14. Boston Celtics – Isaiah Stewart, C
The Boston Celtics fell short of a trip to the NBA Finals when their greatest weakness was exposed by the Miami Heat. This team needs a dominant big man to fill in the gap and Isaiah Stewart could be their answer.
Until late in the series, Daniel Theis was abused by the Heat’s zone defense. On the other end, Bam Adebayo feasted on the slower footed Theis. This places emphasis on grabbing a prospect like Stewart who can defend the perimeter and create shots in the middle of the floor.
Stewart averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season. He didn’t display touch outside of the paint but finished close to 60 percent of his overall attempts. Stewart will be an improvement for the Celtics and could be the key to pushing them over the top.
Of course, Stewart could end up being stuck as an undersized center who can’t shoot the 3-pointer. This is a concern the Celtics will have to consider when taking Stewart late in the lottery.