2025 NBA Draft: Drake Powell Scouting Report
Evaluating the North Carolina swingman ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
DRAFT EVALUATION: Top 30-40
LAST BIG BOARD: N/R
NBA ROLE: Point of attack swingman
REMINDS ME OF: Hamidou Diallo, Reggie Bullock
RAW STATS: 7.4 PTS, 3.4 REB (0.7o/2.7d), 1.1 AST to 0.7 TOV, 0.7 STL, 0.7 BLK, 1.8 PF in 25.6 MINS over 37 GAMES
ADVANCED STATS: 4.8 BPM, 13.3 USG%, 58.1 TS%, 3.3 OREB%, 11.4 DREB%, 7 AST%, 12.1 TOV%, 1.5 A/TO, 1.6 STL”%, 2.8 BLK%
Background:
Birthday: September 8, 2005
Height: 6-foot-5¼1 with no shoes
Wingspan: 7-foot
Standing reach: 8-foot-7
Weight: 200 pounds
Father is Dedric, who played basketball in high school and then baseball at UNC. He is currently a regional manager for a global biotech company. Mother is Cherice, who played basketball in high school and also graduated from UNC. She has a master’s degree in rehabilitation psychology and counseling. Has two older siblings, brother Deuce (played basketball at Louisburg College, now attends North Carolina A&T) and sister Cera (played volleyball at Virginia Tech and UConn, currently coaches volleyball). Athletic family background for sure.
Played high school ball at Northwood (NC). As a senior, averaged 17.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. Was named a McDonald’s All-American.
As a junior, averaged 18.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.2 blocks per game.
As a sophomore, averaged 16.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.7 blocks per game.
As a freshman, averaged 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.1 blocks per game.
Committed to UNC before his junior season of high school basketball. UNC was his dream school. First offer was from NC State.
Coach Hubert Davis' dad is his great-uncle: "His dad, Hubert Davis Sr., and his uncle, Tar Heel legend Walter Davis, are my great uncles. Yes, I’m related to Coach Davis on my mom’s side. My grandma is his aunt, so we’re cousins. My great-grandma had 13 children, though, so it's hard to know everyone with such a large family. That's another cool aspect of my recruitment, it's allowed my mom and Coach Davis (who are first cousins) to connect and get to know each other."
Played for Team CP3 in the Nike EYBL circuit. Previously played for Team Loaded NC in the Adidas circuit.
At 2023 Peach Jam, averaged 16.6 points, 10 rebounds, 3.6 assists on 55.6 FG% / 50 3P% / 87.5 FT%.
During the 17-game spring EYBL schedule before that, averaged 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 40.5 FG% / 19.1 3P% / 80 FT%.
Takeaway:
Drake Powell was a five-star recruit and potential top-10 pick in high school, but he had an underwhelming freshman season at North Carolina. It’s hard to pin that entirely on him, as he wasn’t put in a position to maximize his draft stock in college. The UNC prospect’s role/usage in high school was much different, and NBA teams should comb through that tape.
Still, Powell showcased his defensive upside and two-way athleticism. Watching the tape, I saw a league-level defender who will switch across multiple positions (at least 1-through-3) and add value on- and off-ball. In a high end outcome, Powell will develop into a two-way swingman who plays the 2 and the 3, defends some of the best players in the league, knocks down three-pointers with consistency, and expands on his previous on-ball flashes.
Currently, I’m leaning more toward a median or low-end outcome, where Powell adds most of his value on defense but lacks the offensive consistency to be a rotation player until years into his career. I remain unconvinced about the 19-year-old’s shooting, self-creation, and physicality.
I’d feel good drafting Powell in the early second round, although I could see him getting looks around the late teens due to his archetypal tools, unfavorable college context, and pedigree.
Offense:
Was not featured at North Carolina. Very unfavorable pre-draft context. Not unlike recent UNC commits.
13.3 USG% is reflective of minuscule role. Was largely off-ball. Wasn’t allowed to experiment.
Spent most of the time spotting-up and made 40 3P% (36/90) of his catch-and-shoots. Role was very narrow. Chances are that role early on in the NBA might be similar. Hopefully not in the big picture, though.
Volume still needs to go up. 5.7 threes per 100. 45% of his shot this season were threes.
0/5 on off-dribble threes. Again, role was constrained and didn’t let him build on previous-flashes.
30.4 FG% (7/23) on off-dribble twos. Too little volume to truly read into. Plus, never got into an offensive rhythm all season.
Took a lot more off-dribble shots in high school. Liked to play around the elbows. Used a crossover to his right hand sometimes. Avoided getting in sticky situations.
Unsure about the versatility of his three-point shooting. Lacks diversity in his shot diet and has a mixed track record in terms of conversion.
Poor free throw shooter this season. 64.8 FT% (35/54) is not good enough.
82.2 FT% (213 FTA)2 in high school. Previous numbers are better.
Percentages fluctuate from around the floor. For example: shot 50 3P% at Peach Jam, but 19.1 3P% in the spring schedule prior to that. Hard to have true confidence in his jumper.
Slow shot. Release doesn’t look quick, plus with a pronounced (not bad) dip. Seems to me like he’s better at spot-up threes than catch-and-shoot threes.
Off-ball role is projectable if his three-pointer is falling. Scalable fit on most teams, too.
Can attack closeouts. Uses his quick first step to blow by his man. Will use his body control and/or vertical athleticism to finish at the rim.
Forces defenses into rotation. Gets paint touches. Needs to show he can also make the right passing decision. Plus, keep developing his jumper.
Can pick up easy points as an off-ball mover. Jets up and down the court. Cuts behind defenses. Receives and finishes lobs. Would benefit from being on a team with a table-setter.
Needs to attack the rim with more physicality. Mostly uses his athleticism to avoid contact. 25.6 FTr and 1.5 FTA per game are low.
Flashes as a slasher are worth digging into. Very likely has more on-ball juice than what he was able to show at Carolina.
Watch his high school and EYBL tape. Examples of his team clearing out a side for him to get a blow-by dunk. Played on-ball far more.
Can blow-by defenders to score with either explosion or touch. Needs to keep refining handle and finishing, but tools definitely exist.
Handle seems very rudimentary. Mostly in a straight line. Can throw in a hesi. Took few dribbles at Carolina. Can it hold up against NBA defenses?
Makes very basic passing reads. But high school numbers are encouraging to some extent.
1.5 A/TO is good. Makes safe decisions, for the most part.
Some drive and kick moments, but very scarce. Wasn’t allowed to showcase any playmaking at Carolina.
7 AST% is super low (1.1 AST) — 40 AST in 37 games.
12.1 TOV% (0.7 TOV) is also low — 27 TOV in 37 games.
Has to be careful turning the ball over when he attacks closeouts and off the catch.
Defense:
High floor on- and off-ball. Defensive end is where he will add the most short-term value in the NBA.
Switchable. Confident in him guarding 1-through-3 at an NBA level. Will get stops and create events.
Great positional tools and size. Potential to guard some of the league’s best ballhandlers down the line. About 6-foot-6 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan.
Fluid and rangy mover. Real lateral quickness. Covers ground explosively. Can stay parallel to smaller ballhandlers. Leverages his length to smother drives and pull-ups.
Slightly high hips sometimes. Nothing worrying, but can’t always get super low.
0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Numbers will ideally see an uptick. 51 ‘stocks’ in 37 games.
2.5 DBPM is strong. Tape and stats back his defense.
Very reliable motor. Effort on this end did not falter even when he was not showcased on offense.
Makes multiple efforts. You can tell he relishes defending.
Proved he can play a role. Most five-star prospects would have probably dropped their shoulders. Bought in at UNC. Will buy in once he’s in the NBA.
Works hard to stay in front of his man even when technique isn’t perfect.
Functional and explosive vertical athlete. Has a number of awesome two-handed blocks over his career.
Twitchy first jump and long arms are dangerous. Reacts quickly to events.
Diligent about tracking plays. Spots cuts. Tags rollers. Sinks in the dunker. Active and engaged as the lowest defender on the floor.
Generally a timely helper. But needs to be careful sometimes about overhelping. Still, has the tools to recover and also to execute long closeouts.
Strength is his biggest limitation. Very important in today’s NBA.
Needs to add a solid 10-15 pounds to his frame. At the combine, weighed in at about 200 pounds.
Can he guard the four? Needs to become more physical. Not as confident in him doing so as other wing prospects (like Carter Bryant, for instance).
Can get moved on drives and dislodged by bumps. Still alters shots thanks to his length and defensive feel, but wish he gave up less ground sometimes.
Plays tough. Doesn’t back down from a challenge. Will compete in the post. But this can only take him so far, especially once he’s in the NBA.
Gets clobbered by picks on- and off-ball. Keeps going. Navigating screens would be easier with more muscle. Can get rushed when he’s lagging behind, although not to an unusual extent.
All measurements are from the 2025 NBA Draft Combine
via Cerebro
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