Re-drafting the 2020 NBA Draft — 19. Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons — despite a reshuffling of the deck — get the same three players in the first round. Isaiah Stewart thrived in Detroit’s young rotation, earning serious minutes and All-Rookie honors. He’s not much more than a high-energy role player, but the aptly nicknamed “Beef Stew” will stick around the NBA for a while.
Stewart is pretty much locked into the backup center role in Detroit. He doesn’t have a wide-ranging skill set offensively, but at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, Stewart has the bulk and strength to manhandle smaller defenders at the rim. He’s an efficient finisher who runs the floor hard in transition and makes himself available at the rim.
Having added a primary facilitator in Hayes and an elite wing shooter in Bey, Stewart makes sense as the glue to hold it all together. His effort alone can change the calculus of games, while his defense and rim-running make him a perfect complementary piece. That’s what you want with a third first-round pick.