The NBA Draft process is in full go mode as you read this article. The G-League Elite Camp was held in Chicago last weekend. It featured 45 invitees including R.J. Davis. The Draft Lottery, better known as the Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes took place on Monday evening.
Next up on the agenda is the NBA Combine that will be held in Chicago throughout the week. 75 of the top prospects will be in the Windy City. One of those participants is none other than Drake Powell.
The Pittsboro native declared for the draft earlier in the spring, and kept his eligibility open without entering the transfer portal. The high school five-star was considered to be a potential one-and-done prospect, and things are currently trending in that direction.
Powell reported on Monday, and immediately his measurements turned heads. He was officially listed at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds during his freshman season at North Carolina. His combine height on day one was a 6-foot-5 and 1/4 inches. He weighed in at 200.4 pounds.
However, it was his length that created quite the stir. Powell's wingspan was an even seven-feet, and his standing reach was 8'7."
In all, 29 players were measured on Monday. He was in the middle of the pack when it came to wingspan. 13 players had a longer horizontal stretch, but all of them were taller. 11 participants were 6-foot-6 or shorter. Of that group only Cedric Coward was longer by two and one-quarter inches.
The same can be said about his standing reach. Coward was also the only player longer than Powell by the same two and one-quarter inch margin.
Length is a blessing when it comes to what NBA front offices are looking for. Powell already looked like a tantalizing prospect. He is seen to have a certain skill set which revolves around that and his athleticism. Monday's numbers cemented his status.
Several of the most trusted NBA mock drafts have Powell listed in the low to mid-thirties which would place him in the top part of the second round. Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports has Powell predicted at No. 35 based on those intangibles.
"Powell has a chiseled frame that he uses to barrel into defenders at the rim and to contain opponents when he's on defense, "O'Connor writes. "He's a switch everything defender who plays with a high motor, and if his spot-up jumper translates he checks all the boxes to be a 3-and-D role player at the minimum."
The freshman made 36 of 95 three-point tries at North Carolina for a 37.9% average. In comparison he took 116 two-pointers. He shot 48.3% overall, and averaged 7.4 points per game.
Jonathan Givony who is the NBA Draft analyst at ESPN may be the most well known draft scout of all. He projects Powell three spots higher at No. 32 overall which would be the second pick of the second round.
In late April, Givony tweeted, "Drake Powell is someone every NBA team will want to kick the tires in the pre-draft process. 19-year-old, one-time projected top-10 pick who shot 38% for 3, defends and is a smart passer. Didn't have a productive season at UNC, and needs to improve his handle and aggressiveness."
Earlier in the month he described Powell as, "one of the best defenders in the draft."
Jonathan Wasserman of the Bleacher Report places Powell in the middle of the first two projections at No. 34. Player comparisons were made to Will Barton and Keon Johnson. Barton played 13 years in the league, and averaged 11.2 points per game over his career. Johnson is in his fifth NBA season. He averaged 10.6 points last season for the Brooklyn Nets.
Wasserman concludes, "Teams figure to put extra stock into Drake Powell's NBA combine performance and workouts after he spent the year spotting up 49.2 percent of North Carolina's possessions and taking just 5.7 shots per game. Despite the lack of production, there could still be first-round interest based on his outstanding physical profile, defensive projection and 37.9 percent three-point shooting."
Monday's measurements will certainly be a start, but Powell has elected not to play in the two day scrimmages at the combine later in the week. This could very well mean he and his agency believe they already have a willing bidder when draft night rolls around.
The NBA's early withdrawal deadline is June 15 at 5:00 P.M. EST. The NCAA deadline is on May 28 at 11:59 P.M. The draft will be held on June 30.
