Pistons Notes: Game 7 Loss, Bickerstaff, Thompson, Offseason
The Pistons‘ 60-22 regular season record in 2025/26 represented the third-best mark in the franchise’s storied history. However, Detroit’s playoff run ended abruptly on Sunday night with a blowout home loss to the Cavaliers. Cleveland took a 4-3 lead with 10:45 remaining in the first quarter and didn’t relinquish that lead for the rest of the night en route to a 125-94 victory.
As anticlimactic as Sunday’s Game 7 loss was, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was determined to look on the bright side during his post-game media session, as Bob Tripi of The Associated Press writes.
“It’s not a disappointment at all. And not ever will I be disappointed in these guys,” Bickerstaff said. “These guys, every single day gave us what they got. So, it is not a disappointment. It’s a loss and it’s a tough loss, but that adjective will never be used with this group.
“… “This team is awesome, and they’re a special group of guys. I couldn’t be more appreciative of how they allow us to coach them, work with them every single day. The spirit they carry, their willingness to grow, their willingness to sacrifice. It’s a special group.”
While Bickerstaff insisted that Sunday’s outcome shouldn’t – and wouldn’t – define his team, Pistons guard Ausar Thompson said he wouldn’t be quick to forget how the team played in a do-or-die game and intends to use it as motivation next season.
“No, I’m not forgetting. I’m not forgetting. I mean, that series, that felt personal,” he said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “So, I’m not forgetting it. I remember.”
- The front office remains fully committed to Bickerstaff, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that the Pistons view Bickerstaff as their coach of the future and hope he’ll be around for the long term. The organization likes the culture he has helped build in Detroit and the relationships he has cultivated in the locker room, Patterson adds. Detroit just announced a contract extension for Bickerstaff two weeks ago.
- Thompson will be extension-eligible this offseason and the Pistons would like to get a new deal done, since they view the defensive standout as a key part of their core, Patterson reports. While his offensive contributions remain limited, Thompson finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and averaged 3.8 “stocks” (steals and blocks) per game in the postseason.
- Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News (subscription required) shares his takeaways following the Pistons’ second-round exit, observing that the second unit struggled in the playoffs and that the front office needs to add more secondary scoring to help out Cade Cunningham.
- Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) takes a look at a few of the biggest questions facing the Pistons this summer, including what center Jalen Duren‘s next contract will look like and whether forward Tobias Harris will be re-signed. ESPN’s Bobby Marks covers similar ground in his preview of Detroit’s offseason while pointing out that Isaiah Stewart is another Piston who will be extension-eligible beginning in July.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Stewart, Thompson, Jenkins
Ill-timed turnovers cost the Pistons a chance to grab a commanding lead in their series with the Cavaliers, and they know they’ll need to take better care of the ball in tonight’s Game 4, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The worst offender was Cade Cunningham, who had eight turnovers in Saturday’s game and three in the final two-and-a-half minutes. Cunningham is the leading scorer in this year’s playoffs at 30.2 PPG, but he also has the most giveaways with 58.
“Just careless turnovers. I wouldn’t even say ‘careless,’” Cunningham said after the Game 3 loss. “I care about (them) a lot. Just bad plays that could’ve got shots on the rim and could’ve gave us an opportunity to win this game.”
The Pistons’ 16 turnovers resulted in 27 Cleveland points and likely cost them a game they led in many other significant categories. Detroit took 91 shots compared to 74 for the Cavs and won the rebounding battle by a 40-33 margin. They held a 17-5 advantage in offensive boards, which led to 19 second-chance points to Cleveland’s 11.
“That’s too many turnovers for us as a group. Sixteen is too many,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Give up 27 points off those turnovers … our defense is so stingy if we get you in the half court. We’ve just got to make sure we get shots on goal so we can set our defense and make people have to work through it.”
There’s more on the Pistons:
- Isaiah Stewart emphasized that injuries aren’t the reason for his reduced playing time, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a subscriber-only piece. After playing nine minutes in the first half on Saturday, Stewart didn’t return to the game as Bickerstaff opted to go with Paul Reed, who helped spark a comeback from a 17-point deficit. Davis notes that it’s the third time in this year’s playoffs that Stewart has played fewer than 10 minutes. “I’m 100% healthy,” he said. “I know people are wondering if the reason I’m playing short minutes and short stints is injury-related, but it is not. I’ve been available to play. … When my name is not called, but P. Reed’s is, I cheer for him. He did his thing (in Game 3). He went out there and brought the energy for us.”
- Ausar Thompson should be a fixture in the Pistons’ closing lineup, argues Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Windsor contends that Bickerstaff’s biggest mistake on Saturday was removing Thompson from a tie game with 3:05 remaining and replacing him with Daniss Jenkins. Thompson’s shaky outside shooting makes it difficult to provide enough spacing for the offense, but he more than makes up for that deficiency with his defensive prowess. Windsor points out that Thompson had the team’s second-highest plus/minus rating in the game, while Jenkins hadn’t made a shot all day.
- In a separate Free Press story, Windsor lists five things the Pistons need to do to reclaim control of the series.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Duren, Stewart, Weaknesses
The Pistons are on the verge of becoming the seventh No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose a first-round series to a No. 8 seed. They’re down 3-1 after Monday’s 94-88 road loss to the Magic.
Turnovers, three-point shooting and Jalen Duren‘s lack of production have all been factors in their poor showing. Cade Cunningham is averaging 29.5 points but also 6.8 turnovers per game. He committed eight turnovers, compared to six assists, in Game 4.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” Cunningham said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “A lot of it was on myself; I was frustrated with my own play. Having numbers, not making plays in transition. Things like that, the things I do best, just not being able to make plays for my team. They killed us on the offensive glass, our defense didn’t hold up. All that stuff. We’re all frustrated with all that stuff. We’ve gotta fix it and come back better.”
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Cunningham’s turnovers are due in part to his teammates not executing their roles, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
“They’re sending a lot of bodies to him,” he said. “We’ve gotta help him by giving him more space, so that he has room to operate. Set screens for him, be a little more physical, get the guys off of him.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Duren struck a defiant tone after Game 4, declaring “I still think we’re the better team” in a video posted by Sankofa. With Game 5 back on Detroit’s home floor, Duren believes a three-game winning streak is well within reach, according to Patterson. “It ain’t over, bro,” said Duren, a restricted free agent after the season. “Teams have come back from down 3-1 so many times. It wouldn’t be the first time in history. We’ve got to keep it one at a time, go protect the crib and keep moving from there.”
- Isaiah Stewart was a defensive force in Game 4, swatting eight shots in just 17 minutes. Should Stewart get more playing time in place of Duren? Stewart told Patterson he’s ready for more action. “I know what I mean to this team, I know what I was drafted here to do and I know I’m built for playoff basketball,” Stewart said. “So I’m just ready whenever my name is called. And whenever my name is called, I’m ready to lay it on the line like I display every single night. At the end of the day, you’ve got to trust the game plan Coach has, and you’ve got to be there for your teammates. It sucks because I want to be out there more because I know what I bring, and I know the impact I have on the game. I know (the Magic) don’t want me out there for a reason. So, yeah, it’s tough. But at the end of the day, (I’m going to) be the best teammate that I can be.”
- The Pistons’ weaknesses have been exposed due to the decision made by top executive Trajan Langdon to not make a big splash at the trade deadline, John Niyo of the Detroit News opines. The lack of a true No. 2 scoring option, or even a proven secondary play-maker, has put too much on Cunningham’s shoulders, Niyo writes, while their floor-spacing shooter in the starting lineup, Duncan Robinson, has been hunted on the defensive end. Those issues have put them on the brink of early elimination.
Central Notes: Haliburton, Cunningham, Stewart, Harden
Tyrese Haliburton played five-on-five basketball on Wednesday for the first time since tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals series, the Pacers guard tweeted today. Haliburton recently spoke about his recovery and his choice not to set concrete goals for next season outside of playing as the best version of himself.
As Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files notes (via Twitter), this is week 41 of Haliburton’s recovery. For reference, Jayson Tatum returned to play for the Celtics roughly 43 weeks after his own surgery from an Achilles rupture.
Haliburton also recently opened up about dealing with a bout of shingles while continuing his Achilles rehab.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham returned from injury today in the Pistons‘ matchup against the Bucks, as expected. Cunningham missed 11 games with a left lung pneumothorax, which is his longest absence since the 2022/23 season, Hunter Patterson writes for The Athletic. Patterson spoke with Dr. Daniel H. Sterman, the director of NYU Langone Medical Center’s pulmonary division, who speculated that there shouldn’t be major risk of Cunningham’s ailment reoccurring due to the fact that it was sustained as part of a collision, rather than spontaneously with no outside interference.
- Isaiah Stewart, who also returned for the Pistons on Wednesday, tried to play through his left calf strain for a time, but the pain made it ultimately impossible for him to do so, writes Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. “That time (off) allowed me to settle down and allowed me to feel better and feel like myself,” Stewart said. “Obviously, it was tough. But at the end of the day, I want to be there for my teammates come the playoffs. I’ll be able to play and be available, which is the most important thing.” While Stewart came to terms with his absence, he is frustrated by one thing: his ineligibility for end-of-season awards. The big man likely received All-Defensive votes if he had qualified. However, Stewart prioritized being healthy for the playoffs, as he missed last year’s postseason run and was determined not to do so again this season.
- When James Harden came to the Cavaliers in the Darius Garland trade, he brought a pregame habit with him: going through walk-throughs in hotel ballrooms during road games without shootarounds. “It’s just preparation, detail, you get ready for the game,” Harden said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Physically you get out and move around, and mentally you have to be prepared. It’s just preparation man, especially going into this run that we are about to go into. I think the focus is making sure we know who we’re playing against and individual guys and what they like to do with their tendencies.” Head coach Kenny Atkinson was initially skeptical of the ask, but he has grown to appreciate it — as well as how quickly the star guard has acclimated to his new team. “He’s completely adapted to our style of play, which is pretty, I would assume, rare,” Atkinson said.
Cade Cunningham Ruled Out For Monday’s Game
4:45 pm: Cunningham and Stewart have been downgraded to out, tweets Patterson, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is hopeful both players will return before the regular season ends (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press).
“There’s no way to replicate what a game is other than playing the game … specially ramping up to the intensity of playoff basketball it would be beneficial for the guys, and the group,” Bickerstaff said.
12:46 pm: The latest Pistons injury report suggests that franchise player Cade Cunningham will return before the end of the regular season.
Cunningham has been upgraded to doubtful for tonight’s game at Orlando, according to The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson (Twitter link). The team had issued an update on Thursday stating that Cunningham would be reevaluated in one week but it appears that timeline has accelerated.
Cunningham has been sidelined since March 17, when he suffered a collapsed lung while diving for the ball against Washington. Officially diagnosed as a left lung pneumothorax, the injury prevented Cunningham from receiving consideration for postseason awards. He has appeared in 61 games but only played five minutes against the Wizards. He would need to play in five more games for eligibility and the Pistons, who have already sewn up the top seed in the East, only have four games left.
However, getting Cunningham some playing time before the regular season ends should prove beneficial when the Pistons begin their postseason run. While it’s unlikely he’ll play today, it appears that he should be back in action by Detroit’s final regular season game on Sunday.
Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game this season. Detroit has shown its depth and resilience with its star point guard on the mend — the team won that March 17 contest and has gone 8-2 in his absence.
In another Pistons development, key frontcourt reserve Isaiah Stewart has also been upgraded to doubtful. Stewart has been sidelined since March 13 due to a left calf strain.
Central Notes: Thompson, Stewart, Dillingham, Miller
Ausar Thompson has quickly become one of the league’s premier defenders for the Pistons, a feat which didn’t happen by accident — it came about through work and film study, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). As Sankofa details, after the final buzzer sounds, Thompson can be found in the locker room, still in uniform, watching film from the game that just concluded.
“I watch it the next day too, but I watch it immediately after to see, I don’t know. It’s close to the game,” Thompson said earlier in the year. “You still feel the emotions of the game, the one I just played. And it’s easier to remember stuff that happened.”
Sanfoka notes that the habit often means the rest of the team has already showered, dressed, and gotten ready to leave while Thompson continues to study up.
“Right after the game he wants to watch the whole game,” Cade Cunningham said. “We’re trying to get on the plane. I think that’s where a lot of the teasing comes from… He has to see the highest-level scorers every night. Takes his job seriously. That’s what you want from your primary defender like that.“
The attention to detail will quite possibly result in an All-Defense selection for the 23-year-old wing, who is in the 99th percentile in wing steal percentage and the 96th percentile in block rate. He’ll have to play at least 20 minutes in seven of Detroit’s final eight games to meets the 65-game requirements.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Isaiah Stewart took an important step forward in his calf strain recovery, receiving clearance to resume on-court basketball activities for the Pistons, writes Coty M. Davis for The Detroit News. “He’s progressing,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It is something that we will take our time with, making sure he is right with the timing of everything. Every day when he takes a step, we evaluate and take another step the next day.” There’s still no set timetable for Stewart’s return, and his extended absence means that the defensive-minded big man will miss out on All-Defense eligibility.
- Rob Dillingham has played in 22 straight games for the Bulls since being acquired in the Ayo Dosunmu deal with the Wolves, but that doesn’t mean he feels at ease about his long-term status with the team, Joe Cowley writes for the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s a good feeling that I’m getting the opportunity, but I don’t feel comfortable at all,” Dillingham said. “I don’t feel like I’ve proven anything, so my goal is just to help us win, help us get better, be the best I can be.” The Bulls will have plenty of decisions to make regarding the many young guards on the roster, and Dillingham – whose contract is guaranteed through 2026/27 – is hoping to prove that he’s someone worth investing in.
- Leonard Miller went from fringe rotation player in Minnesota to valued contributor with the Bulls nearly overnight, a role change he has fully embraced, Julia Poe writes for the Chicago Tribune. “This has never happened for me before,” Miller said. “But I just knew — like, I wanted to carve out a role with this group. So it’s new, but at the same time it doesn’t feel like anything crazy. This is what I’m born to do.” Over his last 10 games, Miller has averaged 13.1 points and 7.0 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game. He credits teammate Matas Buzelis, whom he played with on the G League Ignite, for helping him acclimate to the new environment.
Central Notes: Buzelis, Donovan, Giddey, Allen, Stewart
Amid rumors about Billy Donovan‘s future with the Bulls, second-year forward Matas Buzelis made it clear he hopes Donovan remains in his role as head coach next season, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
“He’s been everything, man,” Buzelis said. “He’s been a role model to me; he’s someone I look up to as a person, as a human being. He’s a guy that’s been a cornerstone for me. He’s pushed me to my limits, and he’s going to keep pushing me until I can’t be pushed anymore.
“I can’t thank somebody like that enough. He tells you the truth every time. It’s hard to do that, especially in this league, to have someone in your corner that is going to tell you everything you need to hear.”
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey hopes the team is able to “keep playing the right way” to close out the season, Cowley writes in another story. Giddey acknowledged Chicago’s roster situation is a little unusual with so many impending free agents. “I’m not going to speak for other guys because I know how it is to be in a contract year, and individually you are always worried about yourself,” said Giddey, who signed a four-year, $100MM contract as a restricted free agent last year. “Everybody wants to play well, that’s no secret, contract-wise or not, especially coming into free agency. You want to perform, you want your visibility to be as high as possible, so I get it from that point of view. But it’s important to make everything about the team. It’s easy for guys to waver and think about themselves. I was guilty of it, as well. I just think it’s important to let that stuff get handled in the offseason. Don’t drag it into the team. In stints I thought we played selfish ball [Wednesday] and started to get in one-on-one stuff, iso stuff, and it’s just not the way we play. It’s not sustainable and not how we have to win games.”
- Veteran center Jarrett Allen provided a major boost to the Cavaliers in Friday’s lopsided victory over Miami, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Allen, who had missed the previous 10 games due to right knee tendonitis, had eight points in the first four minutes, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said the former All-Star big man would be on a restriction of about 20 minutes prior to the game, Withers notes. “It was great,” Allen said of his quick start. “Shout-out to Kenny, he drew up the first play for me. I usually don’t get the first play sometimes, but he wanted to get me going, wanted to get me back in the groove of things and from there, things just started rolling for me.” Max Strus, who was making his sixth appearance of 2025/26 following offseason foot surgery, led the Cavs with a season-high 29 points (on 10-of-14 shooting) in 23 minutes, Withers adds.
- Reserve big man Isaiah Stewart has been cleared to resume on-court activities, the Pistons announced in a press release. The 25-year-old center/forward is recovering from a left calf strain, having last suited up on March 13.
Pistons Notes: Huerter, Duren, Jenkins, Thompson
Kevin Huerter didn’t play much for the Pistons in the first month after he was acquired in a deadline trade with Chicago, but he has been showing recently why the team wanted him, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link).
The eighth-year wing made his first start as a Piston on Thursday with Duncan Robinson (right hip soreness) out, and he delivered 22 points (on 9-of-14 shooting), three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 34 minutes, which is by far the most he’s played in a game with Detroit (his previous high was 26).
“Kev’s nice, man,” said Jalen Duren. “Just playing against him over the last few years, I’d seen him as just a shooter. Him being here these last couple of weeks, I see he has a lot more to his game.
“He’s a guy who can, if you run him off the line he can get in the paint, make plays, finish. He’s meshed really well with the guys. Just in the locker room, as a teammate, he’s been really cool. I’m excited, man. I’m excited for what he can bring to the team and continue to grow with him.”
It took a while for Huerter to adjust to the Pistons and it remains to be seen how much he’ll play in the playoffs. But the impending free agent is making a case for a postseason rotation spot, according to Sankofa, who points to Huerter’s decision-making as one area in which he excels.
“That’s my biggest strength,” Huerter said. “Playing offensively, ball moves side to side, I’m able to play off of closeouts and get downhill, find guys and then we have Cade (Cunningham) who’s been out a couple of games. There’s been more of an emphasis on playing side to side and guys using the rotations of defenses to help create things.
“JD’s held it down every game inside. Everybody else seems to be pitching in where they can to fill the gaps.”
Here’s more on the Pistons, who are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 53-20 record:
- In addition to Cunningham (collapsed left lung) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf strain), who are out indefinitely, the Pistons were also playing without Robinson and Caris LeVert (right knee soreness) on Thursday. While the team knows it can’t replace all Cunningham provides offensively, Duren, Huerter and Daniss Jenkins are among the players who have stepped in his absence, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Duren is averaging 24.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 30.4 minutes per game in the five contests since Cunningham went down with the injury, while Jenkins is putting up 19.8 PPG, 8.0 APG and 3.6 RPG in 37.8 MPG over that same span, Patterson notes.
- Detroit has been thrilled with several aspects of Duren’s development this season, Patterson writes. The 22-year-old center, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, had another huge game on Thursday, contributing 30 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks in 31 minutes. His seven assists represented a new season high and tied a career high. “It’s untapped potential being able to use him as a hub, put the ball in his hands and let him make plays,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “The growth he’s shown this year offensively has been through the charts. From reading coverages, reading rotations, being able to make the right read at full speed — he’s just having a phenomenal year and continuing to get better right in front of us.”
- After Thursday’s victory, Duren referred to Ausar Thompson as the “Defensive Player of the Year,” according to Sankofa (Twitter link), while Bickerstaff compared the third-year forward to a player who once won the award. “He reminds me a lot, and it may look a bit different, of how Ron Artest used to be when he would defend,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Patterson). “That type of physicality, the feet, the hands, being able to be so disruptive. … I don’t think there’s many guys who can do what Ausar does.”
Pistons Notes: Jenkins, Rotation, Cunningham, Thompson
Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins has been one of this season’s biggest surprises, but he’s gone through a difficult stretch since receiving a standard contract on February 8. That changed on Tuesday against Washington as he was forced into a larger role as a result of an injury to Cade Cunningham, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press writes in a subscriber-only story.
Jenkins entered the game at the start of the second quarter and posted 15 points, seven assists and two steals in 21 minutes. With Cunningham’s return date still uncertain, Sankofa notes that Jenkins will have an opportunity to reclaim his normal role before the playoffs begin.
“That’s what life is about,” he said. “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low. It’s a part of it. I shot out of a cannon and then you hit some rough patches. It’s all good, that’s what life is about. I take it on the chin and I keep working. I don’t shy away from nothing. Stay ready so when my number is called I do what I’m supposed to do.”
Sankofa notes that injuries to Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser gave Jenkins a shot at regular playing time early in the season, and he responded with several huge scoring performances. He quickly used up his 50 games of eligibility as a two-way player and was promoted shortly after the trade deadline passed. An extended slump followed, but he received reassuring words from coach J.B. Bickerstaff after being benched following a March 7 loss to Brooklyn.
“He just told me just to be me because that’s what got me this position,” Jenkins said. “Try to do nothing extra, try to do nothing different other than who I am. I just look myself in the mirror every day and I just stay with it, good, bad and ugly.”
There’s more from Detroit:
- Bickerstaff has been forced to tinker with his rotation because of injuries to Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart, who’s expected to miss at least another week with a strained left calf, Sankofa adds. Sasser and Kevin Huerter have been seeing rotation minutes lately after being kept on the bench through most of February, and backup big man Paul Reed has seen an increase in playing time with Stewart unavailable. “It’s one of those things that, unfortunately, we’ve dealt with a lot this season and had to call on different guys throughout the year,” Bickerstaff said after Tuesday’s game. “Tonight was an opportunity to do that, give guys the minutes, give guys the opportunities to see what they can do. It’s extremely important trying to find the right combinations for the different situations that we might face. And we’ll continue to grow.”
- Cunningham has already been ruled out of Thursday’s rematch with Washington due to a left back contusion, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Ausar Thompson was limited to four points and three assists in 23 minutes on Sunday in his return to action after spraining his right ankle, notes Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News (subscription required). “Being on a minutes restriction is hard,” Bickerstaff said. “Trying to figure out how to keep him in a rhythm, getting back to playing with the group. His effort was great — his ability to defend was great. He is just working his way back. He’ll be fine.”
Isaiah Stewart Out At Least One Week With Grade 1 Calf Strain
March 17: Stewart has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain and is undergoing treatment, the Pistons announced today (Twitter link). According to the team, he’s expected to be reevaluated in one week.
March 15: Isaiah Stewart is out indefinitely for the Pistons due to a left calf strain, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
“It’s something he’s been dealing with. It just had been getting worse,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He gutted it out last game and I think you could see he was favoring it late… it’s something we’re going to take time with.”
Stewart has been an important part of Detroit’s rotation this season. He has averaged 10.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in just 23.1 minutes per game, putting together a case for All-Defensive recognition. However, this calf injury will scuttle his chances of reaching the 65-game minimum to qualify for end-of-season awards.
The 6’8″ center had played seven games since returning from a seven-game suspension due to a fight against the Hornets on February 9.
Stewart’s absence will likely result in an increased rotation role for reserve center Paul Reed. Reed has been productive in limited minutes this season and has stepped up when called upon, averaging 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in his eight games as a starter.