren against Memphis, so Detroit was rolling with two bigs from the jump, and that made a concerted difference in post scoring on Monday. 

During the second quarter, Stewart was on the court when Ausar Thompson was involved in a small fracas with a Memphis defender. The situation grew testy as Thompson was shoved, and Beef Stew charged over to defend his teammate, wagging his finger in the Memphis player’s face. Both Thompson and Stewart were given technical fouls for their role in the dust up, but Stewart ultimately fulfilled his role by enforcing the law of Detroit basketball.

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“When things got chaotic, we wanted to be in charge," Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the win. “I thought we were tonight and have been throughout this season because we're going to tow that line. It's just the way that we play. You know, tempers are going to flare, things are going to escalate. But how do you handle that emotionally when all that's happening? That was the next step for us, for us. We can thrive in that where other teams might lose their composure, lose their cool– our guys are proven that we can thrive in it and be even better.”

In the early stages of the season, Stewart has shown a vastly improved outside shot. Beef Stew worked on his perimeter shooting during the offseason with Pistons assistant coach Fred Vinson, and he was also putting up corner threes during the pre-game shootaround before taking on Memphis. So, it’s become clear that Stewart is looking to incorporate more triples into his arsenal, and the early returns have been quite positive as Beef Stew currently sports a 50% rate from distance this season.

If Stewart can continue to shoot at an above-40% clip, or even anywhere in that vicinity, then his growth as an outside shooter is enough to justify his inclusion in the starting lineup alone. But when his rim protection is factored into the equation, Stewart begins to offer a dynamic profile as a powerful forward with an outside shot who runs the court and protects the paint. That, right there, is the makings of a big with the total package in the modern NBA, and Beef Stew may be ready to take that next step and become a difference maker night in and night out for the Pistons this year. 

Next up, Stewart and the Pistons will host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 pm.

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