DJ Steward came into Duke as a top 25 recruit known for shooting, and despite being dealt a tough hand at Duke, he still found ways to contribute even when things weren’t going his way. As a freshman, Steward averaged 13 PPG, 4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG, and 2 TOPG on shooting splits of 43/34/81. Below is his full scouting report:
Height/Weight: 6’2/ 162
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’7/8’2.5
Hand size: 9
Position: Combo Guard
College: Duke
Tools: Shooting, defense
Pros:
- Excellent shooting touch
- Shoots best on catch & shoot, but very good shooting off the move and stepping into shots
- Excellent defensive footwork laterally
- Good vision with patience
- High motor and is willing to crash the glass
- Good finisher at the rim and comfortable absorbing contact on shots
- Comfortable in P&R as a scorer
- Solid footwork out of triple threat
- Intelligent cutter
Cons:
- A bit of a tweener
- Below the rim finisher
- Needs to add lots of strength
- Slightly late in recognizing rolling big man in P&R
Overall:
DJ Steward has an NBA role carved out quite clearly for him, with the league’s emphasis on shooting and playmaking. While he is undersized at 6’2, he has outstanding feet defensively and can stay in front of nearly anyone, while also being able to drive and absorb contact on the offensive end. Despite being an under-the-rim finisher, he still had solid efficiency at the rim, displaying nice touch, craftiness, and always showing an aggressive mindset in attacking the basket. If his slashing translates while his playmaking and shooting work, Steward has an easy role as a rotation player in the NBA. The one area he needs to improve on defensively is recognizing pick & roll switches more, but that also could be a function of the college environment, where teams don’t have nearly as sophisticated P&R coverages as the NBA does. Steward has a great foundation for his game on both ends, with a high basketball IQ, good footwork in every regard, and an effortless jump shot.
Similar to: Immanuel Quickley, Coby White, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Raul Neto, Jevon Carter, CJ Watson
Projected draft range: 35-60
Games watched: Illinois, ND 12/16 , VT 1/12 GT 1/26, NC State 2/13, Wake Forest 2/17, Syracuse 2/22
Expected role: Backup guard in a lineup with a lead ball-handler that provides a unique spacing/ P&R combination, and isn’t a liability on defense. Hard worker who looks to get better.
Unplayable if: Short wingspan hurts his defensive impact, and being a tweener guard at an unfavorable size limit his offensive impact
Exceeds expectations if: Jump shooting translates well and college 3 point percentage undersells him as a shooter, and is probably closer to a 40% shooter in the NBA. Additionally, his defense translates, likely due to added strength, and his playmaking is capable enough to coexist as a 1A/1B playmaker in a two-guard lineup.
Best fits:
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Indiana Pacers
- Brooklyn Nets
