The New York Knicks had one of their best seasons in almost 25 years in 2024-25, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter century.
Along the way, they took down a spunky Detroit Pistons squad and the reigning champion Boston Celtics before losing to the eventual East champion Indiana Pacers.
According to one Pistons player, however, if he had played in the first-round matchup between New York and Detroit, the outcome would've been different, and we wouldn't be talking about how great a season the Knicks had last year.
Isaiah Stewart believes the Pistons would've beaten the Knicks if he had been healthy
During the Pistons' media day, Detroit's backup big man, Isaiah Stewart, claimed that if he had played the entire series against the Knicks, they would've won.
"It was definitely frustrating. Had I played, the series would have turned out different. We would have been able to advance. Adding what I do on defense and my task with guarding KAT in that series, I feel like it would have been a different outcome," said Stewart.
Stewart, also affectionately known as "Beef Stew," played sparingly in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs before missing the next five games with knee inflammation.
While mostly used as a reserve player, Stewart is one of the better defensive centers in the league and specifically highlighted the fact that he would've been able to shut down Karl-Anthony Towns during the series.
The Pistons certainly needed a KAT neutralizer, as the Knicks' big man averaged 19.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in the series, while also shooting a whopping 48% from three-point range.
Detroit will hope to get some revenge this season, as both Eastern Conference teams expect to make playoff berths.
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