Isaiah Stewart is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft. He plays the center position and is known for his defensive abilities, rebounding skills, and high motor. At just 20 years old, Stewart has already made a name for himself in the NBA and has become famous among basketball fans for several reasons.
Physical Profile and Defensive Ability
Stewart’s Large and Strong Frame
One of the main things that Isaiah Stewart is famous for is his large and strong physical build. Standing at 6’9″ and weighing 250 pounds with a 7’4″ wingspan, Stewart has an imposing presence in the paint. His wide shoulders, long arms and strong lower body allow him to hold his ground against bigger opponents and outmuscle others when battling for rebounds.
Stewart’s physicality and strength are major assets on the defensive end. He has the ability to switch onto perimeter players if needed and hold his own. His size also makes him an excellent rim protector, evidenced by his 1.7 blocks per game in college.
Aggressive and Physical Defensive Style
In addition to his physical profile, Stewart plays with an aggressive and physical defensive style. He is extremely active on the defensive end, moving well laterally and contesting every shot he can. Stewart has quick leaping ability for his size, allowing him to challenge shots at the rim.
Stewart is also physical when battling for position, using his strong lower body to carve out space. He is not afraid to give hard fouls when necessary to prevent easy baskets. This aggressive defensive mentality earned him the nickname “Beef Stew.”
Defensive Rebounding Ability
Isaiah Stewart’s size, strength and motor also make him an elite defensive rebounder. He has strong hands and excellent technique when boxing out opponents. His leaping ability and quick second jump allow him to outjump others and secure defensive boards.
In his one college season at Washington, Stewart averaged 8.8 defensive rebounds per game, ranking 5th in the nation. This ability to consistently secure missed shots and end opponent possessions is a huge contribution.
Offensive Rebounding and Finishing Ability
Excellent Motor and Pursuit for Offensive Rebounds
While Stewart makes his biggest impact on defense, he is also famous for his constant pursuit of offensive rebounds. He has an excellent motor and tirelessly chases down loose balls on the offensive glass. Stewart’s size, quick leaping ability, soft hands and ranginess make him a constant threat for putbacks.
In college, Stewart grabbed 4.0 offensive boards per game. His extra possessions from offensive rebounding helped make up for other limitations in his offensive game. Stewart’s hustle and effort on the offensive glass do not go unnoticed.
Strong Finishing Ability Near the Rim
Isaiah Stewart is also known for being an excellent finisher around the basket, converting on his offensive rebounds and other interior chances. He has great touch and body control, allowing him to catch difficult passes in traffic and still finish.
Stewart also uses his wide, strong frame well to carve out space for rebounds and finishes down low. He has multiple moves to finish efficiently with either hand. Stewart shot 77% at the rim in college, demonstrating his excellent finishing skills.
Screen Setting and Diving to the Rim
In the NBA, Stewart has also become an effective screener and dive man out of the pick-and-roll. His wide frame allows him to set solid screens that give ball-handlers an advantage. After setting screens, Stewart quickly rolls or dives forcefully to the rim looking for catches and finishes.
Stewart’s size and finishing ability make him a constant lob threat out of screen actions. He has developed good chemistry with Portland’s guards to become an excellent pick-and-roll finisher.
Motor and Intensity
High Activity Level and Motor
One of the main reasons Isaiah Stewart slipped to the late first round in the draft despite his size and skillset was concerns over his lack of height for a modern center. However, Stewart makes up for this with his incredibly high motor.
Stewart is constantly active on both ends of the court, screening, rolling, battling for position, chasing rebounds and flying around contesting shots. His nonstop energy, activity and intensity help him maximize his abilities.
Stewart’s excellent stamina allows him to maintain his high-energy style for long stretches. He brings contagious effort and competitiveness every minute he is on the court.
Emotional and Competitive Playing Style
Related to his motor, Stewart is also famous for his emotional and competitive playing style. He celebrates big plays with emphatic fist pumps and yells. Stewart plays with a chip on his shoulder, which translates into aggressive box outs, hard fouls and scrappy play.
Stewart clearly cares about winning and losing, which ramps up his intensity. He also shows frustration when calls don’t go his way. While this passion occasionally crosses the line, it motivates Stewart to give maximum effort at all times.
Vocal Leadership and Communication
The final aspect of Stewart’s intensity is his constant communication on the floor. Despite being a rookie, he has already emerged as a vocal leader, calling out assignments and matching up in transition.
Stewart also talks constantly to teammates about effort and fighting for rebounds and loose balls. His communication and leadership demonstrate a high basketball IQ and team-first mentality beyond his years.
Key Career and Rookie Season Highlights
Dominant Freshman Season at Washington
After being named a McDonald’s All-American in high school, Isaiah Stewart lived up to expectations in his lone college season at the University of Washington. He averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks while shooting 57% from the field.
Stewart was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Pac-12. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors from the Associated Press. Stewart’s dominant freshman campaign solidified his status as a first round prospect.
First Round Selection in 2020 NBA Draft
The Portland Trail Blazers selected Isaiah Stewart with the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Portland acquired the pick from Houston as part of the Robert Covington trade. With the selection, Stewart became the highest drafted University of Washington alum since Quincy Pondexter in 2010.
Stewart was the sixth center drafted in 2020, as teams focused more on versatile big men that can space the floor. However, Portland recognized Stewart’s rebounding, defense and motor as valuable NBA skills.
Key Contributions and Increased Role as Rookie
As a 20-year-old rookie, Isaiah Stewart quickly carved out a role in Portland’s rotation with his energy, rebounding and defense. He averaged 5.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in just over 20 minutes per game. Stewart shot 56% from the field on mostly interior chances.
With Jusuf Nurkic suffering multiple injuries, Stewart took on an increased role midseason. In 13 starts, he averaged 9.7 points and 9.5 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game. Stewart’s development as a defensive anchor and pick-and-roll finisher during his rookie year was encouraging.
Looking Ahead: Growth Areas and Role Moving Forward
Developing Mid-Range Jump Shot
Looking ahead, one area of growth for Isaiah Stewart will be continuing to develop his jump shot. While he was not drafted for his offense, Stewart has shown flashes of being able to knock down mid-range shots.
Expanding his range out to the foul line and baseline would help diversify his scoring and create more space for his rolls to the rim. Stewart shot 68% from the free throw line as a rookie, demonstrating decent touch. Converting that into an efficient mid-range shot would make him more versatile.
Switching Ability and Perimeter Defense
Stewart was mostly hidden on weaker offensive players as a rookie, but has shown some ability to switch onto wings and guards. Developing the footwork and technique to effectively switch screens and handle quicker players would make him a much more valuable defender.
With Stewart’s strength and motor, improving his perimeter defense would allow Portland to confidently match him up against almost anyone. Becoming a defensive ace capable of switching across multiple positions seems like a realistic goal.
Maintaining Energy and Intensity
The biggest key for Isaiah Stewart moving forward will be maintaining his high-energy style of play. Now that opponents know what to expect, they will be prepared to match his intensity. Stewart needs to set the tone every night with his effort, motor, communication and competitiveness.
If his energy level drops, Stewart’s limited height and skillset get exposed. Consistently bringing contagious energy and passion is what will keep him on the court. He needs to play every minute hard and not get discouraged if his role fluctuates.
Defensive Anchor and X-Factor Role
Barring major skill development, Isaiah Stewart projects as an elite role player and defensive anchor, similar to players like Ben Wallace and Steven Adams. While he likely won’t ever be a primary scoring option, Stewart can carve out a valuable niche as an energetic rebounder and rim protector who makes winning plays.
Every contender needs a player who can ignite the team with hustle rebounds, hard screens, defensive stops and relentless effort. Stewart has already embraced this identity and could develop into one of the league’s best role players.
His stellar work ethic and competitiveness indicate that Stewart will maximize his talents. If he becomes an elite defender who can also contribute 10-12 points per game on lobs and putbacks while pulling down 10+ rebounds, he will have a long, productive NBA career.
Isaiah Stewart may never make an All-Star team, but could absolutely emerge as an x-factor difference-maker capable of swinging playoff games with his energy. Portland’s patience in drafting and developing him has already paid dividends and should continue to in the future.
Conclusion
Although just 20 years old, Isaiah Stewart has already become famous for several key attributes early in his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers. His wide, strong frame makes him an immovable object on defense and the glass. Stewart couples his physicality with an intense competitive fire and nonstop motor.
Despite being undersized, Stewart’s aggression, communication and hustle help him excel as a rebounder and rim protector. His screening and finishing ability on offense are improving as he develops chemistry in the pick-and-roll.
Stewart’s iconic emotional intensity and vocal leadership also stand out and energize his teammates. If he can maintain his energetic style of play and high effort level, Isaiah Stewart has an extremely bright future ahead as an elite defensive role player and X-factor for Portland. The Trail Blazers landed an outstanding prospect with the 16th pick in 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
What position does Isaiah Stewart play?
Isaiah Stewart plays the center position. He is undersized for a traditional NBA center at 6’9″, but makes up for it with his 7’4″ wingspan, strong frame, and tenacity on the glass and as a rim protector.
How did Isaiah Stewart get the nickname “Beef Stew”?
Stewart’s nickname “Beef Stew” comes from his muscular build and aggressive, physical style of play. At 250 pounds, he has a strong, stout frame that makes him extremely difficult to dislodge when battling for position down low.
What was Isaiah Stewart’s stats in college at Washington?
In his one college season at the University of Washington, Stewart averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 57% from the field. He was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
What pick was Isaiah Stewart drafted?
Isaiah Stewart was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. He was the sixth center drafted.
What are Isaiah Stewart’s strengths and weaknesses?
Stewart’s biggest strengths are his rebounding, effort and defense near the basket. His lack of height and limited offensive skillset are weaknesses, but he makes up for them with physicality and energy. Developing a jumper and perimeter defense would make him a much more complete player.