Pistons Notes: Stewart, Secondary Scorer, Ivey, Sasser, Bickerstaff, Duren
Last month, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff declared that Isaiah Stewart is “the best defensive center in the league and it’s not close,” adding, “I think it’s time that everybody who watches basketball recognizes it.” Stewart is averaging a career-high two blocks per game in 23.6 minutes per game and he explained in detail his shot-blocking prowess and defensive mindset to The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson.
“It’s kind of like a fight,” Stewart said. “You can’t be scared to get punched, you know what I mean? So for me, it’s just like, OK, you got your dunk. You got your little punch in, but I’m still here and I’m not fading away. I’m going to be here and I’m going to challenge you every time. A lot of it is heart. As much that goes into skill and having the patience, you’ve got to have this (patting his heart). There’s a hundred possessions, at least, in a game. You can’t pick and choose when you want to guard the rim.”
Stewart has his sights set on the Defensive Player of the Year award. However, the 20-minute requirement within the 65-game rule could come into play in his case. To qualify for end-of-season awards, a player must play at least 20 minutes in 63 or more games (and between 15-20 in at least two others).
“It is the goal,” Stewart said. “I truly believe I am the best defender in the league. … I may not always get the block. But I’m altering shots, I’m taping holes in our defense. So that’s my goal, that’s something I’m working toward.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Detroit’s loss to the Rockets on Friday displayed the need for a second scorer to complement Cade Cunningham, Patterson opines. Houston packed the paint when he had the ball in his hands and blitzed him in pick-and-roll actions as Cunningham was held to 12 points by a quality opponent. That reinforced the notion that the Pistons need another player they can count on for a steady 20 points per game.
- With next week’s trade deadline looming, the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II listed the team’s trade assets, breaking down the players into a various categories. He views Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser as “young players worth surveying the market for,” noting that Ivey is headed to restricted free agency and that Sasser’s role has been minimized by the emergence of two-way player Daniss Jenkins.
- Bickerstaff has already been named as one of the head coaches for the three-team All-Star Game. Center Jalen Duren believes he should receive the league’s postseason award as well. “Coach of the Year. I think it’s obvious at this point that he should be,” Duren said after the team blew out Sacramento on Sunday. “They might as well give it to him now, because he deserves it. I mean, he’s put us in position to be where we are now. He’s a part of the culture, the main part of the culture that we’ve built these last two years. And he’s very deserving for everything that comes his way. I mean he’s an amazing coach. He’s an amazing mentor, an amazing leader. I think as we continue to do what we do, the world is just going to continue to see it.”
Pistons Notes: Keys To Success, Holland, Grades, Stewart, Duren
The Pistons will reach the midway point of the season on Monday with a solid grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference. How have they achieved that status? In a subscriber-only story, The Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II breaks down three key elements to their success.
Sankofa highlights the Pistons’ defensive rating, points in the paint, and efficiency rating — they rank second in the league in each of those categories. Sankofa adds that the Pistons have won at least 30 of their first 40 games for just the second time in franchise history (along with 2005/06) and are on pace to win more than 60 games.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Key reserve and 2024 lottery pick Ron Holland is questionable to play in Monday’s showdown with the Celtics due to an illness, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets. The Pistons and Celtics hold the top two spots in the Eastern Conference. Holland is averaging 8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 21.1 minutes per game this season.
- As you might expect, Sanfoka gives out a lot of high midterm grades to the members of the roster. Isaiah Stewart and Daniss Jenkins got As, while Jalen Duren earned an A-minus. What about Cade Cunningham? He gets a B-plus — his subpar three-point shooting dragged down his grade — and no one got anything lower than a B-minus.
- Speaking of Stewart and Duren, “Dawg Pound” is now painted above their lockers in Detroit’s home arena. Why? The Athletic’s Fred Katz interviews the big man duo to explain the mentality they take on and off the court.
Central Notes: Bulls, Cunningham, Duren, Pistons, Mitchell
The Bulls‘ front office went nearly three years (from August 2021 to June 2024) without making a trade involving a player, but the team has been a little more active on the trade market in the past year-and-a-half. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, there’s a sense that trend could continue this season.
As Cowley explains, league sources have described executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas as more transparent in trade talks and more realistic in terms of his asking prices since last season’s trade deadline. Rival executives have gotten the sense that Karnisovas is open for business this winter, with the Bulls once again hovering just below .500 and more than half of their roster on expiring contracts.
Karnisovas is starting to feel more pressure from Bulls higher-ups to get the team pointed in the right direction, according to Cowley, who says the team has been hurt by too many “passive” decisions in recent years.
We have more from around the Central:
- After four days off, the banged-up Pistons will be getting some reinforcements and should be closer to full strength for their game against Phoenix on Thursday, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Point guard Cade Cunningham is off the injury report and will be available after missing two games due to a right wrist contusion, while center Jalen Duren is considered probable to play after being sidelined for four games with a sprained right ankle. Forward Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) and big man Isaiah Stewart (illness) are also listed as probable to return following brief absences.
- Hunter Patterson and John Hollinger of The Athletic team up to consider potential Pistons moves ahead of the trade deadline, as well as how the team might create room on the 15-man roster for two-way standout Daniss Jenkins. Hollinger suggests that Detroit still needs to find a long-term answer at power forward, while Patterson hears from league sources that the front office is expected to be “opportunistic but not aggressive.”
- Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was born in New York, but he said in a video diary for Andscape that he’d like to play for the World team if he makes this year’s All-Star Game, pointing to his Panamanian roots on his mother’s side. “I do think I should be on the World team,” Mitchell said (YouTube link). “But I don’t think people look at me as like a Panamanian basketball player. But I do. I would love to be on the World team if I got a chance. If not, I’m not tripping. Don’t get me wrong. But I definitely want to show love to my Panamanian roots and my people in Panama.”
Siegel’s Latest: Pistons, Suns, Raptors, Pelicans, Thunder
Although there has been some speculation that the Pistons could try to make a major win-now move to fortify their roster ahead of the playoffs, multiple sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Detroit is unlikely to deal away any of its core players, a group that includes Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart.
It’s a little strange to see Harris, who is currently out with a hip strain, described as part of the Pistons’ “core,” considering he’s the oldest player (33) on the roster and on an expiring $26.6MM contract. But evidently the team values his contributions and veteran leadership.
According to Siegel, if Detroit’s front office — led by president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon — changes that stance, Trey Murphy III would be a player to watch. Langdon used to be New Orleans’ GM and was part of the group that drafted Murphy.
Here are a few more items of interest from Siegel’s latest rumor round-up:
- The Suns have been scouring the market for a “cheap forward upgrade,” according to Siegel, who says Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Nick Richards have all been made available in trade talks.
- Reiterating a point recently made by Marc Stein, Siegel cites sources who say the Raptors are viewed as a buyer heading into the deadline, with Domantas Sabonis, Ja Morant and Murphy among the players they’ve considered pursuing. Toronto appears willing to part with its 2026 first-round pick in search of win-now upgrades, according to Siegel, who writes that Ochai Agbaji is likely to be on the move before the deadline, and if a bigger trade is made, Immanuel Quickley may be involved.
- A recent report said the Pelicans have been rebuffing trade inquiries on forwards Murphy and Herbert Jones, among others. Rival teams think that’s due to a combination of a high asking price and being underwhelmed by opposing offers. According to Siegel, New Orleans is looking for two first-round picks for Jones and three for Murphy, plus young players. Siegel hears the Pelicans are also trying to get back into the 2026 draft after sending out their own selection last year for Derik Queen; they’ve been talking to projected playoff teams (in the 20-30 range) about that possibility.
- While the Thunder are considered unlikely to make any type of significant change to their roster prior to the deadline, it’s possible they could look to either consolidate some of their 2026 first-round picks for a more valuable selection or trade them for future draft assets, per Siegel. That may happen closer to the draft, Siegel notes. Dan Woike of The Athletic, citing sources, also hears rival teams think the Thunder will try to turn some of this year’s first-rounders — they could have as many as four — into future assets.
Central Notes: Mathurin, Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Potter
Bennedict Mathurin is expected to miss some time for the Pacers as he works to come back from a right thumb sprain and turf toe, writes Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
“When we’re down numbers, it becomes more challenging, but we’ve gotten some guys back,” said coach Rick Carlisle before Sunday’s game. “But now Mathurin’s out for a while.”
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that Mathurin has been trying to play through the thumb sprain for multiple weeks, but that he needs some time to heal. The fourth-year guard also admitted last month that the toe injury which cost him 11 games earlier in the season was still bothering him.
Mathurin is averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game for the depleted Pacers, but his numbers have dipped since mid-December, likely due in large part to his health issues. Over his last 11 games, he’s averaging 13.5 PPG on .369/.271/.973 shooting splits.
There was no immediate timeline given for his return.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham, who is playing the best basketball of his career for the East-leading Pistons, credits former NBA guard and current assistant coach Jarrett Jack for helping him take a leap as a player and leader, writes Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. Sankofa writes that Jack was “attached” to Cunningham upon joining the staff of former head coach Monty Williams. The two do one-on-one work, pregame warmups, and talk on the bench during games together. “He’s always making jokes, always being funny, talking about he could’ve did this or I ain’t that, whatever,” Cunningham said. “It’s cool, man. He just knows how to read the room. That’s the type of stuff that allows the culture to be what it is, people like that. He’s one of the main ones that’s helped build this culture that we got.”
- There were added stakes for the Pistons as they got their first road win against the Cavaliers since coach J.B. Bickerstaff came to Detroit from Cleveland, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I feel like we’ve got to have his back coming into here, because I know they get up to play against J.B. every single time,” said Isaiah Stewart, who started in the place of the injured Jalen Duren and contributed three blocks and two steals in the four-point victory. “So it was important for us to get this win tonight.” Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers were 4-1 against their old coach.
- Micah Potter went from the G League to starting Pacers center in about a week. It’s been a whirlwind, but his previous experience with Team USA has helped him find ways to fit in and be productive, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. “The confidence it gave me was like, I belong, right?” Potter said. “I’m not saying I’m going to be a Kevin Durant, a LeBron James, a Tyrese Haliburton, a Steph Curry. I’m not going to be those guys, but I can help those guys. I can find a role to create for those guys whether I’m scoring or not. And that was the thing that gave me the most confidence, and I also hit a couple of shots which was really cool too.” Potter’s first start came on Friday in a loss to the Spurs. He scored 16 points on 4-of-8 from three with six rebounds. In Sunday’s matchup against the Magic, he had 11 points and 10 rebounds in just over 29 minutes. “Just try to do my job as best I can,” he said. “Create for my teammates, whether that’s passing, shooting open shots, setting good screens, anything like that. Just trying to create space for my teammates and play off that.”
Pistons Share Injury Updates On Harris, Duren, LeVert
The Pistons have issued updates on a trio of injured players, making the following announcements on Saturday (Twitter link):
Forward Tobias Harris has been diagnosed with a left hip sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks.- Center Jalen Duren has a sprained right ankle and will be reevaluated in one week.
- Guard/forward Caris LeVert remains day-to-day due to right knee inflammation, but won’t travel to Cleveland for Sunday’s game vs. the Cavaliers as he continues to receive treatment.
The timeline for Harris, who already missed Thursday’s contest against Miami, suggests he’ll remain sidelined for a minimum of five more games, starting with intra-conference showdowns against the Cavs on Sunday and the Knicks on Monday. His absence may extend beyond that five-game stretch, since there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to return when he’s evaluated on January 17.
Harris, 33, has been a full-time starter since arriving in Detroit as a free agent during the 2024 offseason. In 23 games this season, he’s averaging 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 27.4 minutes per night, with a .455/.333/.848 shooting line. Due to his expiring $26.6MM contract, the 15th-year forward is considered a potential in-season trade candidate.
While Harris’ recovery period may last longer, Duren’s absence figures to have a greater impact on the Pistons’ lineup in the short term. The 22-year-old is enjoying a breakout season ahead of his restricted free agency in 2026, with averages of 17.9 PPG and 10.6 RPG through his first 31 games (28.4 MPG).
Reigning Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month Isaiah Stewart will likely take on a larger role with Duren out, and Paul Reed is a capable backup too. But Detroit has been much better with Duren on the court (+8.9 net rating) than off it (+2.4) so far this season.
Javonte Green, Jaden Ivey, and Marcus Sasser are a few of the other players who figure to see minute bumps while the Pistons’ injured players get healthy.
Holmgren, Stewart Named Defensive Players Of The Month
A Thunder player has been named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for a second consecutive time. After guard Cason Wallace won the award for October/November, big man Chet Holmgren has earned the honor for December, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
The Thunder, who entered December with a 20-1 record, have looked more mortal in recent weeks, winning nine of 13 games over the course of the month. However, they still posted the conference’s top defensive rating (106.2) in December, with Holmgren acting as the team’s anchor and rim protector.
Holmgren’s 2.0 blocks per game in December ranked second in the conference, while his 8.5 contested shots per game placed him seventh among Western players. Oklahoma City’s defense this past month was nearly six points per 100 possessions better when Holmgren was on the court (101.7) than when he wasn’t (107.6).
Clippers guard Kris Dunn and a trio of former Defensive Players of the Year – Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), Draymond Green (Warriors), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies) – were also nominated in the Western Conference, per the league (Twitter link).
An unlikely winner claimed the Eastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month award for December, with Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart taking it home despite coming off the bench in 12 of his 13 games and averaging just 23.0 minutes per night during the past month.
Despite his limited role, Stewart ranked second in the East in blocks (2.2) and contested shots (9.4) per game, helping lead Detroit to a 9-4 record and the league’s third-best defensive rating (109.8) in December. The Pistons’ defensive rating with Stewart on the floor was 104.5, compared to 112.2 when he sat.
Knicks teammates OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, and Celtics guard Derrick White were the other nominees in the East. Notably, the Nets didn’t have a nominee despite posting the NBA’s best defensive rating (105.4) in December.
Central Notes: Stewart, Antetokounmpo, Pacers, Cavaliers
Isaiah Stewart has become an elite defender off the bench for the Pistons over the last few years, and his teammates and coaching staff are making sure people know it.
“He’s the best defensive center in the league and it’s not close,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). “And I think it’s time that everybody who watches basketball recognizes it.”
Pistons star Cade Cunningham disagreed slightly with his coach’s assessment — but only because he felt Bickerstaff didn’t go far enough with his praise.
“I think he’s the best defensive player in the league,” Cunningham said, according to Sankofa (Twitter video link). “I would love to see him get a Defensive Player of the Year award, ’cause I think he deserves it. I see the best defenders in the league all the time, and I’m thankful I don’t have to see Stew.”
Stewart is currently averaging 2.0 blocks in just 22.5 minutes per night, and has five games with at least four blocks this season.
“There will never be a shot that goes up that Stew doesn’t contest,” Ausar Thompson said, per Sankofa (Twitter link). “He puts his body on the line every night. It’s beautiful to watch.”
One thing holding Stewart back in award discussions is the league-imposed minutes restriction. A player must play 20 or more minutes in at least 63 games and 15-plus in at least two more to be eligible for awards like MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Stewart has missed three games already and has played fewer than 20 minutes in six more.
We have more from around the Central Division:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is the hottest name in the rumor mill these days, but he recently took to the media to state his desire to stay with the Bucks. “There are people who see a door, who want to hurry up and escape through that door,” Antetokounmpo told NBA on Prime’s Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). “I see a wall and I want to run through the wall and make things work.” Haynes adds that the two-time MVP says his only focus is getting healthy and being there for his team. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes that there’s no doubt Antetokounmpo wants to make things work with the Bucks, and speculates that any trade involving him may not happen until at least the offseason.
- The Pacers got a sorely-needed road win on Friday against the Bulls, Dustin Dopirak writes for the Indy Star. Head coach Rick Carlisle is aware of the talent deficiency the team is facing on most nights and how it limits them. “A lot of elements right now have to be in place for us to be an effective road team against a team like Chicago,” Carlisle said. The effort was led by Pascal Siakam, who had 36 points and 10 rebounds while hitting five three-pointers. After starting 2-16, Indiana has won three of its past five games.
- The Cavaliers were booed at home during Saturday night’s loss to the undermanned Warriors, Chris Fedor writes for Cleveland.com. It was the team’s fifth loss in seven games. “Can’t keep getting in this position,” Donovan Mitchell said.
“Shouldn’t come down to it. All due respect and credit to them, but the consistent thing is we get down and then we start playing. There’s no switch to flip. Until there’s a change in that, we’re going to keep being in these positions where sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t, and we have to fix it.” Head coach Kenny Atkinson agreed with his star’s assessment, adding, “We need a reset right now to rest our bodies and get our principles. You always take lessons from struggles.”
Scottie Barnes, Cason Wallace Named Defensive Players Of The Month
Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for October/November, while Thunder guard Cason Wallace won the award for the Western Conference, according to an announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).
Barnes led the surprising Raptors to a 14-7 record through the end of November, and the team posted the NBA’s sixth-best defensive rating (111.5) during that time. According to the league, the versatile 6’8″ forward ranked fourth in the East in deflections in October/November (4.0 per game) and was the only player in the NBA to rack up at least 30 steals and 30 blocks.
Wallace, meanwhile, is one of many standout defenders on a dominant Thunder team that went 20-1 with a remarkable 103.6 defensive rating in October/November. Oklahoma City was three-and-a-half games better than any other NBA club during that time, and its defensive rating was nearly seven points per 100 possessions better than that of the second-place Rockets (110.3).
While the Thunder’s defensive performance is a team effort, Wallace led the NBA in steals per game (2.2) to open the season and also had more deflections per game (5.0) than any other player in the West, despite playing a relatively modest 28.6 minutes per contest.
It’s the first time that either Barnes or Wallace has won the Defensive Player of the Month award, which was introduced at the start of last season. According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other players nominated in the East were Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart — Mobley and Daniels each earned Defensive Player of the Month recognition twice last season.
In the West, Wallace’s Thunder teammates Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren were also nominated. Rockets guard Amen Thompson was the only non-OKC nominee in the conference.
Central Notes: Nesmith, Walker, Terry, Pistons
Aaron Nesmith had to crawl off the court in Thursday’s loss at Phoenix, but the Pacers are hopeful that his injury won’t keep him out for long, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Nesmith was getting into a defensive stance in the third quarter when his left foot bent the wrong way (Twitter video link). He was helped to the locker room, and the team announced that he wouldn’t return due to knee soreness.
Nesmith was limping and appeared to have an ice bag on the knee as he left the arena, but he wasn’t using crutches, Dopirak observes. Coach Rick Carlisle was optimistic that it isn’t something severe like a ligament tear.
“Hoping that Aaron’s situation is not very serious,” he said. “At this point, it looks like we may have dodged a bullet in terms of something that is very serious. But he will miss some time.”
Losing Nesmith would add to a catastrophic run of injuries for the defending Eastern Conference champions that began with Tyrese Haliburton‘s Achilles tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Seven players were sidelined heading into Thursday’s game, which Indiana lost by 35 points to fall to 1-11.
Nesmith would be a major loss if he has to miss any significant time. Dopirak points out that he’s handling an increased offensive load for the short-handed team in addition to being its most versatile defender.
“It hurts,” Carlisle said. “He’s a top player on this team. It hurt us out there tonight and it’s going to affect us.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Another rough shooting night for Jarace Walker brought his field goal percentage down to 29.7% for the season, Dopirak tweets. The third-year power forward missed all 10 of his shots in Phoenix after going 1-of-8 in the previous game at Utah. He was removed from the Pacers‘ starting lineup on Tuesday after starting seven straight games.
- Bulls guard Dalen Terry isn’t getting the playing time he had hoped for, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Terry, who will be a restricted free agent after not receiving a rookie scale extension, has appeared in seven of the team’s 11 games, but is averaging just 5.9 minutes per night. “I feel like it’s been a situation I’ve been in my whole life, to be honest with you,” he said. “With this being a contract year and things not starting like you want them to, guys can go into a dark place. But I just look at it like, ‘Man, it’s just basketball, and we’re winning right now.’ So my feelings aren’t really the priority.”
- The 10-2 Pistons are off to the best start in the East, but they have a lengthy injury report for Friday’s NBA Cup game against Philadelphia, notes Hunter Patterson of the Athletic (Twitter links). Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are all listed as questionable, while Ausar Thompson and Tobias Harris are out.