Nov 30, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) reacts after a basket during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Knicks Announcer Gives Respect to Detroit Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Apr 12, 2025 8:37 AM ET

With the reputation of being an enforcer, Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart tends to be overlooked from a basketball value standpoint. Since Stewart often finds himself in on-court altercations due to his high-intensity play, he’s struggled to escape a narrative that claims he doesn’t bring much to the court.

On Thursday night, a New York Knicks broadcast announcer highlighted Stewart’s impact in the game despite having little production on the stat sheet.

“He played 22 minutes, didn’t score. Had one rebound. And yet, had a profound impact on the second half of this game with his defense.”

Knicks announcer acknowledging Isaiah Stewart’s presence goes way beyond the box score #WatchTheGames pic.twitter.com/S1JhiqmW5j
— gio (@Clapped_Dre) April 11, 2025

Stewart ended up fouling out late in the second half of Thursday’s game at home against the Knicks. When he left the game, he had just one assist, one rebound, and zero points on 0-1 shooting from the field. Still, Stewart was a plus-five on the court.

While Stewart has proven plenty of times throughout his young career that he can be an issue offensively for opposing defenses, the young veteran takes pride in his defensive value.

"I’m embracing [my role] every single game,” Stewart said last month. “From the very start of the first day when JB [Bickerstaff] came in and said his bigs need to defend the rim. I took that very seriously and every night I strive to be the best shot-blocker, best rim protector, best defender."

Stewart’s mentality and physicality can land him in hot water at times. Just last week, he picked up a two-game suspension. On Thursday, he fouled out. As long as Stewart can avoid those difficult situations, the veteran center should be a major contributor on the defensive end for the Pistons’ upcoming playoff run.