Detroit — For the first time in a couple of weeks, the Pistons’ starting group looked somewhat normal again. Isaiah Stewart was back in the lineup at center, with Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes in the backcourt.
That allowed Trey Lyles, who had been substituting as a center, to return to the second unit, a domino effect that put some of the other pieces back in place. Micah Potter and Justin Robinson still were playing big minutes, but Rodney McGruder also found his way to some playing time.
It’s the last remnants of this round of dealing with COVID protocols, and with most of their players returning — Cory Joseph was the last Pistons player to exit protocols, on Thursday — and with some luck, they’ll have some consistency with the rotation again.