The Detroit Pistons’ winning ways didn’t stop with the calendar resetting, as the team has won four of its last five games and holds a four-game lead over the Knicks at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Let’s dive into some takeaways from Detroit since the New Year began.
1. One time for Beef Stew
Is it too much recency bias to say Isaiah Stewart is the second-most impactful player on this team?
The sixth-year big man poured in a career-high 31 points on 14-of-17 shooting in Wednesday’s win over Chicago, serving as the focal point on both ends for a Pistons squad missing several key contributors. Everything Detroit wanted to do ran through Stewart — physically, emotionally, and tactically.
Stewart’s minutes and traditional counting stats may never put him in the All-NBA conversation given how his role is currently constructed, but he remains the heartbeat of what this team wants to be. His 2.1 blocks per game rank third in the league — and to put that in perspective, he’s averaging more blocks than Evan Mobley while playing roughly 10 fewer minutes per night.
Considering how seamlessly he’s slid into a second-unit role and how much his overall game has grown, it’s hard to believe Stewart was a full-time starter just a few seasons ago. His first taste of playoff basketball should be appointment viewing.
2. Bing Bong!
What was billed as one of the marquee matchups of the regular season between two Eastern Conference heavyweights turned into a one-sided demolition. Detroit sent a loud message to the visiting Knicks on Monday night, cruising to a 121–90 victory.
Despite missing starters Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren, the Pistons leaned fully into their depth and defensive identity, holding the fourth-ranked offense in the league to a season-low point total. New York never found a rhythm as Detroit dictated terms from the opening tip.
Whether this game was a true preview of a potential playoff matchup is hard to say. The Knicks were also without Josh Hart, and it’s fair to question the level of intensity they brought on a random January night.
What is clear, though, is that Detroit had this one circled. This matchup is personal now. It feels increasingly inevitable that these teams are on a collision course for the postseason — and they’ll see each other next on February 6 back at Little Caesars Arena.
3. Ivey’s future
For all the success Detroit has enjoyed this season, the lingering question inside the locker room remains Jaden Ivey — specifically, how he fits into the current rotation and, more importantly, into the franchise’s long-term plans. The conversation remains polarizing, but it is something that is unavoidable at this point.
With Cade Cunningham sidelined by a wrist injury against Chicago, Ivey drew the start, but finished the night playing fewer minutes than Ron Holland II, Jevonte Green, and Dennis Jenkins. He was largely absent during crunch time as the Pistons pulled away, while rookie Chaz Lanier took on a bigger late-game role.
There have been flashes of high-level play since Ivey’s return from injury, but the consistency hasn’t matched expectations. He hasn’t fully emerged as the secondary creator next to Cunningham that many believed Detroit would need down the stretch of this season — and beyond.
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, it’s a situation worth monitoring closely if Detroit were to make a big(ish) move.
