Overview

• At media day, Stewart asserted his knee injury swung Detroit’s first-round series and said the Pistons would have advanced if he had played.
• Stewart was assigned to defend Karl-Anthony Towns but missed the final five games, and New York won the series in six tightly contested contests.
• Karl-Anthony Towns praised Detroit as one of last season’s toughest opponents and projected further improvement with Jaden Ivey returning and new additions onboard.
• Cade Cunningham’s All-Star campaign (26.1 points, 9.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds) underpinned the jump from 14 to 44 wins and the club’s first playoff berth since 2019.
• Detroit added depth with Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson, reports have suggested Malik Beasley could return, and the season opens Oct. 22.