The Pistons will be limited in their frontcourt for Game 2 vs. the Knicks.
If the Pistons are to have a chance at pulling off a massive first-round upset in the NBA Playoffs over the New York Knicks, they will need their entire core at full strength. There are a lot of positive takeaways for the Pistons after losing 123-112 in Game 1 of this series on Saturday, but the biggest negative was seeing Isaiah Stewart leave the game early in the fourth quarter.
Stewart did not appear on the Pistons' injury report entering their first playoff game in Madison Square Garden, but the big man did miss the team's final two regular-season games due to what was described as right knee inflammation.
It appears this injury is still bothersome for Stewart. He was gingerly going up and down the court in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss before asking the coaching staff to take him out of the game. Stewart left this matchup with about nine minutes remaining and did not return.
After the Pistons initially ruled him questionable for Monday night's Game 2 in New York, the team has since downgraded Stewart to out with his right knee injury, according to Stefon Bondy of the NY Post.
Stewart being out against New York on Monday is a significant loss for the Pistons given his toughness and the depth he provides behind Jalen Duren in the second unit. In 19 minutes on Saturday, Stewart recorded two points, five rebounds, and two blocks off the bench. He also had five personal fouls.
After Game 1, Stewart underwent further imaging on his leg, according to Ian Begley of SNY. His status for the remainder of this series is now very much up in the air.
Regardless of how many points he scores, Stewart is the heart and soul of this Pistons team. Much like how Draymond Green sets the intensity level for the Golden State Warriors, Stewart does the same for Detroit. Without him, the Pistons' physicality and defensive effort declines.
That was prevalent in Saturday's loss as the Knicks went on a 21-0 run and erased an eight-point deficit to the Pistons without Stewart on the court. Head coach JB Bickerstaff recently spoke of his big man's departure from Saturday's game, labeling Stewart as one of the team's most important players.
“I think we all felt it,” Bickerstaff said on Sunday, via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “He was phenomenal last night. His effort, how he protected the rim, the energy that he brought, how his teammates fed off of his injury was huge.
“When he’s not on the floor for us, we all have to bring that. We have to find a way because we can’t just lean on him all the time or expect it to just be him. We have to play with that same ferociousness and that effort that he does.”
Without Stewart, Bickerstaff will likely lean on Tobias Harris to help Duren in the frontcourt. The Pistons do not have much frontcourt depth to go up against Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. This is why rebounding could suddenly become a problem in this series for Detroit.
The Pistons will face the Knicks in Madison Square Garden for Game 2 of this first-round series on Monday night.
