Isaiah Stevens proving he belongs in the NBA

Isaiah Stevens has made a strong case for a two-way contract with the Miami Heat.

Over Miami’s three victories in the NBA Summer League out in Las Vegas, Stevens has averaged 10 points and 8.7 assists per game. He’s shooting 57 percent from the floor and 75 percent from deep. He’s currently a top 20 player in plus-minus as well (+13).

In Wednesday’s 92-79 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Stevens scored 12 points, dished out eight assists and he pulled down four rebounds. He only attempted five shots in the win, so it was a relatively quiet game in terms of shooting volume. But in a lot of ways it was the perfect example of why he’s a good candidate for an opportunity in the NBA.

QB1 pic.twitter.com/85YB6RVX1Y

— Justin Michael (@JustinTMichael) July 17, 2024

Stevens doesn’t need to put up 15 shots or dribble the basketball until it deflates in order to positively impact his team. If the opportunity to swing the ball is there, or an open man is somewhere within his vision, “Zay” is always going to make the right play. He’s as unselfish as he is intelligent, and he’s almost always thinking two steps ahead of the defense. Stevens is the rare kind of player that truly elevates everyone around him.

While Stevens may not be the same high-volume scorer in the pros that he was in Fort Collins, he is most certainly a clutch individual. And he’s more than capable of getting a big bucket when you need it.

After the Mavericks pulled within 2 early in the fourth quarter, Stevens put the ball on the floor and showed off his touch with a gorgeous floater within a few feet of the hoop.

A few minutes later, with Dallas still hanging within two possessions, Stevens drilled a step-back three from 26 feet to extend Miami’s lead to 7 with 6:43 to go. The Mavericks would never get any closer than 5 points down from that point forward.

Though he did have a pair of turnovers late, in the final moments of the game you could see the type of poise that Ram fans were spoiled to watch for five straight years. Over the final 3 minutes alone, Stevens had a defensive rebound, recorded a key assist and he drilled a three. He also went 2-of-2 at the free throw line.

When the game gets intense and the lights get bright, that’s when you want somebody that’s cool, calm and collected to be running the show. As ESPN’s Seth Greenberg consistently pointed out on the TV broadcast Wednesday afternoon, that’s Stevens in a nutshell.

“He does a great job of playing at his own pace,” Greenberg said during the game. “Niko Medved did a great job at Colorado State of getting him ready for this spot.”

“Stevens makes hard plays look simple,” Greenberg would say later on.

“He does a great job of playing at his own pace. Niko Medved did a great job at Colorado State of getting him ready for this spot.”

Seth Greenburg on Isaiah Stevens pic.twitter.com/JUzOoOpi7L

— DNVR Rams (@DNVR_Rams) July 17, 2024

While I could point out that Stevens’ impact is made evident by Miami’s undefeated record, I’ll concede that you kinda have to take all of the results in the Summer League with a grain of salt. Just because the wins and losses don’t matter as much, though, does not mean you should dismiss that the Heat are clearly a better team when he’s out on the floor.

In a recent interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami assistant and Summer League HC Dave Bisaccio praised Zay’s ability to get the offense organized. “I have complete trust in him with that,” he said.

What Stevens is doing well for Miami right now is exactly what you’d want to see from a potential backup point guard on a playoff team. He knows his role and doesn’t try to do too much out there. But he also picks key spots to be a little more aggressive when the moment calls for it.

He may not ever be an All-Star or even a consistent starter in the NBA, but Stevens is more than capable of holding a roster spot and being a role player for a team with aspirations in the coming years. It’s never been more challenging to build a contending team, especially with the new salary cap restraints. Under-the-radar players like Stevens have great value, particularly for teams that have big money invested in their superstars.

A no-nonsense, team-first point guard that can stretch the floor from deep and make any pass on the floor is not something that you can just find on the street.

It’s time for Miami to get Stevens locked down with a two-way deal. Before somebody else recognizes what kind of gem that they have.