NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball goes first in 2020 NBA Redraft
38. . Center. Orlando Magic. Isaiah Stewart. 15. player
The Detroit Pistons fully embraced their rebuild this past season, embracing a tank that would end with the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. In the 2020 offseason, they traded a combination of players and second-round picks to come away with three first-round picks in the top 19 picks. One of the players they came away with was Washington center Isaiah Stewart.
The bruising 250-pound center, nicknamed “Beef Stew” by some brilliant individual, led the rookie class in total rebounds and rebounds per game, including 2.3 offensive rebounds per game despite playing just 21.4 minutes per game.
Stewart is purely a slightly undersized center with negligible perimeter skills on either end of the court. He is growing into a strong rim protector, and he can defend in the post, but he is likely not nimble enough to safely switch onto the perimeter regularly.
The Orlando Magic have been trying to find their young center of the future for years, and Stewart could be a solid choice on a roster still hunting for perimeter creators to pair with him. He does all the little things a team wants from their center, setting crushing screens and cleaning the glass. The Magic could use a player who just fills a role every single game.