The NBA is often criticized for having lost its edge in recent years, with players becoming excessively friendly with each other. That doesn’t seem to be the case around the league, as Detroit Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart reportedly punched Suns’ center Drew Eubanks in the tunnels before the game between Phoenix and Detroit tonight.
Stewart was escorted from the arena and will likely face serious consequences for this.
“According to those sources, both Stewart and Eubanks were going chest-to-chest before a swing to Eubanks’ lip area connected. Police needed to get involved to separate the two and were called to the scene. Stewart left the arena following the altercation with members of the Pistons’ staff. The NBA is expected to receive footage to review.”
The Phoenix Suns were quick to issue a statement, implying that law enforcement had been involved in this situation.
“The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable. We unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA.”
UPDATE: “Phoenix Police arrested Isaiah Stewart for assaulting Drew Eubanks. Stewart was issued a citation and released. The investigation remains active.”
BREAKING NEWS from @azfamily Phoenix Police arrested Isaiah Stewart for assaulting Drew Eubanks. Stewart was issued a citation and released. The investigation remains active.
— Mark McClune (@MarkMcClune) February 15, 2024
Isaiah Stewart is known to have a short temper. The most famous moment of his NBA career up until now isn’t any on-court achievement with his skill or success, but the time he chased after LeBron James with a bloody nose. Stewart had been left bleeding by a careless LeBron foul, but the then-rookie Stewart started body-tackling people trying to get his hands on LeBron.
His mentality was already exposed that day, with the league doing nothing more than giving him a two-game suspension. This time, it surely will be a deeper punishment. Given Stewart is averaging 11.0 points and 6.8 rebounds, he would hope he gets another chance from the Pistons.
The Pistons Lack Maturity
The Pistons have had problems all season that deal with the maturity of the team. Making NBA history with the longest losing streak in the history of the league isn’t a sign of a competent team, but the team has been trending upward in recent weeks. They’re still putting up a strong fight against top-tier opponents, even though they’re losing those games. They’re currently 8-45 as the worst team in the NBA.
They have a genuine shot at moving up the standings to not end the season as the worst team in the league, with the Wizards having a 9-44 record. Monty Williams was given the biggest head coach contract (at the time) to change the fortunes of this franchise, but he has seemingly taken another step back from the league-worst record the team had last season under Dwayne Casey.
Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Ausar Thompson may all develop into stars one day, but they’re trying to learn how to win right now. With veterans such as Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks traded away, the Pistons will hope veterans such as Evan Fournier have a positive impact on the locker room.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
