Isaiah Stewart: The Enforcer Every NBA Team Wishes They Had
Isaiah Stewart doesn’t just play basketball - he brings an edge to the court that feels like a throwback to a different era. The 24-year-old Detroit Pistons big man has built a reputation as one of the league’s most physical, emotionally charged players. And while that intensity has made him a polarizing figure among fans, there’s one truth that’s hard to ignore: every team in the NBA would love to have a guy like Isaiah Stewart on their roster.
That’s not just hyperbole. It’s a sentiment echoed by analysts across the league, including Sam Vecenie and Bryce Simon, who recently broke it down on the Game Theory Podcast.
Vecenie put it plainly: “There are 30 teams in the league that would love to have Isaiah Stewart on their team.” Simon followed up with the kind of insight that hits home for anyone who’s ever been in a locker room: “And a whole bunch of teammates that would love to have a teammate protect them the way Stewart does.”
That protection isn’t theoretical. It’s real, and it’s visible.
Stewart’s most recent suspension came after he stepped onto the court during an altercation involving Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges and Pistons teammate Jalen Duren. Stewart wasn’t the instigator, but he didn’t hesitate to back his guy.
That kind of loyalty - the willingness to get involved, to stand up - resonates with teammates, even if it doesn’t always sit well with the league office.
In today’s NBA, where finesse and spacing dominate the headlines, Stewart is a rare breed - an old-school enforcer in a new-school league. He’s not out there just to mix it up.
He’s out there to make sure his teammates don’t get pushed around. And while that may not show up in every box score, it matters in the trenches.
But don’t let the physicality overshadow the substance. Stewart isn’t just a tone-setter - he’s a legitimate defensive force.
According to Basketball Index, he ranks in the 92nd percentile or better in a laundry list of advanced defensive metrics: rim protection, rim disruption, rim deterrence, screener mobile defense, screener rim defense, and help defense talent. Even in post defense, where the bruisers live, he’s in the 72nd percentile.
In more traditional terms, he’s putting up 10.0 points and 1.7 blocks per game - and he’s doing it in just 23.3 minutes a night. That’s efficient, high-impact basketball from a player who understands his role and embraces it fully.
For Pistons fans, Stewart’s value is clear. He’s the guy who’ll dive on the floor, take a charge, get in someone’s face if they take liberties with a teammate.
He’s the guy who plays with heart, grit, and a little bit of fire. And while he may never win a popularity contest outside of Detroit, inside that locker room, there’s no mistaking his importance.
In a league that often rewards flash over fight, Isaiah Stewart is a reminder that toughness, loyalty, and defense still matter. And whether fans love him or loathe him, there’s no denying it - every NBA team could use an Isaiah Stewart.