Drake Powell

Powell is a young wing prospect who had impressive athletic testing numbers at the combine and possesses intriguing tools on the defensive end. His lack of versatility on the offensive end holds back his overall draft stock, with his scoring coming almost exclusively off catch and shoot threes and straight-line drives in his one season at UNC.

Strengths:

  • High upside on defense with impressive length, leaping ability, and lateral quickness.

  • Shot well on catch-and-shot threes in his one season of college.

  • Can finish plays at the rim off straight-line drives and cuts to the basket.

  • Solid instincts when it comes to blocking shots around the basket.

  • Combination of footspeed and length help him guard 1-3 on the perimeter.

Weaknesses:

  • Hasn’t shown much as an off the dribble scorer, which caps his upside on the offensive end.

  • Slow jump-shot mechanics with a lot of upper body movement that could lead to inconsistencies as a shooter. Didn’t shoot well from the free throw line at UNC, which raises questions about his true shooting touch.

  • Could improve his awareness as an off-ball defender. Can be late to make rotations or get caught watching the ball.

  • Would need to improve his ball handling to unlock more potential as a slasher.