If you watch the Detroit Pistons regularly, then you know that Isaiah Stewart is one of the most impactful players on the roster and that his modest counting stats don’t do justice to what he brings to the team.
The defensive energy changes as soon as he steps on the floor, as Stewart has evolved into an absolute stopper at the rim.
Opponents are shooting just 46 percent on shots under five feet when Stewart is the primary defender, the best mark in the NBA over the last five seasons.
And Stewart isn’t only impactful at the rim. He’s adept at switching on the perimeter and will usually defend every guy on the other team at some point in the game.
Some of this has been overshadowed by his reputation for stirring the pot, the technical fouls and the clip of him going after LeBron, which is unfortunate, as Stewart is one of the best defenders in the NBA and should be recognized as such.
That would include being named to the All-Defensive team, an honor he has certainly earned, but one he won’t get as the NBA continues to shoot itself in the foot with nonsensical rules.
Isaiah Stewart and the NBA All-Defensive team
Stewart has finally gotten some positive attention of late, as his defense cannot be overlooked even though he comes off the bench and usually only plays around 20 minutes a night.
It’s that last part that will cost him a chance at the All-Defensive team, as the NBA has added a minute's minimum as well as games played to be eligible for postseason awards.
This has already had a huge effect on the All-NBA teams, as there are several players, including Luka Doncic, who are not eligible as they won’t play 65 games this season.
Players must also play over 20 minutes in 65 games to be eligible for the All-Defensive team, something that Stewart has only done 24 times this season, so he won’t be eligible for the award no matter how good he is or how much he deserves it.
This nonsensical rule completely erases the contributions of bench players in the NBA, which I am sure was not the intent when they added this caveat.
I get it, the league was trying to crack down on load management, but that is not what is happening with Stewart, who gives 100 percent every time he comes into the game and never takes a night off.
I expect the league will take a look at some of these rules, particularly when the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams are not truly representative of the best talent in the league.