Justin Powell Draft stock

[AuburnArch13 185]

 

Wake Up (12/25): Auburn's Justin Powell

It’s Christmas Day, one of the most exciting days of the year, might be second behind NBA draft day every year. If I’ve learned anything about basketball in 2020 it’s that we have seen so many breakout players and so many players flying under-the-radar because, with COVID-19, things have been extremely different.

With the NBA draft months away and the college season continuing, I will begin this series with tons of excitement and we will give you draft sleepers all year long.

The way this series will work is we will analyze several areas of each prospect's game and give you thoughts and background on each prospect we detail. Regardless if they’re on [mock] draft boards currently, if I believe they should be considered a draft prospect, you’ll hear about it.

For our Christmas edition, we head to the SEC where Auburn and Bruce Pearl may have gotten one of the biggest steals of the 2020 class in Kentucky native Justin Powell. Prospect, KY is the home of the 6-foot-6 guard that has been a stud for the Auburn Tigers this year.

Powell was labeled as a four-star recruit by several outlets and was ranked as high as a Top-80 prospect. He attended Trinity High School (KY) for his first two high school seasons before transferring to the national powerhouse, Montverde Academy (FL), where he teamed up with Precious Achiuwa (Miami Heat first-rounder), Cade Cunningham, Moses Moody, and plenty of more high-level prospects.

He would end up making a return to Kentucky to play at North Oldham High School where he was averaging 22.7 points and nearly eight rebounds a game before having his senior campaign cut short due to a Sports Hernia injury. Powell was rising on boards and had drawn looks from schools like Georgia, Kentucky, Syracuse, Purdue, Vanderbilt, others.

Fast forward to the present day. Auburn is without five-star recruit Sharife Cooper and is figuring out life without Issac Okoro, Austin Wiley, Daniel Purifoy, Samir Doughty, and others. Who has helped lead them to an early 6-2 record? True freshman Justin Powell.

In his first eight games, five of those in which he started, he’s averaging 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and nearly five assists per game. Powell has been seen as just a shooter but believe me, he’s proved that he can be much more than that and for that. I will show you why Justin Powell can be considered as a sleeper draft prospect.

Scoring:

I’m going to start with the more obvious area that Powell excels in and that’s his scoring ability. Obviously being a multi-dimensional scorer, we’ve seen his ability to score on multiple levels, and I’ve seen many flashes of high school Justin Powell this season with Auburn. He’s a very fluid scorer and plays with so much poise on the offensive end.

He’s an excellent scorer off the dribble and is a matchup nightmare just due to his quick release off the catch and off the dribble. I think with Powell his outside shooting is going to take him places in this game but as far as maintaining that skill and advancing level-wise you have to be able to be flexible and he’s been able to display his ability to score on all levels and that is including points in the paint, and that’s where my next point becomes useful.

Powell has also developed physically since arriving at Auburn and I’ve noticed a major leap in his development. In watching Powell in high school and now watching him with the Tigers, I’m seeing much more explosiveness and versatility, he’s also sharpened his handle on top of that and he’s become a much more aggressive scorer and has shown his ability to get to the rim and get a bucket.

With the season moving along at a quick rate, I expect continuous growth from Powell in the scoring area. He was scoring anywhere from 7-8 points per game off the bench in his first three college appearances. After becoming a starter, in five games, Powell scored 26 points in back-to-back games and is continuing to be that scoring threat for the Tigers.

Playmaking:

I mentioned this when discussing his scoring but man, Powell has become way more explosive than he was at the high school level and he’s used it to his advantage not only in the scoring area but on both the defensive end and also in terms of his playmaking.

This season, Powell is averaging five assists per contest. His ability to read an offense and find his teammates has been noticed. In his last two games, Powell has totaled 13 assists and has looked the part of an elite playmaker at the Division One level. He’s been making very nice reads and has been able to find his defenders and make extremely sharp and pinpoint passes.

Bruce Pearl has been using Powell in the pick-and-roll and Powell has done a very nice job in finding his teammates off the screen and it has lead to scoring for the Tigers. Point is, Powell has been seen as a primary scorer but this year I would label him as an offensive threat all due to the fact that he’s expanded his game and has turned himself into a polished all-around threat on that end.

In addition, playmaking-wise, Powell like I mentioned earlier, has sharpened up his handle. Along with that quickness with his sharp dribbling, he’s created tons of scoring opportunities for himself and is super explosive. I’ll say it again, he’s an absolute nightmare to play against just because he’s a multi-dimensional offensive player.

He’s extremely explosive and uses that quick first step to create scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. You’re pretty much in a lose-lose because if you guard Powell tight you have to be aware of that quick first-step and his playmaking ability. If you give him as much as an inch of space, Powell is launching with that quick release.

Defense:

Powell continues to show improvement on the defensive end as well. It seems as if he’s adjusting and it’s happening early for the Tigers. Quick feet and Powell with no shortage of size standing at about 6-foot-6. We’ve seen him record multi-steal games and the defensive end is an area that I expect Powell to grow in.

In each of Auburn’s last three games, Powell has been able to record at least one steal per game. Not an eye-popping stat but his ability to read passing lanes and use his quickness to catch the defense off guard has been impressive to me.

I think it will be interesting as SEC play approaches to see how Powell is able to stand his ground against the elite competition and toughness in the Southeastern Conference. He doesn’t lack size and Auburn usually does very well developing players physically and Powell has clearly added muscle since arriving on campus this summer.

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Overall, I chose Justin Powell for this series because I believe he could be considered as a draft prospect even for next year. Nobody expected him to come in and put up numbers like this right away, even the people who have seen Powell play prior.

Obviously, with departures and guys like Sharife Cooper being out, it has given Powell the chance to cement his spot as one of the SEC’s top freshmen prospects. I think he will continue to get looks from the NBA as he continues to strive under Bruce Pearl, a guy who continues to bring professional basketball players to Auburn.

 

https://stockrisers.com/s/264/wake-up-1225-auburns-justin-powell

[AuburnArch13 185]

Still don’t really see JP as a 1-and-done type of guy,  but it’s pretty crazy what he’s done for us through his first 8 games -leading the team in points, assists, and rebounds, all while playing out of position. Will be exciting to see what he can do at the two if and when we get Cooper back in the fold. 

[fredst 9,064]

Crazy to think that this kid (not an afterthought but definitely didn’t generate lots of buzz when committed and signed) getting attention like this. Great reflection on both him and his coaches

[autan 737]

I guess he might be the first one and done 3*.  Lol.   I can't believe this kid would even entertain any of these thoughts.  Powell has so much to learn but he is definitely a fast learner. Exciting days ahead if CBP can keep these guys together for another year.

[Eisenhower_1952 87]

The alabama machine hyping up Auburn's best players so they will leave for the pros. Remember Saban's press conference when introduced as head coach. He said they will dominate their in-state rival every day.

[AUGoo 2,662]

3 hours ago, Eisenhower_1952 said:

The alabama machine hyping up Auburn's best players so they will leave for the pros. Remember Saban's press conference when introduced as head coach. He said they will dominate their in-state rival every day.

The REC has long, invisible tentacles, my friend.

/sarc

[ellitor 33,091]

9 hours ago, Eisenhower_1952 said:

The alabama machine hyping up Auburn's best players so they will leave for the pros. Remember Saban's press conference when introduced as head coach. He said they will dominate their in-state rival every day.

@Eisenhower_1952stockriders.com, the site that wrote the article, has nothing to do with the Alabama hype machine.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

Definitely not declaring this year, but seeing the growth in someone like Corey Kispert, Powell is so much more ahead of schedule. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

I have been one of Powell's biggest fans from the day he committed. I said back then assuming he healed properly he was going to be the steal of this class. That said I thought it would take at least half a season for him to heal properly get into playing shape and meld with Cooper.  With Cooper out Powell exceeded my expectations.  I knew he had a great stroke and solid ball handling skills but I really thought super quick guards who pressed him would eat him up when he brought ball up court but his size, vision and ball handling skills allowed him to beat these type guards and he used a quick first step and his size to get by them and score inside which surprised me. 

His size and stroke will get him a shot at NBA but it will be at least 2 more years. He needs a real PG on the team and he needs to practice against players like Tre Alexander and Flanagan to improve his defense, SG's in 6'5"-6'7" range who are quick and good ball handlers.  Playing PG he is not getting as much a chance to play against these type players.  I think he will develop into an NBA player but no way will he be ready at end of this year at least one more year but I really think 2 more. I hope he doesn't read articles like this and try to leave to early. Somebody like Okeke was ready and went at right time Powell needs to continue developing which he will do. Also working with an Elite PG who can set him up will highlight his sweet stroke.  I also want to see how he handles a bad shooting game all players have one. Does he come back next game like nothing happened or does he allow it to get in his head. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by AuburnNTexas

[aubearcat 2,137]

This has 3 of our guys in the first round. Jabari-3, Powell -16, and Flanigan-28. 
 

Note: It’s an extremely early look at the’22 draft. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by aubearcat

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

4 hours ago, aubearcat said:

This has 3 of our guys in the first round. Jabari-3, Powell -16, and Flanigan-28. 
 

Note: It’s an extremely early look at the’22 draft. 

Flan is gonna be a very interesting get for someone. He’s already more of a gunner than Okoro, and has a better 3 to me, so far, but I don’t know if he’s a near generational defender like his predecessor 

Off of the top of my head, I’d think of him as a Josh Okogie type, who I believe went mid first to Minnesota 2 years back 

[aubearcat 2,137]

Interesting enough, Jabari is projected to Cleveland at 3 so potentially 2 top 5s from AUburn in Cleveland. 

[alexava 6,973]

We don’t need to run him off just yet. 

[mustache eagle 2,398]

If flanigan is a first rounder next year then we are a final four team ... 

[cole256 17,050]

For any of you that watch or follow NBA. Joe Harris who plays for the nets is doing exactly what I was explaining about Powell. During the regular season some were even saying he was the best long range shooter in all of basketball. When it's time for the big gamesand when people scouted, and when the best play makers were hurt and couldn't play.....well an entire different story. 

He is a great role player, but you can't let that fool you into thinking he can slide in and be a go to go. When you're THE guy there are many other things to think about, especially when you are mostly a set shooter who can't create his own shot.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

7 hours ago, cole256 said:

For any of you that watch or follow NBA. Joe Harris who plays for the nets is doing exactly what I was explaining about Powell. During the regular season some were even saying he was the best long range shooter in all of basketball. When it's time for the big gamesand when people scouted, and when the best play makers were hurt and couldn't play.....well an entire different story. 

He is a great role player, but you can't let that fool you into thinking he can slide in and be a go to go. When you're THE guy there are many other things to think about, especially when you are mostly a set shooter who can't create his own shot.

I do think Powell projects to be a better dribbler than Harris eventually, and is probably a better playmaker now already, but there’s fair points being made

Same thing has happened to Kyle Korver before too. I think the difference is, do you think Powell is going to be a set shooter on the level or more of a Huerter/Bogi type. I always thought the latter

[cole256 17,050]

10 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I do think Powell projects to be a better dribbler than Harris eventually, and is probably a better playmaker now already, but there’s fair points being made

Same thing has happened to Kyle Korver before too. I think the difference is, do you think Powell is going to be a set shooter on the level or more of a Huerter/Bogi type. I always thought the latter

I think where you and I may have different perspectives is the evaluation of ball handling. I don't think he handles the ball well. I think he's decent when he's not under duress, but from watching the film I watched if you get up in him you pretty much neutralize him. He's not going to blow by you and he's not going to shift you. If you take away the pump fake.....that's it. Actually from what I saw when you got up in him he'd turn his back and use his body as a shield. 

Now I'd have an entire different different evaluation if I thought he handled the ball better.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

40 minutes ago, cole256 said:

I think where you and I may have different perspectives is the evaluation of ball handling. I don't think he handles the ball well. I think he's decent when he's not under duress, but from watching the film I watched if you get up in him you pretty much neutralize him. He's not going to blow by you and he's not going to shift you. If you take away the pump fake.....that's it. Actually from what I saw when you got up in him he'd turn his back and use his body as a shield. 

Now I'd have an entire different different evaluation if I thought he handled the ball better.

I get you, off top I think he had a few moments like that vs Gonzaga and his last game vs A&M. As someone who also does that turning the back thing when I’m trying to process more than I can, I wonder if it’s more due to his brain just being hay wired and going into a shell than being unable to beat a guy when pressed. I guess we’ll see at UTk where he’ll be more of a true 2 

Id also just like to say I think he’s a competent ball handler, like he can bring up the ball, get to his spots, figure out how to use his shooting to scare a defender so he can get to the cup (you mentioned the pump fake), etc. I don’t think he’s like Steph or something 

[cole256 17,050]

46 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I get you, off top I think he had a few moments like that vs Gonzaga and his last game vs A&M. As someone who also does that turning the back thing when I’m trying to process more than I can, I wonder if it’s more due to his brain just being hay wired and going into a shell than being unable to beat a guy when pressed. I guess we’ll see at UTk where he’ll be more of a true 2 

Id also just like to say I think he’s a competent ball handler, like he can bring up the ball, get to his spots, figure out how to use his shooting to scare a defender so he can get to the cup (you mentioned the pump fake), etc. I don’t think he’s like Steph or something 

I agree that he's competent, and if you're not worried about the pacing of the game and want to keep it slow then I think he's fine. If I judge him on the same level as other combo guards that's when I'd say it's the weak part of his game. 

If I was matched up on him I'm meeting him at the full court line and I'm slightly pushing him to his weak hand. If I'm a coach I'm putting a longer guard on him and when he has to put him back to the basket he's neutralized as to now he can't see over his man and he can't survey the court. 

If I'm not mistaken Tenn has a couple of talented PG's so this works out well for him as he may be able to shine and nobody even gets to see his flaws and he can build up his profile. 

I thought it was interesting that this happened, because I felt when I was trying to describe this when we talked earlier that there were a few people who didn't understand what I was saying.

I also think one thing that many miss is the see a guy doing ok and think it's a easy slide the guy in and then think that's it like it's usually is for most positions in football. But it's actually more like the corner and wr position. When it's more like JuJu Smith-Schuster  Nnamdi Asomugha. Where those guys balled out but when it was time for them to be the one, the alpha even though it's the same position things like doubling and the focus being on them causes things to be very different. The outside variables if you will.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

I agree that he's competent, and if you're not worried about the pacing of the game and want to keep it slow then I think he's fine. If I judge him on the same level as other combo guards that's when I'd say it's the weak part of his game. 

If I was matched up on him I'm meeting him at the full court line and I'm slightly pushing him to his weak hand. If I'm a coach I'm putting a longer guard on him and when he has to put him back to the basket he's neutralized as to now he can't see over his man and he can't survey the court. 

If I'm not mistaken Tenn has a couple of talented PG's so this works out well for him as he may be able to shine and nobody even gets to see his flaws and he can build up his profile. 

I thought it was interesting that this happened, because I felt when I was trying to describe this when we talked earlier that there were a few people who didn't understand what I was saying.

I also think one thing that many miss is the see a guy doing ok and think it's a easy slide the guy in and then think that's it like it's usually is for most positions in football. But it's actually more like the corner and wr position. When it's more like JuJu Smith-Schuster  Nnamdi Asomugha. Where those guys balled out but when it was time for them to be the one, the alpha even though it's the same position things like doubling and the focus being on them causes things to be very different. The outside variables if you will.

Yeah there’s definitely something to be said for Powell shining on a non-contender, which virtually no other perimeter talent (at that time) than Flan. Hard to project what he would’ve been either way in that respect, but there’s something to be said for him or his dad consistently switching schools up since high school. Maybe (MAYBE) he should end up being a career “I play the back” type, but his family is the last one to realize that. 
This might just be a coincidence but I feel like the big difference between Barnes and Pearl comes down to the personalities they ask to be leaders. Grant and Schofield seemed to me to be great guys, and Grant has become a dog in the NBA, but they weren’t really “deep tourney run” guys. Yves Pons, that exotic PG and the tall softie big they had leading the post Grant Vols…mental midgets. I like Kennedy Chandler, but I have to worry if he’s next in that line 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

You have those guys come into a clash with Harper, Bryce, Samir, Flanagan, and they just simply get outworked and outmanned 

[johnjacob 44]

7 hours ago, cole256 said:

I think where you and I may have different perspectives is the evaluation of ball handling. I don't think he handles the ball well. I think he's decent when he's not under duress, but from watching the film I watched if you get up in him you pretty much neutralize him. He's not going to blow by you and he's not going to shift you. If you take away the pump fake.....that's it. Actually from what I saw when you got up in him he'd turn his back and use his body as a shield. 

Now I'd have an entire different different evaluation if I thought he handled the ball better.

Dennis Johnson (RIP), who was the Celtics' PG in the 80's winning two NBA-Champ rings there and one in Seattle, used his back as a shield all the time.  He was one of my favorite players of all time. 

 

[cole256 17,050]

44 minutes ago, johnjacob said:

Dennis Johnson (RIP), who was the Celtics' PG in the 80's winning two NBA-Champ rings there and one in Seattle, used his back as a shield all the time.  He was one of my favorite players of all time. 

 

The game has changed alot since then......you will have to go that far back to not only find a guy who did it and won a championship but who does it period. Jason Kidd would do it from time to time but not nearly most of the time. The game is up and down now, not dribble it until the shot clock is gone and then throw it to a big man.

That's another point, it's not like we had a low post scorer either.

[cole256 17,050]

4 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Yeah there’s definitely something to be said for Powell shining on a non-contender, which virtually no other perimeter talent (at that time) than Flan. Hard to project what he would’ve been either way in that respect, but there’s something to be said for him or his dad consistently switching schools up since high school. Maybe (MAYBE) he should end up being a career “I play the back” type, but his family is the last one to realize that. 
This might just be a coincidence but I feel like the big difference between Barnes and Pearl comes down to the personalities they ask to be leaders. Grant and Schofield seemed to me to be great guys, and Grant has become a dog in the NBA, but they weren’t really “deep tourney run” guys. Yves Pons, that exotic PG and the tall softie big they had leading the post Grant Vols…mental midgets. I like Kennedy Chandler, but I have to worry if he’s next in that line 

Barnes lost all of his experienced guards at the same time. Had to hand the keys to freshmen. They started playing better by the end of the season, and that's expected. 

Yeah I don't know what was up as far as all that moving. I think he had it made here, people were already hyping him up big time. I guess he may have knew about the flux of guards coming in.....

 

I really wish we had offered Mark....and have our starting PG for the next 3 years SMH

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

Barnes lost all of his experienced guards at the same time. Had to hand the keys to freshmen. They started playing better by the end of the season, and that's expected. 

Yeah I don't know what was up as far as all that moving. I think he had it made here, people were already hyping him up big time. I guess he may have knew about the flux of guards coming in.....

 

I really wish we had offered Mark....and have our starting PG for the next 3 years SMH

I'm content with what our guard plan was starting from post Jvon on, just some things happened that you can't really account for. Even the best programs don't seem to have a starting caliber back up PG anymore, it's just a spinning door of guys. There's prob an alternate world where Cooper does stay an extra season, Scoot gives you a year, and they find some 3/4 star guy that ends up developing into a successor after that 

I think we have especially bad luck with early departures/transfers it seems