Detroit Pistons rookie Isaiah Stewart earned the nickname “Beef Stew” this season in large part because of the energy and effort he plays with on both ends of the floor, and that infectious play has trickled down to his teammates.
Oftentimes this season, Stewart is the player creating energy given his hustle, rebounding ability and other plays that may not show up on the box score. He even drew a comparison, to some degree, to Dennis Rodman given the similarities they each display on both ends of the floor.
Stewart is a bit quiet, but his teammates look up to him on the court.
“I’ve never played with somebody that plays as hard as Isaiah,” Pistons rookie Killian Hayes said on Thursday. “Just his energy, we look up to him, especially on the defensive end. The energy he brings us speaks volumes.”
In 53 games this season, Stewart is averaging 6.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Given his play, Stewart leads the rookie class in several categories, including rebounds, offensive rebounds (2.2), blocks (1.0) and field-goal percentage (57.7).
Despite being only in his first season with the Pistons, Stewart has solidified himself as a key player and has emerged as someone the team relies on to create energy. His motor has proven to be invaluable and that figures to continue this season and beyond.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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