Early on in their matchup in their matchup with the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons lost a key member of their supporting cast. After just seven minutes of action that night, Isaiah Stewart had to be removed after suffering a hyperextension with his knee.
Stewart did not suit up for the Pistons on Thursday against the Utah Jazz, and remains out of action. The veteran big man has been ruled out for Saturday's meeting with the Phoenix Suns as his knee continues to recover.
Due to the changes of the roster in the offseason, Stewart slid back to the center position after spending last season at power forward. He's been very productive as a backup for Jalen Duren, averaging 6.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG across 27 matchups.
The biggest thing that Stewart provides for the Pistons is energy and intensity on the defensive end. He's been an anchor for the second unit, fully embracing the tough nature Detroit basketball has made famous over the years.
After being waived and quickly re-signed, Paul Reed now finds himself seeing good minutes in J.B. Bickerstaff's rotation. With Stewart out of action, the former G-League MVP will now slot in behind Duren.
Reed logged 18 minutes against the Jazz, and was able to provide a nice lift. He finished the night with 12 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
As a former full-time backup during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Reed is capable of giving the Pistons good minutes off the bench. They're going to need another good outing from him as they continue to navigate without Stewart.