Five-star recruits enter college with NBA expectations. While there is little debate with some prospects, such as Cooper Flagg, the heavy favorite to be the first overall selection, others don’t live up to their potential. Drake Powell is one of those players in the 2025 NBA Draft. What makes Powell a controversial player?

Drake Powell 2025 NBA Draft Profile
College Career

Powell played only one season at North Carolina. The Tar Heels struggled throughout the season but earned a surprising bid to the NCAA Tournament. Powell’s performance was underwhelming. In 25.6 minutes, he averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. He shot 48.3% from the floor and 37.9% from three. While Powell made a strong impact on the defensive side of the ball, he failed to make an impact on the stat sheet or lead North Carolina to wins. Few players in the NBA Draft had worse college numbers than Drake Powell did in Chapel Hill. He finished college with career highs of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

Strengths

Powell’s upside on both ends of the court led to him remaining in the NBA Draft. Defensively, he made more of an impact than the stats reveal. His length and size combine with incredible athleticism, giving him the ability to cover a variety of positions on the perimeter. He has strong defensive awareness, allowing him to rotate well off-ball.

Offensively, he shot well on catch-and-shoot threes. While his attempts were limited, he will need to rely on elite three-point shooting to assert himself in the NBA. His incredible athleticism also made it easier for him to drive to the basket. Powell should receive more offensive reps in the NBA than he did with certain players at North Carolina. In limited usage, he remained fairly efficient.

Weaknesses

Powell’s biggest weakness comes in his overall scoring ability. His shooting motion is slow, which only becomes more of a problem in the NBA. He struggled to create his shot in college. Powell’s NBA draft stock dropped in college because of his inability to get off shots. Unless he was wide open, contests wreaked havoc on his offensive game. He struggled in the mid-range and other shots of the dribble when his athleticism didn’t get him open at the rim.

While shooting open threes has certainly become easier in the NBA, most players who carve out a role have more dynamic scoring or more impactful defense. Powell also fails to make an impact playmaking. While he didn’t have many turnovers, his lack of significant passes is concerning for a player who hasn’t shown elite scoring. Powell relies solely on his athleticism and high upside on both sides of the floor. For that reason, he likely won’t make an impact in the NBA for at least one or two seasons.

NBA Comparison

If Powell fills in well in his current form, Jaden McDaniels would be a good comparison. He has a relatively low usage and incredible defense. Powell has more offensive potential, but likely will fall short of McDaniels’ incredible defensive prowess. Whoever selects Drake Powell in the NBA draft would be content with a player like Jaden McDaniels.

2025 NBA Draft Prediction

Powell should be taken in the late first or early second round, but don’t be surprised to hear his name in the early twenties by a team willing to take a chance on his incredible upside.

© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images