DETROIT — After injuries kept center Isaiah Stewart and guard Jaden Ivey out for the Detroit Pistons’ playoff run, the pair are expected to be ready for training camp in late September, president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said in a press conference on Tuesday.
While Ivey suffered a broken left fibula on Jan. 1, Stewart was sidelined for the final five games of the Pistons’ magical run to the playoffs with a nagging knee injury.
“I wouldn’t say they’re a full go, but they’re coming along,” Langdon said. They’ll be ready for camp.”
Ivey was enjoying a lot of success in his third season in the NBA before going down midseason. He was averaging a career-best 17.6 points on 46% shooting from the field and 40.9% from beyond the arc in 30 games.
However, the Pistons didn’t really take off on their historic turnaround until after his injury. Detroit would get to a winning record a week later and win eight straight games in February to make their way to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Stewart was a critical piece in the run, establishing himself as an important presence for what the Pistons do on defense. He averaged career lows of six points, and 5.5 rebounds, however he was more efficient on offense, shooting 55.9% from the field and added 1.4 blocks per game.
The absence of Stewart in particular was tough for the playoff series against the New York Knicks.
While the Pistons battled to six games, missing what a 6-foot-8 Stewart can add defensively against the Knicks’ two 7-footers — Karl Anthony-Towns and Mitchell Robinson — was tough.
“Of course, especially with Stew,” Langdon said of whether the injured players could’ve helped the team. “You know in January (that Ivey) is going to be out, but with Stew you just think that enforcer in the second unit around the rim could’ve really helped us.”