Drake Powell
Guard
Hyperactive freshman defender with shooting potential.
Yes, I’m about to make a case for an NCAA player with a miniscule 13.3% usage rate. That number is so low, in fact, it ranks as the sixth lowest among all high major college players overall. So then, what’s the pitch?
Well, first, not every player can be high in offensive usage, a simple fact of teambuilding. Nor should every draft swing be a bet on it, as there have been plenty of low usage Hall of Famers. Nor should a team allocate a heavy amount of resources trying out every high usage offensive prospect that they can. Nor should a team allocate a heavy amount of resources trying out every high usage prospect. It can be more beneficial to see how your recent picks all play off of each other, which would mean variety of role and usage.
So, if you’re going to draft a low usage offensive player. They should exhibit a few qualities. First, they should be a very good defender, and preferably a high usage one. Compensating for the lack of energy expense on offense, this player should take advantage by providing suffocating defense. This means both off-ball activity and on-ball energy, both combined with technique. Powell has as much upside as any point of attack defender in the class, possessing quickness, strength, flexibility and the ability to recover quickly. He plays very hard, knowing where his money will be made, prone to make difficult blocks utilizing his seven-foot wingspan and best-in-class 43 inch max vertical leap.
If you’re going to draft a low usage offensive player, you would want them to make the most out of their few touches, as well. This means smart moving of the basketball, an area Powell is adept in, despite his <10% assist rate. He very rarely turned the ball over, but neither did he often venture outside of his comfort zone. When he did, however, we still saw some flashes of high level processing.
In addition, Powell has some upside as a play finisher. While it’s mostly been flashes in a very limited role, Powell’s pull-up jumper has improved rapidly in recent years. This season he was in the 75th percentile for dribble jumper frequency and 83rd percentile in efficiency. As a high school senior he was in the 97th percentile in frequency and 47th in efficiency; in his final EYBL run, 49th and 51st. There has always been experimentation, clearly visible in Powell’s strong technique, both stutter-ripping in the beginning and pivoting at the end of his drives.
Powell’s ceiling is also evident in him being one of the best athletes in class. Not only did he have the best max vertical (albeit with a rigid preference for two-foot leaping), but also finished top ten in lane agility, shuttle run and sprint. The tape backs this: Powell is able to float around the court, imperfect with his positioning but more than compensated by his elite sliding and recovery tools. It’s going to be tough to get past Drake. Don’t let him fall too far.
Matt Powers