Julian Phillips is one of the more low-key players of the draft. He’s been consistently ranked as a late first-round talent despite not being the most flashy player on the court. When watching Tennessee games I really had to look for him and seek out what he was doing. Many of the things he provides on the court are small but they are important. He is a really versatile and effective defender. He has great physical tools like long arms and a sturdy frame. He has some of the best athletic abilities in the entire draft with a 43’ vertical. He can guard up and down the entire lineup because he’s so good at poking the ball and putting in the extra effort. He runs the court against transition and he’ll hustle to swipe at the ball when placed on some movement. He gets back up quickly for multiple block attempts. He moves around the floor on defense really well and can read when to come in for help. He never strays too far from an assignment but he knows when to come in to aid a teammate. He watches his man and others when off the ball. He makes switches at the right time. He’s very disruptive without being too bold. The coaches at Tennessee loved to have him on the floor and it seems he started a majority of their games primarily due to his defense. He makes life easier on that end for his whole team which is a really valuable asset. He will do the gritty small things that a lot of players don’t like to do. He takes a lot of charges which may be seen as more of a coligant skill but we have had players like Jaylin Williams effectively translate traits like that to the league. He also fights hard for rebounds and will track the ball well off of the glass offensively and defensively. His rebound rate is surprisingly high for a player that lies a lot on the perimeter. He can use his long arms and athleticism to get to angles that a lot of other players his size can’t get to. A lot of his scoring comes from his superior physical abilities. He has some post moves and a natural feel for scoring around the rim. He scores a lot off of drives and cuts and relies mainly on assisted attempts. He used as much of a self creator but there have been glimpses of potential. In games where he’s been given more opportunities, he’s really thrived. Tennessee utilized him as just a piece to their offensive puzzle but I think he could’ve been a lot more. The more he got the ball, the more he was able to do. He was consistently productive when given leeway to work. His shots from behind the arc are pretty much all spot-up or catch-and-shoot opportunities. He shot fairly poorly in large sample size but not on a ton of attempts per game. Even when he is at a standstill he struggles at shooting the ball. What’s weird is that he used to have solid mechanics in high school but that seems to have faded away. He was your prototypical forward that can score at all three levels but he’s somewhat lost his touch from outside. He was never perfect but it seems that he’s had some sort of negative adjustment. This may be a coaching issue but it could also just be a personal change. I think that he could improve significantly once he works with NBA staff but the splits are somewhat worrying. One positive shooting trait is his free throw percentage. He shoots over 80% from behind the line which is an encouraging indicator of shooting potential. Julian has shown some skill as a playmaker. Tennessee liked to use him as a hub from the top of the key and from the post. He doesn’t average a lot of assists but he moves the ball around really well and efficiently. He doesn’t cause many turnovers because he reads the floor so well. He can plug in right away as a slasher that can distribute on offense and a versatile player on defense. Teams will have to develop some of his more raw offensive skills but he has all the tools to be one of these do it all wings that teams love.

Skinny forward who was awful shooting the ball in Tenessee, but his form and game will translate better in the next level if he develops his strength. Has good length and fundamentals, but hasn't been able to put it together yet. Good finisher in the paint, Brandon Ingram-esque using his length to finish around the rim. Good form as a shooter, but just was not hitting anything in college.

Really athletic, lob threat Played a bench, smaller role in Tennessee, wasn’t a main contributor Quick, fast down the court Combination of speed and vertical is scary Active hands, defensive playmaker Makes smaller, winning plays Like his defensive tactics, stays close to man whilst still being available to pick his pockets Truly a project player, won’t make an immediate impact in the NBA Not much of a shooter, limited offensive game outside of athletic playmaking Came in into the year as a 3&D prospect, disappointed expectations Solid defender, keeps in front of his man Wasn’t a three-point threat at Duke, rigid and inconsistent shot Has some high awareness plays, like lob opportunities and putback slams Explosive in the open court Sometimes reluctant to be impactful at the offense end, stayed limited to an off-ball, occasional athletic playmaker role Absolutely stagnant on offense at times, stood on the perimeter and made rather meaningless, perimeter-to-perimeter passes Exceptional wingspan to a somewhat mediocre frame Lacked touch in the lane, felt uncomfortable with a defender in his face Absent in Tennessee’s big moments, maybe shows something? Struggle to find him a role at the next level given his limited offensive impact and good, but not great defensive value Bit of a stagnant off-ball player Lack of shooting ability concerns me of his value at the next level, where are you going to put him in the lineup? Can overlook little defensive mechanical moves (such as staying wide, sliding low) Quick-twitch kind of forward who kind of depends on athletic ability for his game Off-ball defense is…. Mediocre Athletic Tennessee players, at least recently, haven’t done much at the next level (Jaden Springer, Keon Johnson, Kennedy Chandler) Short wingspan, not toolsy beyond athleticism Really didn’t do much for Tennessee this year beyond timely finishes and solid defense Fast, straight passes