After trading Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies to open up cap space to make further moves in the offseason, the Detroit Pistons wasted no time replacing him. It will obviously be very difficult to replicate everything Stewart gave the Pistons, including his energy, intensity, rebounding, and shot blocking. However, the Pistons did their best to draft a player who can do many of the same things.
Towards the end of the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Pistons acquired the 53rd-overall pick to select Ugonna Onyenso out of Virginia.
Who is Pistons' new center Ugonna Onyenso?
The calling card for Onyenso is his rim protection. He was arguably the best shot-blocker in the draft class, averaging a whopping 2.9 blocks in 18.6 minutes per game. His block percentage of 17.4 led the country last season.
The 6'11 center has to improve in other areas of his game, especially offensively. He is a limited offensive player who makes most of his damage in offensive rebounds. He struggles catching the ball and doesn't have the footwork to get himself in good positions to score.
However, Onyenso has displayed a nascent shooting ability last season. This is reminiscent of Stewart, who, despite not being a good finisher around the basket, has a good touch outside the paint and is willing to take open threes, which can help spread the floor.
Onyenso doesn't have to provide much on the offensive side of the ball to be a solid second-round selection. If he can translate some of his defensive success to the NBA, he could make an impact in a limited role off the bench.
Pistons fans can be encouraged by Onyenso's ACC Tournament play. In three games, he had a total of 21 blocks. His performance against Duke's Cam Boozer was particularly noteworthy, putting up nine blocks in 22 minutes and holding the No. 3 overall pick to his worst game of the season. Boozer finished with 3/17 from the field for 13 points.
Despite all the encouraging and impressive performances, there is a reason Onyenso was a late second-round pick. He lacks the speed and versatility on the defensive end to play anything but drop coverage. This limits his ability to be a starter in the NBA, but the Pistons already have Jalen Duren in place. Paul Reed will be his backup next season.
If Onyenso can give them quality play whenever injuries hit or against a specific opponent, where you can benefit from keeping him around the rim as a deterrent, that will be more than enough.
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