What experts are saying about Drake Powell draft pick

USA Today

6 days ago

What do the experts think of Brooklyn drafting Drake Powell?
Night one of the 2025 NBA Draft is officially in the books, and while the North Carolina Tar Heels didn't have a lottery pick this year, they did have a first-round pick. The Atlanta Hawks drafted freshman Drake Powell and then sent him to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a previously agreed-upon trade.
Powell goes in the first round after just one season at North Carolina, and was one of five Nets' first-round picks on Wednesday night. Going into this draft, Powell was being mocked as a late first round pick or early second round pick but has now found his home with the Nets.
Following the first night, multiple outlets have released their draft grades and thoughts for picks and teams. Here is what they are saying about the Powell pick.
The Athletic
Here is what John Hollinger had to say about the Powell pick:
Powell is the best athlete left on the board but his offensive projection is a bit concerning. If he makes it is likely to be as a defense-and-energy guy. Brooklyn will hope it can fine-tune his shooting and decision-making to the point that Powell has rotation-level utility.
For the Win
For The Win graded every pick and here is what they had for Drake Powell.
The Nets are throwing darts by selecting North Carolina freshman Drake Powell. The former McDonald's All-American wing didn't show a ton while at Arizona. He averaged just 7.4 points per game, though he will earn his living on the defensive end of the floor. This is a bet on his athleticism, especially after he led the NBA Draft Combine with a 43-inch max vertical. He also performed well with the three-quarter sprint and the shuttle run. This isn't the most exciting pick, but for a team that has so many young players coming in next season, it's a solid pick.
Grade: C+
Yahoo! Sports
Here is how Yahoo! Sports graded the pick:
Grade: A
Powell has a chiseled frame that he uses to barrel into defenders at the rim and to contain opponents when he's on defense. 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 a minimum for the Nets. But as a projected lottery pick entering college, maybe he'll tap back into the shot-creating upside that he was once recruited for.
CBS Sports
Here is how CBS Sports graded the pick:
This is a little bit of a reach. The upside is a 3-and-D wing but the offense is not there yet. It's a major work in progress. Good athlete. Good defender with long arms. High character kid. Not NBA ready right now. The theme of this class for Brooklyn is they seem to think they can develop shooters. If these guys can develop as shooters, they'll be fine. I don't think he'll help the Nets next year. It's only because of my faith in the Nets' player development program that I'm not being more harsh. Grade: C+
Nets Daily
Here is what Lucas Kaplan wrote on Powell as part of a recap of the Net's picks:
Drake Powell is a major outlier in Brooklyn's draft class. He had one of the lowest usage rates in all of high-major NCAA basketball last year, but the five-star 2024 recruit posted decent shooting numbers and has awesome, athleticism-based defensive potential.
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