Detroit Pistons: Could Evan Mobley play with Isaiah Stewart?

For as rock-solid as Mason Plumlee has been at the ‘5’ this year for the Detroit Pistons, it is evident that he is not the team’s center of the future.

Plumlee has been a savvy, veteran stopgap while Troy Weaver has dismantled the roster and gotten the retooling in motion. The 31-year-old Plumlee’s contract doesn’t expire until 2023, but he could be relegated to the bench if a long-term answer at center emerges.

And that answer could come sooner than later.

If Detroit misses out on the Cade Cunningham sweepstakes, Southern California freshman center Evan Mobley is the next hot target in the 2021 NBA Draft.

The Detroit Pistons could possibly end up with the No. 2 or 3 selection and, depending on where other teams value Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs, be in contention for the 7-foot Mobley in either spot.

Mobley is a slender big man with elite coordination and length. His 7-foot-4 wingspan made him a menace spearheading the Trojans’ defense. He averaged three blocks and one steal a game, while Southern California’s defense was top 10 in the nation in field goal percentage.

All of this is to say that Mobley handily won Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Those accolades are appealing on their own and we haven’t even touched on his rare offensive game.

He is not a consistent 3-point shooter, but he has it in his arsenal. He is only 19 but shows All-Star potential in the pick-and-roll. He can pop, he can attack off the dribble, displays good vision if he needs to kick it out, and has soft touch around the rim.

He lacks traditional post moves but compensates almost everywhere else. He posted 16 points and nine boards a game this season on a roster devoid of other high-level scoring talent.

So what’s not to like?

In theory, not much. His biggest downside is his skinny, 215-pound build, which is not an insurmountable challenge. But to match up with the Joel Embiids and Nikola Jokics  of the league, bulking up is a necessity.

In practice, though, his fit with Isaiah Stewart poses an interesting schematic conundrum.

Detroit Pistons: How would Evan Mobley fit with Isaiah Stewart?

Stewart was drafted as a center, but his defensive versatility and expedited outside shooting development has slid him to the ‘4’ in some lineups. He has hit 10 of 24 3-point attempts, a small but promising sample.

A potential successful Mobley-Stewart frontcourt hinges on Stewart’s growing offensive proficiency.

Right now, both are good but not great shooters. Stewart is a nuisance on the offensive glass, but he is also in the bottom quartile of field goal percentage at the rim, per Cleaning the Glass. With Mobley wreaking havoc down low, Stewart could operate further from the basket.

Stewart has been most dangerous on mid-range shots between four and 14 feet, where he is among the league’s best. The rookie is rarely contested in these looks, though.

Where the pair currently stands, their offensive limitations would either create a logjam in the paint or, with spacing, a non-intimidating modern offense.

Both are standalone prodigious talents down low, but there just isn’t a blueprint for how they would work in tandem.

Currently, there isn’t an accurate frontcourt comparison in the league. The Rockets with Kelly Olynyk and Christian Wood? The Mavericks with Maxi Kleber and Kristaps Porzingis? The Cavaliers with Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen? Those duos don’t exactly inspire confidence, but there are caveats here.

This does not mean pairing the two together would be unsuccessful, it has just rarely been seen before. Stewart would be the bruising power forward and Mobley would be the agile, rangy big man.

Defensively they could get bullied by the NBA’s behemoths, but two athletic big men with 7-foot-4 wingspans is a sound deterrent to quick drivers. Both are relatively switchable and would catapult Detroit’s defense to the top of the league.

On the offensive end, one of Stewart or Mobley has to transform their game to become a more potent pick-and-pop threat. The pie in the sky scenario would be to mold into a prime Chris Bosh, Kevin Love, or, dare I say, like the departed Christian Wood. Stewart making that leap first would make the most sense.

With Killian Hayes orchestrating the offense, there would be an overabundance of energy but not enough shooting in the starting lineup.

The decision to draft Mobley isn’t solely reliant on his cohesion with Stewart in the frontcourt. Mobley can create his own opportunities and anchor a defense. His unique physique and style of play puts him near “unicorn” status.

But how he would synergize with the rest of Detroit’s building blocks could be the difference between a future Championship contender and a momentary playoff team. Or if Mobley or Stewart turn into busts, well, I’m sure you’re familiar with how the Detroit Pistons will look then.