It didn’t take long for new Pistons coach Monty Williams to identify Isaiah Stewart as one of his team leaders, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Stewart appears to be locked in as Detroit’s starting power forward heading into his fourth season. He is one of the team’s top defenders, and Williams believes his teammates respond to his approach to the game.
“It’s his character, it’s his toughness, but more importantly he works, and guys respect work,” Williams said. “In this culture, when you walk into this gym and you’re not working, you stand out. And he leads it. He and Jalen (Duren) have led the charge. Those guys are on the floor every day together getting sweat equity in, and it sends a message to the team.”
Stewart will see time at center as well as power forward this season, and he’s working to improve his jump shot so he can help to space the floor. The front office showed its belief in Stewart this summer by giving him a rookie scale extension worth up to $64MM, and Sankofa notes that he’s the only one of the team’s three first-round picks from 2020 to be extended.
“It made sense for us,” general manager Troy Weaver said of the new contract. “You always want to have a player or players on the team who are symbols for what you want to be about, and he’s that on and off the floor. Who he is as a person and what he brings to practice, what he brings as a teammate.”
There’s more from Detroit:
- With Stewart and Duren projected as starters, Marvin Bagley III and James Wiseman are competing for one rotation role in the frontcourt, Sankofa adds in a separate story. Both are former No. 2 overall picks who weren’t able to find success with their original teams, and the Pistons were willing to give them a second chance when they became available. Williams called it a “tough spot” for Bagley and Wiseman because they both have the talent to succeed. “Bags has a body of work. Wise is still young and learning,” Williams said. “They both have enough ability to command that spot. We’re just going to wait and see who steps up and takes it.”
- Isaiah Livers was in the competition for power forward minutes before suffering a sprained ankle that will cause him to miss six to eight weeks, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic. The rotation that Williams uses to start the season will likely be adjusted when Livers returns.
- Williams’ emphasis on defense gives rookie Ausar Thompson a chance to earn a starting spot, adds Edwards, who observes that Thompson may already be the team’s top defender. Bojan Bogdanovic and Jaden Ivey are at the greatest risk of being replaced, but Edwards notes that moving either to the bench would take scoring punch away from the starting lineup.
I agree Stewart should be a PF. Now trade Wiseman and Bagley to save their careers. Do it Detroit and find a young SF
You mean the guy that rage quit and went after LeBron is your team leader? I guess Cade isn’t going to be that guy?
Kind of hard to lead when you can’t play or practice because of injury.
If he changes that, he could take it. But right now? No shot.
You mean that guy that attacked LeBron’s elbow with his face and got a two game suspension?
Stewart wouldn’t back down and stood up to the biggest name in the game. At first he was just talking to James then Westbrook and Jordan got involved. That’s when all hell broke loose, he had to held back by several guys multiple times. That’s exactly the type of guy that I want to be team leader.
That sounds… less impressive than I think you’re trying to make it sound. If it was him talking smack and refusing to back down, that’s one thing. I could respect that. Getting back up after getting knocked down is laudable.
Repeatedly losing your cool and having to be almost tackled to the court even while you’re bleeding everywhere is very much not leaderlike material. It makes you look like a head case at best and a petulant child at worst. It looks more like Ron Artest climbing into the stands than anything else.
I could totally give one “hold me back” moment a pass. Dude just got hit in the face, hard. But three or four in like five minutes? Maybe try Yoga in the offseason, my man xD
It looked to me that he only lost his cool when Jordan and Westbrook started and continued egging him on. You can only take so much, at some point you’ve got to stand up for yourself.
And again, once would be fine. But he essentially stormed back into a fight multiple times in the same event. That’s where I have an issue. It’s a lack of self-control and awareness that a leader can’t afford.
You’re just mad that he has been be able to have success after he tried to whoop your man crush lebron.
Lmao, that’s actually funny. If your goal was to make me crack up laughing, congrats. You succeeded xD
I like LeBron because I grew up a Cavs fan watching us *suck* and him being the only reason we didn’t for half my life. That star as faded now that we’re good without him for the first time in two decades.
Stewart getting into that kind of fight with Embiid would get the same reaction from me. And I’m way down on Embiid compared to most people. Hell, Stewart getting into it like that with Dillon Brook or Grayson Allen would’ve gotten a slightly lesser version of the same xD
More troubling is the fact that Ausar Thompson, one year removed from high school, is in the discussion as the best defender on the team. Really?? Is he already that good? Are the others as bad as they looked last year?
Cade and Ausar both need to play with the ball in their hands. Both struggle with their jump shot. How does it work when the other potential shooters on the floor are Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren?? Who makes jump shots???
Ivey, Harris, Bojan, Burkes all can shoot. Pistons are a work in progress. They are from a finished product. This yr they will grow up a lo.
Monty Williams is a really good coach and I think he knows what he’s doing. Erik Spoelstra is one of the best head coaches in the NBA and he would let both Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade be captains. I can see Monty Williams doing the same thing with Isaiah Stewart and Cade Cunningham.
This team is dangerous!!! I wouldn’t want to see this young team at all.
Starters
SF Bojan Bogdanovic
PF Isaiah Stewart
C Jalen Duren
SG Jaden Ivey
PG Cade Cunningham
Bench
PG Monte Morris
SG Alec Burks
SF Joe Harris
SF Ausar Thompson
C James Wiseman
PF Marvin Bagley III
No he is not
PG. Cunningham SG Ivey SF Thompson PF Duren C Wiseman. Bench PG Morris, Sasser SG Burks SF Harris PF Livers C Stewart. Or start Stewart at PF and trade Wiseman, Bagley, Hayes and Bojan for a good draft pick or young PF and expiring contracts. I am not sold on Stewart as a starter at all but a good sixth man
DET’s FO is living well. 60 wins in three seasons, and contract extensions all around. Is there any better evidence of that the goal all along with to lose? So, they have some young talented guys thanks to the NBA’s tanking incentive program. Maybe Monty can sort it out. He’ll certainly improve on their 17 win total.
They overpaid Monty. He’s not worth that, not my money. This is a good place for him to be. He can really do something here.