Drake Powell with a 43" max vert, a whole 3.5 inches higher than the next best (Carter Bryant).
He put up some huge testing numbers at the combine. I liked him as a flyer at #38 even before this. He might not make it there, but he's on my radar.
He isn't even Cooper Flagg's agent.![]()
Drake Powell with a 43" max vert, a whole 3.5 inches higher than the next best (Carter Bryant).
He put up some huge testing numbers at the combine. I liked him as a flyer at #38 even before this. He might not make it there, but he's on my radar.
I’ve really liked Powell all season long because of his tools. He was hidden behind upperclassmen in the rotation often and was mostly relegated to being in the corner but he’s a very good physical defender who can hit shots and possibly maybe hopefully has more unlocked on ball potential as well.
He’s probably a year away though and I’m not sure he can play the 3 which would limit his upside a bit. Don’t think he lasts to 38 after the combine.
If Flagg does not want to play for Dallas and prefers Spurs yes he can force a trade. However he will literally get booed every time he plays in Dallas the rest of his career. He should just play for Dallas those fans don't need anymore disappointment.
Powell measured almost identical to another UNC guy we know pretty well: Danny Green.
Powell: 6'5.25" w/o shoes, 7'0" wingspan, 8'7" standing reach, 200 lbs
Green: 6'5.25" w/o shoes, 6'10" wingspan, 8'7" standing reach, 208 lbs
Powell is the much much better athlete. (standing vertical was reported at 37.5", also some of the best numbers ever)
so yes, Powell can play the 3, he can easily put on some more weight, if he ends up like 210-215 he will do fine as a SF.
scouts see him as a prototypical wing stopper and his numbers all indicate he can become a good 3&D guy in the NBA.
Yeah you’re right. For some reason I thought he measured an inch shorter.
I don’t think guys who measure about 6’5 or 6’6 barefoot would have any issues playing the 3 in the NBA. Not many 3s are taller, it’s just that players were reported with their height in shoes in the past. The thing is for them to be long and strong, like JDub or Jaylen Brown. For that same reason I see no problem at all for Castle to play as a 3 long term.
the numbers come from the NBA basketball without borders combine 2024, so the number should be legit. (was even 9'3.5")
totally agree. people forget that Kawhi isn't that tall as well. 6'6" barefoot. but he has the crazy wingspan (7'3") and he is strong, so he can defend 4s as well.
looking at this draft, Powell and Coward more or less will fall in that category, just considering the physical profile.
Coward has shot up draft boards after the combine for sure. He has a weird history, playing in small schools, then being injured for most of last season but his efficiency numbers are off the charts in every aspect and he has the tools to match. No idea how to evaluate him on 6 games. Could be the next JDub, could be Ousmane Dieng.
yes, it's all about projections. but some teams will put it that way: what if he had played the whole season and continued with what he did the two games before he hurt his shoulder? he might have delivered a season that dominant, that he would have been a 1st round, or even lottery prospect from, let's say, January.
but on top of that, he will do great great interviews. he is a very mature, very humble, very confident personality, gives well thought out and analytic answers. seems like a natural born leader and hard worker.
some interesting points in this interview. he started playing football, grew late, switched to basketball. so that might explain somehow, why he didn't come out highly recruited and had to take the longer route to the NBA.
wtch the interview: Cedric Coward on Journey From D3 to 1st Round NBA Draft Pick | Full Interview - YouTube
and that's a nice comparison: Player Comparison | Tankathon
Coward is pretty much the Jalen Williams from this years draft.
Last edited by Vienna; 05-14-2025 at 04:40 AM.
Because he is a good player, and running 3 guards rotation will be the thing. If there is an option to get him, move Vassell and #14 and couple SRPs. Celtics would save a lot money in taxes over 4 years.
I didn’t say he was. You do know how Fox got here, right?
Why does NBA.com suck so bad at posting the measurements and athletic testing for the combine. NFL posts that stuff immediately. I know last year they had to take it down because they incorrectly posted Castle as 6’2 without shoes. Are they writing all these measurements down on paper and then plugging them in. Pathetic lol Be better
As someone who believes in Fleming's shot eventually translating, he was fairly disappointing in the shooting drills. Spot-up 3pt was okay (16/25) but off-dribble 2pt (15/30) and 3pt star (9/25) were disappointing. It's low sample size so it's not a huge factor but definitely points to him being a stationary shooter which is not an archetype I value. You're really drafting him based on defense and potential, and it's hard for me to consider that at 14 given some of the other combine results. Specifically, Yaxel Lendeborg and Cedric Coward warrant a closer look.
Some sanity. People are getting a little outta control on Fleming.
Good news that Fleming didn't shoot well at the Combine.
Otherwise he would rise to top 10 and out of reach for us.
Because his agent is Rich Paul?
Being a movement shooter is extremely difficult. I wouldn't put too much stock in those drills anyway. They don't matter much - we've seen them play.
I would rather keep our positional size advantage and not have Fox/Castle/Harper play SF. We tend to lose games with our backups in, so it's would make most sense to just rotate those 3 players to keep 2 of the 3 on the court at all times. Then we just need size, shooting, defense and rebounding at the forward positions. If Castle and Sochan can improve their shot it really rounds out a solid team.
(rough minutes)
PG/SG Fox (32) / Castle (32) / Harper (32)
SF Sochan* (32) / Champ (16)
PF Barnes (32) / Fleming (16)
C Wemby (32) / 2nd Round Pick (16)
*If Sochan becomes a legit 3pt threat, I have him starting as a POA defender and crashing the boards.
This also frees up Vassell and Keldon for trade (either a veteran PF/C or move up to draft a better PF/C than I have listed - like Danny Wolf, Yaxel Lendeborg or Johni Broome).
They are in the Big Ten (finished 11th). They lost to Kennesaw State which is probably a mid major.
The NBA is so unprofessional it's frightening.
The people who suggest that the Bucks can get both Castle and the number 2 pick, plus fillers and additional draft picks are seriously ing re ed. I would disown this franchise if they gave all that up for a 3-4 year rental.
Yeah it's silly, Bucks have zero leverage.
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