Tag: Maxwell Lewis

2023 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: The latest projections after the draft lottery

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the lottery.

The order of the 2023 NBA draft was decided this week by the lottery, and the San Antonio Spurs received the No. 1 pick for the third time in franchise history.

Of course, that means the Spurs will have the first opportunity to select 7-foot-4 French phenom Victor Wembanyama. They are apparently the team he had his sights set on, and he will now likely look to continue his basketball journey in San Antonio.

Elsewhere, Charlotte and Portland made jumps in their lottery positioning, and they now have more options to consider on draft night. Detroit dropped the furthest from No. 1 by virtue of having the worst record to No. 5.

With the order set, teams will ramp up their draft preparations.

This week, the league converged in Chicago for the G League Elite Camp and draft combine. Though many prospects skipped the 5-on-5 scrimmages and other testing, several seemingly helped themselves with great showings on the court.

Teams will continue to prioritize seeing those individuals that declared as early entrants since the deadline for them to return to school is May 31. Several prospects will have tough decisions to make in the coming days but should have more clarity after the combine.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the lottery. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Celtics projected to draft mid-major forward in 2023 NBA draft

A 6-foot-7, 195-lb. wing who will be yet to turn 21 on draft night, this prospect can put points on the board in a hurry.

The Boston Celtics are hard at work identifying talent in the range they will be selecting in the 2023 NBA draft, somewhere between 33rd and 35th pending the outcome of the draft lottery.

With that preparation come the analysts who project which teams will take what prospects. For example, For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky projects the Celtics will draft Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis. A 6-foot-7, 195-pound wing who be 20 years old on draft night, Lewis can put points on the board in a hurry.

While his 3-point shot (34.8%) is not the strongest element of his game, he has a decent form and managed 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Waves in 2022-23.

He is a bit turnover and foul prone due to tendencies to gamble on both ends, hinting at his competitive nature. He’ll need seasoning to convert some of that energy into good basketball at the next level.

With little in the way of competent wing depth that isn’t more of a bigger guard playing up a spot, the Las Vegas native seems like a solid option for Boston to consider if he is still around when the Celtics are on the clock.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projections for every pick post-March Madness

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the NCAA Tournament.

The NBA pre-draft process is in full swing as prospects around the world prepare to transition to the next level.

Teams around the league will begin hosting private workouts in the coming weeks as they finalize their draft boards. There will be various pro days on the radar and, of course, the draft combine and G League Elite Camp next month in Chicago, Illinois.

Underclassmen have until April 23 to declare for the draft. Several notable players have already decided to return to school, including Kyle Filipowski, Harrison Ingram, Baylor Scheierman and Kel’el Ware. Others are still mulling over their decisions.

Related: Key dates for NBA draft, combine, lottery and deadlines

With players still in the process of making decisions, some prospects were excluded from this mock draft because they are projected to return to school next season. However, most players projected to be drafted have already announced their decisions.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the NCAA Tournament. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of April 14. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and 76ers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.

Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis will forgo eligibility after declaring for draft

Lewis is projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA draft after a career year at Pepperdine.

Pepperdine Waves sophomore Maxwell Lewis on Monday said he will forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and remain in the 2023 NBA draft after a career year.

Lewis announced last week on social media that he would declare for the draft. He did not state in that announcement whether he’d keep the option to return to school, but he made his intentions clear in an interview with Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“I’m going all-in and forgoing my college eligibility,” Lewis said.

He was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team after averaging 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 46.8% shooting from the field in 31 games. He finished sixth in the conference in scoring and seventh in field-goal percentage.

The 6-foot-7 forward dazzled as a scorer throughout the season. He was ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring earlier this year and put up a season-high 30 points twice. He has good size at his position as a wing and is a great rebounder.

Lewis is projected to be a first-round pick this year. He is slotted by most mock drafts to go in the 12-20 range given his skills and ability to score. He would be the first player from the program to be drafted in the first round since Brandon Armstrong in 2001.

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Projected first-round pick Maxwell Lewis to declare for NBA draft

Lewis was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team after averaging 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Pepperdine Waves sophomore Maxwell Lewis on Tuesday announced he plans to declare for the 2023 NBA draft after a career year with the program.

Lewis was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team after averaging 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 46.8% shooting from the field in 31 games. He finished sixth in the conference in scoring and seventh in field-goal percentage.

The 6-foot-7 forward dazzled as a scorer throughout the season. He was ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring earlier this year and put up a season-high 30 points twice. He has good size at his position as a wing and is a great rebounder.

Lewis is projected to be a first-round pick this year. He is slotted by most mock drafts to go in the 12-20 range given his skills and ability to score. He would be the first player from the program to be drafted in the first round since Brandon Armstrong in 2001.

Underclassmen have until April 23 to declare for the draft.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Wembanyama, Henderson on top; Freshmen rising in latest projections

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands at the midway point of the season.

The 2022-23 basketball season is in full swing as the next wave of prospects across the college level and the professional ranks look ahead to the 2023 NBA draft on June 22.

Of course, Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson remain at the top of draft boards at the start of the new year. Both could shut down their seasons right now and still be viewed as the best two players in the class. In other words: They are locked in at Nos. 1 and 2.

Elsewhere, though, fortunes change seemingly nightly.

Several prospects have improved upon their preseason rankings, while others have struggled and had their stock fall. The latest look at the class even has several freshmen on the rise after some impressive performances through the first half of the year.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the first round stands at the midway point of the season. It is important to note that team needs were not necessarily taken into account with each pick. The projections are rather a look at where each individual player stands at this point of the process.

Note: The order of the draft was pulled from Tankathon as of Jan. 10. The draft will have only 58 picks this year because the Bulls and Sixers were stripped of their second-round picks by the NBA due to tampering violations.