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Hunter Patterson: J.B. on balancing Stew’s minutes with Duren’s: “It’s the decision of, in the moment, who’s doing what with what pairings and what groups. We go back and study the numbers of the groups that play well together, the lineups that play well together and manipulate it around that.”
Duren credits Isaiah Stewart, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward known as one of the league's most fearsome players, with indoctrinating him into the Pistons style. From their earliest workouts together four years ago, Stewart banged Duren whenever he could, bringing an edge to every possession. Over time, their competition formed a tag team built on force. "We battle, man," Stewart says. "We still battle every day. We push each other and when you have a stablemate like that and you are working eight months a year, you grow a bond. You grow a brotherhood."
The independent arbitrator the league used to look at Dante Cunningham’s case determined that his punctured lung was a “condition,” a league source told The Athletic last week, rather than a basketball injury, leading to his winning the appeal. He is now healthy. And dealing. (No, I have not forgotten that Anthony Edwards, currently gimping it out for the Wolves against Denver on the knee that kept him from also hitting the 65-game minimum, had his appeal denied.) It’s one thing to dominate a January game against a tanking team — or just one that stinks. To do it under the brightest lights and best competition, in the playoffs, brings a special aura to players who orchestrate such high-stakes games to their own syncopation. “For us, it uplifts us, makes us go with him,” forward Isaiah Stewart said. “For the other team, it’s just a problem for them that they have to figure out. They changed their coverages (on Cunningham) and stuff, which helped free us up and allowed us to make plays.”
Oh No He Didn't: Isaiah Stewart: "That's who I am. I don't gotta fake it. I'm cut from that cloth. I don't feel that weight because it's just who I am and I enjoy carrying the identity for this team because that's why I was drafted here for"
Isaiah Stewart:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 23, 2026
"That's who I am. I don't gotta fake it. I'm cut from that cloth. I don't feel that weight because it's just who I am and I enjoy carrying the identity for this team because that's why I was drafted here for" pic.twitter.com/uNvHbQJ1fy
Omari Sankofa II: Isaiah Stewart at shootaround: “We’ve gotta take care of home.”
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The combination of Isaiah Stewart and Duren on the interior has created one of the league's most formidable combos at the rim too. As a team, the Pistons held opponents to just 54.6% shooting during the regular season, third in the league behind Oklahoma City and Boston -- the past two NBA champions. "We take super, super pride in it," Duren told ESPN. "My job as an anchor of the defense is to hold it down. And I take pride in it because we're a defense-first mindset team." Duren's chops shine through in his pick-and-roll defense. According to GeniusIQ, the Pistons allow 0.92 points per opponent pick when Duren is involved, the 14th-best mark in the league.
Isaiah Stewart has a close relationship with and regularly chats with former Bad Boys enforcer (and the Pistons' longtime radio voice) Rick Mahorn, who travels with the team. No stranger to scuffling, few are as qualified as Mahorn to help Stewart navigate his job. "He knows guys are trying to dupe, a lot of guys are baiting me," Stewart said. "He encourages me not to get into any fights. He encourages me to be the bigger man every time to use them to my advantage because he’s been in that situation of being in brawls and fights."
During a road trip during his rookie season, Stewart watched documentaries on the Pistons' Bad Boys and Goin' To Work eras – not just to see what the team's past success looked like, but to learn how the city would embrace his style of play. Stewart, the lone constant through the Pistons' rebuild, is finally among the leaders of the era that began with his arrival. "They were physical, they were nasty, they were dogs," Stewart said of the past Pistons squads. "That’s the culture I wanted to set in that locker room and with the guys coming through here."
Offensively, his scoring in the paint would be supplemented with a capable shot beyond the arc. “I didn’t know how it was going to look,” Stewart said. “I just knew I was going to outwork the man in front of me, no matter the person’s height, whoever’s in front of me, just outwork them and however that looks is how it looks, whether it’s beating them up on the boards, running the floor. Just get it any way I can.”
Isaiah Stewart — let’s talk about him. How is he as a teammate? Jalen Duren: Man, that’s my brother. He’s probably one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. And it’s not even because of the extra stuff y’all see, or everything that goes on. It’s just who he is as a man. Man to man, he’s my guy. He’s someone you can talk to. He’s someone who’s always going to be there for you. As a teammate, you wouldn’t want anybody else. He’s a guy you hate to play against, but love to play with.
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NBA Courtside: Jalen Duren on playing alongside Isaiah Stewart: “That’s my brother, man. He’s probably one of the best teammates I ever had. And it’s not even for like the probably the extra stuff y’all see and all that goes on. It’s just the simple fact that who he is as a man. Like man to man, he’s my guy dog. He’s that guy you can talk to. He’s a guy that’s always going to be there for you. He’s a guy that as a teammate you wouldn’t want nobody else. He’s a guy that you hate to play against but love to play with. I wouldn’t ask for nobody else to be on my squad.” (Via @allthesmokeprod)
Jalen Duren on playing alongside Isaiah Stewart:
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 17, 2026
“That’s my brother, man. He’s probably one of the best teammates I ever had. And it’s not even for like the probably the extra stuff y’all see and all that goes on. It’s just the simple fact that who he is as a man. Like man to… https://t.co/Z0hjBK0YMV pic.twitter.com/nEYeklSyvq
Omari Sankofa II: Following their four-game losing streak, the Pistons won 15 of their final 19 games with a net rating of +12.4. They were without Cade Cunningham for basically 12 of those games, and Isaiah Stewart for 13. Got to 60 wins all while withstanding their toughest injury stretch.
