Isaiah Stewart exceeded expectations for the Detroit Pistons last season and hopes to prove his doubters wrong again in year two.
Yesterday we looked at the best and worst-case scenarios for Saddiq Bey and today we’re onto fellow All-Rookie teammate Isaiah “Beef Stew” Stewart.
Some thought the Detroit Pistons had reached when they selected Stewart with the 16th pick last season after making a trade with the Houston Rockets.
Stewart quickly proved them wrong, leading all rookies in blocked shots, rebounds and field goal percentage on his way to making the second-team All-Rookie squad.
He ended up averaging 7.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while showing defensive versatility that made him the best defender in his rookie class.
Beef Stew won over the Pistons’ faithful with his non-stop motor and defense, which many have compared to Detroit legend Ben Wallace.
Stewart will try to build on his successful rookie season and should get every chance to do it.
Detroit Pistons: Why Isaiah Stewart is about to blow up
Isaiah Stewart played mostly in a reserve role last season, backing up starter Mason Plumlee and playing around 20 minutes per game.
He should get more minutes this season, even if he is not in the starting lineup, as the Pistons only have two centers on the roster right now and the other one is Kelly Olynyk, a guy who figures to play some time at power forward.
Stewart also spent the summer playing with the Olympic Select team, so he was going head-to-head with the best players in the world, which should help his confidence and overall skill.
But what is the best-case scenario for Isaiah Stewart next season? Can he find another level? What if he doesn’t?
Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Stewart can become the next Bam Adebayo
Modern bigs are expected to do a lot more than they were in the 1980’s and 90’s, when most centers lived in the lane on both ends of the floor.
Now centers are expected to be able to switch on the perimeter, to stay in front of guards and to knock down shots from long distance.
Guys like Bam Adebayo can make an impact defensively by guarding just about everyone and are tough to cover because they can step out and hit a jumper.
I think the best-case scenario for Isaiah Stewart is that he becomes the next Bam Adebayo, a center who will switch on the perimeter, block shots and knock them down.
Stewart has already flashed more range than Adebayo, hitting 33 percent of his 3-point attempts last season and looking more comfortable shooting them as the season went on.
But it is not all about the 3-pointer as Stewart also hit 54 percent from 10-14 feet, 66 percent from 15-19 feet and 37 percent from 25-29 feet.
People tend to forget that Stewart was ranked as the best center in his class coming out of high school and that he is much more than just a bruiser.
If he can start running a pick-and-pop with Cade Cunningham, it is going to be very difficult to stop, and will raise the ceiling of what Stewart can be overall.
I think the best-case scenario is that he averages 12 points a game, pulls down close to 10 rebounds and continues to block shots at a high rate, averaging close to two per game.
Stewart can morph into a double-double machine who blocks shots and is more than just dunks and put backs on offense. If he develops a jumper he can be a future All-Star.
But what if he doesn’t?
Detroit Pistons: Worst-case scenario for Isaiah Stewart
I think the Detroit Pistons can count on Stewart bringing effort and energy every night and that his defense and rebounding will improve this season.
By all accounts he is a hard worker who is not going to slack on that end.
That’s why I think the worst-case scenario is that Beef Stew falls in love with the 3-point shot, and shoots too many of them at the expense of other parts of his game.
It’s nice to have a center who can shoot, but not if he is living at the 3-point line, as Stewart is too valuable as an offensive rebounder. He needs to show he can hit shots so that teams don’t just leave him alone, but he doesn’t want to get carried away.
The worst-case scenario is that Stewart spends the season experimenting with his 3-point shot instead of just letting it come in the natural flow of the game. If he’s not making them at a decent clip, he could start to lose confidence and the aggression that makes him who he is.
I don’t think Dwane Casey will allow this to happen, as he is going to preach defense first with all of his guys, but modern players can get obsessed with shooting, so it will be a tricky balance between wanting growth from Stewart but not getting it at the expense of what he is already very good at.
I don’t foresee a “sophomore slump” for either Stewart or Saddiq Bey, and look forward to watching the two of them progress and continue to outplay their respective draft position.