The Detroit Pistons won their fourth straight game on Wednesday to improve to 6-2 for the season. With games against the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards next up, the Pistons have an excellent opportunity to take over the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this time next week.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday was how well the team has been playing without Tobias Harris. The veteran forward has been sidelined with an ankle sprain, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been starting Isaiah Stewart in his stead. The starting five with two bigs, Stewart and Jalen Duren, has been working so well that the Pistons should seriously consider making it a permanent move.
Pistons Could Move Tobias Harris to Bench Upon His Return
Stewart is back to shooting threes this season after making a concerted effort to cut them from his game last season. He is making a career-high 39.3% from downtown. This allows the Pistons' offense to sustain Harris' loss as Stewart can provide some spacing.
Where the new lineup thrives, however, is obviously the defensive end. Stewart continues to be one of the best defensive bigs in the league. He is strong, versatile, and one of the best rim protectors in the league. Having him and Duren on the court together, surrounded by Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson, makes the Pistons one of the most formidable defenses in the league.
The Cunningham-Thompson-Duncan Robinson-Stewart-Duren lineup is currently outscoring opponents by 30.5 points per 100 possessions so far this season, according to Cleaning The Glass data. Their 97.1 defensive rating would easily be the best defense in the league. Of course, they have only played 69 possessions, and it's very early in the season. Yet, the early signs point to the obvious need to use this lineup more.
Stewart was one of the best bench bigs in the NBA last year. His hustle and energy off the bench can be powerful. However, utilizing his defense against the starting lineup's offenses could be a good way for the Pistons to get off to good starts.
This would mean that Harris would be the sixth man. Bringing your highest-profile player after Cunningham off the bench could be risky for locker room purposes, but Bickerstaff has done a masterful job so far managing this side of things. Harris would still play the same amount of minutes, but would be responsible for giving bench units more offensive juice.
If Harris and team are both on board with this plan, it could certainly be worth a try upon the 33-year-old's return from injury.