3 defensive prospects Cavs could target in 2020 Draft if James Wiseman is off board
By Corey Casey
#2: Isaiah Stewart – Center, Washington
Isaiah Stewart is probably the second-best big in the draft after James Wiseman, and the Cavs’ glaring interior defensive issues are well-documented.
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The Cavs again if/when they trade Thompson and/or Henson (given that neither will likely make sense to bring back in a full-rebuild), will need another big, and probably two for the defensive end.
If the Cavs don’t get the guy I believe is the best player in the draft in Wiseman, Stewart is the second-best big in the draft.
I don’t think Stewart is the player Wiseman is, nor do I think Stewart’s the second-best player in the draft, but he could be a good quality big for the Cavs, and defensively, especially.
In a lot of ways, Stewart reminds me of a younger Thompson. Stewart last year in the AAU for the City Rocks averaged 17.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, just under one block per game and shot 60.7 percent overall (per Real GM).
Again Stewart reminds me a lot of Thompson, when Thompson was younger, really, and Stewart, like Thompson, is very blue-colllar, isn’t afraid to do the dirty work and is good at getting the 50-50 balls getting his teams extra positions.
Additionally, Stewart (listed at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, per 247 Sports), is a good interior defender, like Thompson, and is at least a solid presence near the rim in altering shots.
It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Stewart became a similar player Thompson has been when he’s fully healthy, in someone that can at times be a double-double player due to getting putbacks and lobs, like Thompson can.
Ironically, Stewart has similar measurables to Thompson as well.
Stewart doesn’t have the immense defensive upside that Wiseman has, but he’s a good rebounder, is a physical player that is a quality defender on the interior, and does a pretty good job finishing at the rim.