Isaiah Stewart, Washington Huskies.
The NBA Draft is an important time for the Washington Huskies basketball program. UW fans can celebrate former players’ achievements as they get rewarded with a chance to play at the highest professional basketball level.
When more Huskies make it to the NBA, Washington becomes a more desirable destination for top recruits. Last year two Washington players were selected in the draft Matisse Thybulle (1st round, 20th overall, Washington Wizards) and Jaylen Nowell (2nd round, 43rd overall, Minnesota Timberwolves). That brought the total number of Huskies who played in the NBA during the 2019–20 season to nine.
Due to COVID-19, the draft will be much different than it has ever been. The NBA recently wrapped up a virtual combine for prospects, just in time for Draft Night on November 18.
This year young UW forward Isaiah Stewart predicted to be (for the most part) first-round picks. We audited 40 mock drafts, including The Athletic, CBS, NBC, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, and The Ringer, to reach a consensus of where Isaiah Stewart will get drafted.
He left school after his freshman season. Some think Stewart should have stayed and further developed his game. Others believe there are no guarantees about the viability of a full 2020-21 college basketball season, and he was right to leave.
Let’s see what the mock drafters think.
Judging by the wide difference in opinions, the jury is still out on Stewart. During his lone season in Seattle, he was a force inside for the Washington Huskies. Last year, Stewart scored 17.0 points and pulled down 8.8 rebounds per game.
Scouts love Stewart’s high energy, physicality, work ethic, and especially his 7-4 wingspan. He doesn’t shy away from doing the dirty work on the glass. Stewart is also an outstanding defensive player. Physically imposing in the low post, he treats the paint as if it belonged to him, and trespassers will be punished. Traits that every team can use.
For as good as Stewart is down low, he doesn’t do nearly as well from further out. The first team All-Pac-12 center struggles with his shooting range. Additionally, Stewart doesn’t possess great athletic ability. With a premium on smaller and faster in the NBA, Stewart is a limited player.
“He’s one of the most liked bigs by front offices due to his terrific work ethic and motor…Evaluators are also big believers in his ability to shoot the basketball. Folks who went up to Washington’s practices this season said that he was knocking shots down from distance with ease. He also hit 77 percent of his free throws. Ultimately though, Stewart will be a rim running, rim protecting 5 who rebounds it well and provides a tough interior presence.” – Sam Vecine, The Athletic.
By all accounts, Stewart was a hit when interviewing with prospective teams. That’s why it’s strange how much he fell between mock compilations. Stewart wasn’t a first-round pick in 14 of 40 mocks.
As far as the 26 mocks he appears on, opinions are highly varied. New Orleans at 24 and New York at 27 came up the most in one spot, with for each. Boston has three first-round picks, and Stewart’s name came up to join the Celtics seven times (14th, 26th three times, and 30th three) just at different picks.
Stewart fits in well with Boston’s “make them pay on the boards” philosophy. The Celtics have many interchangeable parts at the power positions. Where he fits in among them is a separate question. Boston is a favorite in the Atlantic Division. How much time can a rookie get there?
New York is an intriguing option. Stewart would be stuck behind Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson. Then again, Gibson has a $1M buyout, Portis has a team option for 2020. Additionally, this is the last guaranteed year of Randle’s contract. He has a $4M buyout for 2021-22. The Huskies big man could find himself as a starter at Madison Square Garden in a year.
Other places Stewart might end up: 17th – Minnesota, 19th – Brooklyn, 20 – Miami, 22nd – Denver, 23rd – Utah, 25th – Oklahoma City (2), 28th Oklahoma City (2), 29th Toronto (2), 36th – Philadelphia, 37 – Washington, 39th – New Orleans.
This time all mocks that went through two rounds included Stewart.
Stewart is a bit undersized but has very long arms and probably came second only to Bane in terms of interview raves – everyone loves him. – John Hollinger, The Athletic.
Imagine how awesome the Washington Huskies basketball team would be if McDaniels and Stewart stuck around for one more year.