Isaiah Stewart is a tough and physical big man worthy of attention heading into the 2020 NBA Draft. The Washington product was dominant in the PAC 12, but how will his game translate to the NBA? Let’s take a look at the Isaiah Stewart 2020 NBA Draft profile!
Stewart, 19, was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Stewart grew up in Rochester, New York, dreaming of playing for Syracuse. As an 8th grader, Stewart wanted to take a picture with Jim Boeheim, but Boeheim declined. From that moment on, Stewart had a chip on his shoulder and no longer wanted to play for the Orange.
That’s the type of guy Stewart is. Big, nasty, and has an attitude. Stewart checks in at 6-foot-9, 250, but feels much more prominent with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. As a true freshman, he averaged 17 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while earning first-team All-Pac 12 honors.
Stewart is mostly a one-dimensional low post scorer. He did most of his damage in the low post, schooling the smaller defender one on one. The Huskies center also scored at an efficient rate. Stewart shot 57% from the floor and 77.4% from the free-throw line. It’s an area of his game that he can probably get better and extend his range as he continues to develop.
Defensively, Stewart showed significant promise. Stewart averaged 2.1 blocks per game over 32.2 minutes of action. He allowed 0.825 points per post-up possession (49th percentile). Stewart ranked in the middle of the pack in that category.
Stewart doesn’t necessarily resemble DeAndre Jordan as this rim running center. However, I think Montrezl Harrell could be a great comp. High energy, challenging, and imposing.
Stewart projects to be a middle to late first-round pick. He may be an old school center, but Stewart could easily impact the NBA.
