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Drake Powell has yet to prove he is an NBA keeper.
Like some Carolina players who have tinkered with the NBA Draft in recent years, Powell is far from a sure thing as a pro. Does he have the size, athletic ability and potential? Sure.
He also has the potential to be another Harrison Ingram, who entered the draft, stayed in and was picked in the second round. He spent most of his rookie season in the G League and only got big minutes in the NBA after his team – San Antonio – missed the playoffs and then promoted him.
Powell, at this point, is no better an NBA prospect than Ingram, who played two seasons at Stanford before entering the portal and signing with UNC. For the first half of the season, he was a smallish power forward who blossomed late to lead the ACC in rebounding against a weak conference.
In retrospect, Ingram would have been better off pulling out of the NBA Draft as he now appears to be a journeyman pro. Powell’s deadline to do so is May 24.
Powell is no bigger than Ingram and, while he may be a better athlete, is not nearly as strong or savvied around the basket. And he’s from Pittsboro and is passing up another year to play in front of family and friends for his favorite school to take the NBA gamble.
Does he have an upside? Undoubtedly as shown by his own improvement after Hubert Davis moved him back to his natural position at small forward, where he wound up starting 24 games, third behind R.J. Davis and Elliott Cadeau, and taking the fourth most 3-point shots, making 38 percent while benefiting from defenses focusing on Davis.
He appeared to be penned in as a starter next season while being evaluated by agents who, we must remember, make commissions from any contracts kids sign with an NBA teams. So you can call their loyalty divided.
This puts pressure on Hubert, who now must go with West Virginia transfer and namesake Jonathan Powell or take the money he was offering Drake next season and go get another wing player from the portal.
So if Drake gets a so-so report card at the combines, like Ingram did, he may find his old spot with the Tar Heels long gone. Frankly, that is one of the many things that suck about the rules and where they leave players and coaches.
Are all great high school stars blinded by their dreams to play in the NBA? Yes, but here was a kid who grew up dreaming of playing for the Tar Heels. Maybe he didn’t like being used at power forward before the coaches made the lineup switch, but with six teammates transferring or graduating, Powell had a chance to become a true hometown hero by staying for another season and raising his draft prospects.
Now, he is rolling the dice.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
This is an awful take. From a so-called “pro-UNC” pundit at that. I understand that this column is “Chansky’s Notebook”, and the author can voice his opinion on whatever he so chooses. However, Art, in reading this, it comes across as sour grapes from a fan and likens you to those folks who post blindly on social media, misinformed as they may be. Shame on you. Whatever happened to wishing someone well in chasing his dream? Whatever happened to an understanding that some players are just ready to start their professional career regardless of it being in the NBA, G-Leage, overseas, or what have you? Quite frankly, Drake being drafted in the first round would enhance the current terrible optics for UNC basketball. Should Drake decide to withdraw from the draft and return to school – he has retained his college eligibility – your comment that, “So if Drake gets a so-so report card at the combines, like Ingram did, he may find his old spot with the Tar Heels long gone,” is simply wrong. With the new roster limits under NCAA rules, there is no world where Drake is not welcomed back. I don’t blame Drake for at least going through the process. Maybe he looked at the current staff and recent portal additions and figured the best place for him to better his career and develop is as a full-time professional regardless of the location.
Will, of course we all wish Drake the best of luck. That is not the point of the column, and I think you know that.
If you’re not certain to be a first round pick,what’s the point? Only first rounders have guaranteed contracts and money. Of late, Drake is predicted to be a second round pick at best with some draft boards not listing him at all. Drake’s upside is obvious so why NOT come back and enhance your draft position especially if the goal is the NBA?It’s Drake’s decision of course but Harrison Ingram’s experience is instructive. Either way I concur with Art. All the best to you Drake Powell -just don’t sell yourself short.
Apparently UNC is not interested in paying for one-and-done lottery picks, thinking there’s no way a freshman with marginal NBA talent would opt for the draft. Wrong again. Does UNC really want to compete with Duke in the current MBB environment is a fair question. There’s no wrong answer.
Art, good take on the many intersecting and overlapping issues. There are many chances for these young men to make decisions that turn out badly. By “not being in the room”, meaning locker room, academic room, family financial need room, or the many other rooms in a young man’s life, we don’t know much about the wants and needs of any individual. Even those like Cooper Flag, for which we think we know a lot more. Perhaps the take on this should be much bigger with regard to UNC & Coaching, /Recruiting, /Managing a program that should consistently be a Top 10. It has taken most of a season for each of the past 4 seasons for Hubert Davis to “figure out” the team – maybe Drake Powell knows something we don’t. AND we all wish for a positive outcome for him.