Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons may not be the best shot blocker in the NBA, but he’s the league’s best rim protector and has been for two seasons.
That was the central thesis on a recent episode of The Zach Lowe Show, where the host and Fred Katz claimed that Stewart may be the best rim protector in the league.
They cited that he held opponents to 46 percent on layups and dunks last season, which was the best in the NBA in a decade. He’s leading that category again this season, and the brave fools that keep trying him at the rim usually find out why that is a bad idea.
Stewart has been getting his hands on practically everything this season, blocking just under two shots per game, mostly as a bench player. His blocks per game are currently tied for 4th in the league, but Stewart is far more concerned about stops than blocks.
Isaiah Stewart wants the stop, but he’ll take the block
Victor Wembanyama is leading the league in blocks, which isn’t a surprise given that he’s a 7-foot-5 unicorn, but Stewart is just as imposing at the rim, especially considering he’s eight inches shorter.
Wemby hunts blocks, and he should, as he can get them from just about anywhere, and he often blocks shots when it looks like he’s been burned. If you try to go around Wembanyama, you had better get some space or it’s getting blocked. The only way to neutralize his shot blocking is to go right at him.
You can’t do this with Stewart, who is one of the strongest players in the league and uses his body to reject defenders before he even tries for the block.
Stewart tries to form a wall in the air with his body and then uses his arms to finish the job, but he couldn’t care less if he gets the block as long as he gets the stop.
This was one of my problems with Jalen Duren last season, as he was hunting blocks, often falling for pump fakes and going for shots he had no chance to get, which left him out of position.
Stewart is all about positioning and strength. He doesn’t reach or go for blocks he can’t get, but lets the play come to him, gets the top below the shoulders and finishes the job up top.
Duren has certainly learned from that and been much better this season about not block hunting and instead using his immense strength to disrupt shots at the rim before chasing the block.
Stewart is never going to get the attention Wembanyama gets, but he’s just as effective (if not more so) at the rim and does it without sacrificing position or chasing blocked shots.