Isaiah Stewart, Washington
STATS: 17 PPG | 57 FG% | 8.8 RPG
This is a name that’ll seem familiar to some Celtics fans — he was one of the few players mentioned when we assessed some bigs the Celtics could take with the Memphis pick back in January.
Guess what? Stewart is still projected to be on the board when No. 17 rolls around. He might even be there at 26, though waiting that long would be a roll of the dice for the Celtics.
He might be a slight reach at 17, but this guy seems worth it. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward averaged 2.1 blocks per game as a freshman. Stewart can protect the rim.
Now, his ability to switch on the pick-and-roll, that’s an unknown. He’s only 18 years old, so there’s still room for him to develop.
Stewart does most of his scoring on the inside. Not exactly something that plays well in today’s NBA. But, he’s active on the glass — an area the Celtics always seem to need a little help with.