The Detroit Pistons are short at the center position on Monday night against the Knicks.
Isaiah Stewart is unavailable.
That leaves Jalen Duren, the starter, to play huge minutes. It potentially pushes Paul Reed from zero minutes in the series opener into some undersized-5 minutes in Game two.
Here's the latest on Stewart:
Why isn't Isaiah Stewart playing?
Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is out with a knee injury for Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs against the Knicks.
Stewart played 19 minutes in the series opener, but he's now missing time.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that Stewart going forward will be a "day by day" decision.
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Pistons center depth chart
Jalen Duren started Game 1 and is the usual starter, but he got in foul trouble.
Without Stewart, it's likely Duren will have to play on even if he gets early fouls guarding Karl-Anthony Towns.
Behind Duren is just Paul Reed, who at a lithe 6-foot-9 is a favorite of the NBA analytics community but isn't overly equipped to handle KAT defensively.
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