jb bickerstaff
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Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons looks on during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on October 24, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
Just as the Detroit Pistons are getting a key player back in the mix, another one goes out.
On Sunday, March 15, the Pistons are paying a visit to the Toronto Raptors in Canada.
The Pistons landed good news on the Ausar Thompson front. The defensive juggernaut is set to make his return to the lineup after suffering an ankle injury recently.
According to the Pistons’ injury report, Thompson has been upgraded to available. Sunday’s game will mark his first set of action since the March 5 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. At the time, Thompson played for just two minutes before he went down.
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Ausar Thompson (ankle) listed available to play Sunday.
After getting ruled out for the remainder of the San Antonio game, the Pistons noted that Thompson would miss additional time.
He went on to miss five games. During that stretch, the Pistons went 3-2. The team was consistent with its message about missing Thompson’s athleticism and value on both sides of the floor—especially on defense. They’ll feel good to get him back in.
Pistons Hit With Notable Loss vs Raptors
Isaiah Stewart
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Thompson’s re-entry into the lineup will help, but the Pistons have been hit with a notable loss for the bench unit.
The veteran center Isaiah Stewart has been ruled out for the matchup. According to the official injury report, the Pistons describe Stewart’s setback as a calf strain. He will miss his first set of action since March 1, when he was out against the Orlando Magic.
The last time Stewart missed games was due to a suspension. The veteran center was involved in the infamous Pistons-Hornets fight on February 9 before the All-Star break. He was ejected after seeing the court for 11 minutes. The NBA suspended Stewart for seven games.
On March 3, Stewart returned to the Pistons lineup. He resumed his role off the bench, checking in for 22 minutes. The veteran center remained a key presence in the Pistons’ rotation.
In their last game out, the Pistons rolled out Stewart against the Memphis Grizzlies at home. Stewart checked in for 20 minutes. The veteran went 5-10 from the field. He scored 10 points while coming down with four rebounds and blocking one shot on the defensive end.
Since 2020, Stewart has played many different roles for the Pistons. He started his career as a reserve, but started 71 games during his sophomore effort. He was the Pistons’ starting center for two years, until making the shift to power forward in 2023-2024.
When JB Bickerstaff arrived as the head coach in 2024-2025, Stewart moved back to a bench role. Typically, players would see it as a demotion. Stewart saw it as an opportunity to anchor the second unit. And the veteran thrived as Jalen Duren’s primary backup.
Last season, Stewart averaged 6.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 19.9 minutes of action. He was one of the top rim protectors in the NBA.
This season, Stewart has appeared in 55 games for the Pistons. He has made 54% of his shots from the field to average 10.0 points per game. The veteran produced 5.1 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game as well.
It’s unclear how much time Stewart could miss, but he’ll certainly get Sunday off. The next time he could return to the lineup is for the Pistons’ matchup against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, March 17.