Oh boy, Lewis is one of my favorite prospects. He is a good shooter, and plays above average defense. He plays extremely well in the low post, but is a 3 level scorer. Essentially, he is just a ball player. He excels at nearly every aspect of the game. He is a great finisher. His frame makes him an ideal choice at the small forward. He probably won’t become a star, but he will have a long NBA career. He has a high motor, and doesn’t stop hustling. Lewis isn’t super fast, but he is still an elite athlete. I just cannot think of any reason for him not succeeding in the big league.

Comparison: Markieff Morris +

Projected Draft Range: 20-40

Best Team Fits: Minnesota, Orlando, Utah

Height 6'7

Weight 245 lbs

Wingspan 7'2

DOB 4/12/02 (Draft Age: 20)

Pre-Draft Team Marquette Golden Eagles

Offense

• Explosive athlete with a very unique combination of length, size, strength, and athleticism.

• Much improved shooting stroke - free throws and 3pt% have taken large leaps. Reason to believe he could become a knockdown shooter with a 80% FT clip.

• More and more comfortable coming off movement to relocate and pull.

• Highly formidable transition player, somebody you can play fast with. A train traveling in space.

• Plays with an NBA confidence. Doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger on the perimeter or attack the rim and bully. Not easily contained.

• Glimpses of a pick and pop pull-up mid range ability.

Defense

• Good rebounder, but doesn't always assert his will boxing out.

• A little bit disengaged at times. Not always going to make the extra effort or play with a high sense of urgency.

• Seems a little bit lost in situational basketball, lackadaisical.

• Upright too often.

Swing Factors

• Defensive Engagement - Right now its hard to see a positive defender, but he has the build and athleticism make it happen. *

Role

• A knockdown shooting forward who thrives in transition.

• LOW:

• HIGH:

Player analysis

Justin Lewis was a surprise player at Marquette last year, he came out of nowhere as a two-way star in his sophomore season. He has great length at 6’7 with a 7’3 wingspan, you can really see how he uses his size on defense. Lewis’s pure length leaves his man on edge, his size alone makes him a good defender but what takes him to the next level is the way he uses footwork in order to stay in front of his man. He does need some work off the ball but at Marquette he was guarding the best player on the court in most cases, in the league he will play a more team oriented defense and will work and practice more off the ball. Justin is one of the best defenders in the draft class but also has a nice offensive game. He uses size to get to the basket well while having a unique, herky jerky handle. Lewis has ball handling potential that I think is definitely worth exploring but in the NBA he will probably be a slasher and cutter off the ball. Justin could have a lot more hidden in his game because of the limited role he had as the lead scorer on his college team and the way his sophomore jump indicated that he has room to grow. Teams have valued two-way players heavily in the draft over the past few years and with the skill and size Lewis possesses I find it hard for teams in the late first and early second rounds to pass up on him.

Projection

Draft range: [ 26 - 36 ]

Comp: [ Jimmy Butler LITE LITE ]

Strengths: Offensive Versatility Weaknesses: Shooting Consistency

High Side Comp: Jimmy Butler lite/OG Anunoby Low Side Comp: Chandler Hutchinson

Ideal Fit: Complimentary Wing

Draft Range: 22-58

Result: UDFA- CHI

Athleticism: 6/10 Size: 5/5 Defense: 5/10 Strength: 4/5 Quickness: 5/10 Creation: 3/5 Jumpshot: 5/10 Finishing: 3/5 NBA Ready: 4/5 Ball Handling: 5/10 Passing: 5/10 Intangibles: 3/5 Potential: 6/10 TOTAL: 59= Late First

Pros:

• Great tools: size, wingspan and athleticism like that can be tough to match, especially on drives

• Catch & Shoot potential: has improved a lot on his outside shot this year

• His physicality is impressive on defense, rarely gets moved, long arms help on contests and blocks

Cons:

• Can't really create for himself due to a poor handle

• Effort isn't always great on defense: can get blown by more often that you'd expect, switchability on fast players isn't really a given

• While the shot has improved, there are still concerns about its consistency

Justin has a NBA ready body and will be ready from day one, but he'll need at least an average 3 point shot to stay on the floor for significant minutes.

Lewis can score from everywhere on the court. He does it with efficiency too. He is a good rebounder and defender as well.

Strengths: Shooting, efficiency, getting to the line and converting, rebounding, defending.

Weaknesses: Maybe athleticism