Jamaican Stewart impresses in NBA debut

In his NBA debut for the Detroit Pistons, power forward Isaiah Stewart managed to impress head coach Dwayne Casey, who complemented him on his tenacity as he managed to accomplish a rare feat in his first game.

The 19-year-old Stewart, who is of Jamaican heritage, played 14 minutes in the Pistons 128-120 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. He registered two points, two assists and eight rebounds, five of those being offensive rebounds. According to Stathead ( a sport statistical research website) , Stewart is the second rookie to be hauled in at least five offensive rebounds in a debut game since Jonas Valanciunas in 2012 with the Toronto Raptors.

Casey during his post-game press conference said that the energy that Stewart plays with was one of the main reasons why the Pistons were eager to acquire him.

"I thought he played well. I thought he rebounded well. I thought he created spacing in the paint, in the lane. The young man plays so hard he wears himself out but that is why we brought him here," Casey said. "In fact, his intensity level is so high and once you get that reputation of playing that hard you will get away with a lot in the league."

Stewart was originally drafted 16th by the Portland Trailblazers but was traded initially to the Houston Rockets and ultimately to the Pistons. He spent one year in college with the University of Washington and wore the number 33 in honour of Jamaican -born basketball hall of farmer Patrick Ewing. Stewart's father Delia migrated from Jamaica to the United States in the 1970s.

Despite getting into foul trouble in the game, Casey praised the way that he competed.

"That's who he is. He brings that each and every night; that's not just a one-night thing. He does that in practice, games and we gotta continue to have that," he said. "It sets the tone for us."

Still yet to win a game in the 2020/21 season, the Pistons will end their three-game home stand this weekend when they play the Boston Celtics on Friday and Sunday.