Detroit Pistons: The progress of the “Core 4” from the 2020 NBA Draft
By Ryan Colores
Detroit Pistons: Isaiah Stewart has to stay on the floor
As fans are painfully aware, the Pistons’ previous season placed more emphasis on development than on-court production, and many fans zeroed in on Beef Stew as the player with the highest upside from this class, thanks to his incredible mobility and length on defense. He’s also flashed budding shot-making skills.
So far this season, his impact on any given night tends to boil down to fouls. At times he’s struggled to stay on the court as his foul tally piles up early and often. Now with Kelly Olynyk missing extended time due to a knee injury, Stew’s going to have to hone his abilities to impact games without committing avoidable fouls and taking himself out of games.
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I believe that Stew has the potential to be a game-changing talent on the defensive end, but this potential lies in his ability to control his body when contesting and engaging on defense, while utilizing his exceptional physicality in a way that won’t thwart the Pistons defensive production.
We saw this against Toronto, where Stewart was arguably the most important player on the floor. He played 32 minutes and only committed two fouls while dropping 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing five assists.
Stewart’s development is right on track, as he has improved slightly in nearly every category, but he has to stay on the floor.