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Top 10 NBA landing spots for Myles Powell

Date: June 17, 2020

By: Ben Harris

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Seton Hall Athletics

Myles Powell changed the landscape of college basketball over his dominant tenure at Seton Hall, but now its time for the Pirates legend to join The Association. Powell will most likely be drafted in October’s COVID-delayed NBA Draft, but there is a lot up in the air as to his selection range. Some experts have made mock drafts that see Powell being selected in the late-first-round, while the majority of mocks see Powell coming off the board in round two. However, there have been some recent mocks that do not have Powell being selected at all.

While it may be my Seton Hall bias talking, I highly doubt there are no teams in need of a score- first combo guard willing to give one of college basketball’s biggest stars a chance, especially after a tournament-less season. No matter his eventual draft position, here is a list of teams that I believe could be in need of Powell’s services:

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have used the past few seasons to build a young core via the draft, and things seem to be working. On paper, the Hawks will likely be one of the East’s top contenders sometime in the next three or four seasons. With the rapid development of superstar sharpshooter Trae Young, as well as key pieces like Kevin Huerter and John Collins the Hawks look to be on the right track. This season, they acquired De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish via the draft and traded for elite boardman Clint Capella. Veteran guard Jeff Teague is set to be an unrestricted free agent, so Atlanta will likely be looking to replace him with another offensive-minded combo guard. Powell fits that bill and has the skillset to play alongside Young just as well as he could replace him off of the bench.

Boston Celtics

The C’s may not need an undersized guard as much as they need a sizable power forward or center, but with their abundance of draft picks, they will likely have one available for Powell. Boston currently owns Memphis’ top-six protected first-round pick as well as Milwaukee’s top-seven protected first-round pick in addition to their own. Neither team is remotely close to falling that low in the draft, so it can be presumed that all of these picks will belong to the Celtics. Boston, as mentioned earlier, is in desperate need of sizing up their frontcourt, but with three picks on top of last draft’s Grant Williams selection, one of the three will likely be used on a guard.

 Additionally, Boston will have the less favorable second-round pick of either the Nets or Knicks via a string of trades ranging from 2015 to 2019 that I won't bother boring you with. They could also end up with Atlanta’s second-rounder, but it may go to Philadelphia for other protection-related reasons. Man, does Danny Ainge love complicated draft pick acquisitions or what?! Anyways, “Cheese” plays a semi-similar game to Kemba Walker, and could be seen by Ainge and Brad Stevens as a perfect role player to fill Walker’s sets from off of the bench. The Celtics have an overload of wing-type guard/forwards and are in need of a pure scorer like Powell to handle the ball off the bench.

Brooklyn Nets

With the impending return of Kevin Durant, the Nets are hoping to be the top team in the Eastern Conference next season. Super sixth man Spencer Dinwiddie has already made it clear that he intends to leave Brooklyn for better opportunities, so the Nets will undoubtedly be looking for a new guard to back up Kyrie Irving. Irving has not always been the most durable superstar and unfortunately spends significant time sidelined in his street clothes. If Powell has proved anything at The Hall, it is that he can get his own shot; if thrust into a starting role, Powell will be able to produce a fair share of points in Irving’s absence.

Brooklyn runs a three-point-centric offense, which is currently ranked fifth in team attempts per game, so Powell’s long-range abilities would fit nicely next to snipers like Irving, Durant, and Joe Harris. Brooklyn’s first-round pick will likely belong to Minnesota due to pending protections, but they will likely own Philadelphia’s first-rounder, once again, pending protections. But assuming they do have Philly’s pick, it will likely come towards the end of the first round which is a great place to secure your backup point guard.

Charlotte Hornets

Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets are in need of many things, so it would not be a surprise to see them go after Powell and cross a guard off of their to-do list. While the Hornets are highly unlikely to take Powell with their projected eighth overall pick, they have the Cleveland Cavaliers second-rounder on deck. For the time being, most of Charlotte’s talent is in the frontcourt. However, Bismack Biyombo and Willy Hernangomez’s contracts are set to expire after this season, and the Hornets roster and playstyle could look much different next season. They definitely have some interesting personnel decisions to make in the near future that will directly affect their interest level in Powell.

If they are in position to select a guard come October, Powell would be a nice addition to a weak backcourt. Devonte’ Graham has developed nicely for the Hornets in his sophomore season, averaging 18.2 points per game on top of his eighth-best 7.5 assists per game. But with Graham being Buzz City’s sole true-point guard, they surely will be searching for a backup. Powell’s depends-on-who-you-ask draft stock could allow the Hornets to secure their backup point guard at a great value, whether it be some time in the second-round or even as an undrafted free agent.

Like I said earlier, I do not see a world where one of college hoops’ biggest stars does not get selected, but after a chaotic shortened season, no one knows where Powell will be taken off of the board.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons backcourt is currently held together by the not-so dynamic duo of post-stardom Derrick Rose and poor man’s JJ Redick, Luke Kennard. Sometimes, they even get a little crazy and throw Langston Galloway in there! Yuck. The Pistons guard slots are in desperate need of upgrades, and they will likely use their currently-projected fifth overall draft pick on one.

The only thing standing their way of selecting Powell in round two is their second-round pick belonging to Sacramento. The Pistons need all the help they can get, and will likely be a bottom-five team for the foreseeable future. If they are able to get back into the second round and select a proven, on-and-off court leader like Powell, they should jump at the opportunity. Free Blake Griffin from this train wreck franchise.

Golden State Warriors

If any team is known for their three-point shooting abilities, it is the Golden State Warriors. Powell would be in a fantastic position to come off of the bench for the Splash Brothers and provide some splash of his own. The Warriors are in the midst of an anomalistic season, falling to the bottom of the league standings due to countless injuries and the parting of KD. They have a few different routes they could take come draft day, ranging from trading their projected first-overall pick for top-tier talent to selecting a high-ranked prospect like LaMelo Ball or Obi Toppin.

The Warriors own both the Mavericks and Jazz’s second-round picks and will be in a prime position to select Powell with either one. General Manager Bob Myers has a rich history of success when it comes to utilizing his second-round picks. Over his tenure, he has found valuable second-round talent such as Eric Paschall, Jordan Bell, Patrick McCaw, and of course, Draymond Green. Myers also has an affinity for players considered to have peaked as collegiate players, like some scouts have labeled Powell to be. If the Warriors can snag Powell in round two, he will not let the opportunity to learn from the greatest guard duo in league history go to waste.

New York Knicks

The Knicks are in search of leadership as well as talent, and lucky for them, Powell brings the full package. The Knicks have been able to watch Powell ball out in their backyard these past few seasons and likely saw his annual development. Powell’s dedication to the game has been obvious to those watching, seeing him improve different areas of his game, his physique, and his vocality. Knicks officials have recently stated that upgrading their point guard spot is a priority. Apparently, the quadruple-headed mediocrity monster of Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., and Alonzo Trier has not brought the success they wanted. Who would have thought?!

If they do want to go after a high-profile point guard *cough*Chris Paul*cough*, they will likely look for a fresh face to play the position off the bench. Powell’s versatility as a dual-position guard will gauge the Knicks’ interest even further, however, they may be hesitant to select him due to his volume shooting and defensive inefficiencies. Powell’s maturity, assertiveness, and offensive capabilities should stick out enough for the Knicks to consider using either their first-round pick from the Clippers or their second-round pick from the Hornets to keep the Pirate local.

Orlando Magic

The Magic have one of the better young frontcourts in the league, so it would only be logical for them to use the draft as an opportunity to upgrade their guards. Markelle Fultz has luckily been able to turn around his young career in Orlando and looks to be their point guard of the future, but the Magic need to improve their depth. Both Michael Carter-Williams and D.J. Augustine’s contracts are set to expire after this season, and Evan Fournier’s contract is not ideal for his on-court value at the two-spot.

Orlando using their second-round selection on Powell would bring them some instant offense off the bench at a great value. Plus, Powell and Fultz could be an incredibly exciting backcourt duo for the future. Orlando would be a low-key and exciting landing spot for the Seton Hall star.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers are a team loaded with talent, but their overall inability to shoot and space the floor offensively holds them back. Philadelphia’s roster is filled with lockdown defenders, slashing wings, and whatever you want to label Ben Simmons as. Philly has unintentionally structured their team to be so weak on the perimeter that they are unable to keep up with the rest of the NBA’s modernized, high-volume shooting teams.

By adding a pure shooter like Powell, their bench will have an outlying element that brings something new to throw at opposing defenses. This is one team that may actually benefit from Powell’s defensive limitations, allowing them to utilize his scoring abilities in ways other teams do not have the options to. Philly’s offense is averaging a mediocre 109.6 points per contest this season, placing them as the 21st scoring offense in basketball. If they are going to compete in the East like their talent indicates that they should, they need to add a player like Powell who can help space the floor.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland’s offense is built around their backcourt scoring abilities, so adding Powell into the mix would  be a no-brainer. The biggest obstacle standing between Portland and Powell are their finances. Building through the draft has its faults, as all of Portland’s guards will be under contract for the near future. They may end up shying away from players like Powell in order to improve their wing and post positions. However, they may be willing to bypass those needs in round-two in order to select Powell, who has received a fair amount of stylistic comparisons to superstar point guard, Damian Lillard.

Portland’ s second-round pick technically belongs to Brooklyn, but it has protections that would allow the Blazers to keep it for selections 31-55, so they will likely control the pick. Powell’s game would fit nicely into Portland’s offensive scheme, so it is not too far-fetched to believe they could select him come draft night.

Ben Harris can be reached at benjamin.harris@student.shu.edu.

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