Now that the Thunder have been crowned world champions, NBA fans can turn to what really matters. The NBA Draft! Teams will have a chance to paper up the cracks or attempt a complete overhaul. There are pieces to be pieced together, and no player is a better glue guy than North Carolina swingman Drake Powell.
When Powell made it clear that he was staying in the NBA Draft, Tar Heel Nation was able to find closure with a player they had barely gotten to know and love, but now it's time to project his fit. Where can he best grow his game and let his talents improve an NBA franchise. The thoughts are as varied as the outlets. Let's take a look at where several publications have Powell headed.
SI.com
Sports Illustrated has Drake Powell earmarked for the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 22 pick, after trading with the Lakers. It's the highest projected spot for Powell, and it's an interesting pick for Atlanta. The Hawks have former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher occupying the three spot, but if you squint, you can see Powell occupying a lot of the same positions and plays, albeit not at an elite level. But Powell's length, athleticism, and doggedness could keep Atlanta humming along with Risacher rests, and you can see him taking a lot of the threes he does, especially since Powell excelled most in catch-and-shoot scenarios. Powell wouldn't come to Atlanta to take over, but allow Risacher to rest without the team needing to change the way it plays.
ESPN.com and For The Win (USA Today)
Sam Fariss covered this pick a little bit earlier, but let's talk a little more about fit. Boston at pick No. 28 is stuck a bit, as their star player Jayson Tatum will be out for a long period of time recovering from a torn Achilles. Also gone is Jaylen Brown with a knee injury. The Celtics have their best hopes of winning NBA title No. 19 in a rehab facility trying to get right.
What Powell can do is give Boston minutes at the three, play stout defense, and when the stars return, blend in with the background and let Tatum try to make people believe he is a face of the NBA. Personality and aura may be a bridge too far. Drake Powell can't help with any of that.
CBS Sports
CBS has Drake Powell going to the Los Angeles Clippers via trade with Oklahoma City in the final pick of the first round. It's awfully close to "why didn't I drop out of the Draft and take that sweet, sweet NIL money in Chapel Hill?" but we move forward.
CBS speaks only facts when they project Powell as a "high-upside 3-and-D player with room to develop and round out his game." But this scenario is also fraught with peril. The Clippers have been the NBA's oldest team in three of the last five seasons, and rookies aren't featured heavily in the Intuit Dome. If Powell is drafted here, he risks not featuring at least for a year, maybe more. Norman Powell is firmly entrenched as the starting small forward, and Derrick Jones has been productive in back-up minutes.
This is not a scenario Drake Powell should be hoping for.