NBA Comparison: Craig Smith

Strengths: Great length for his position, has the power and frame to continue to develop his NBA body … Has small ball five potential … A good spot up shooter in the mid range with some ability to extend out to 3 … Also uses his length well to finish on the break … Doesn’t mind getting physical on both ends of the floor – isn’t afraid of contact and brings a gritty presence to the game… Has no problem doing the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet if it means having an impact on the game and the team … Has solid leaping ability, can get to the rim off 1-2 bounces from beyond the arc – strong strides to the basket help him elevate, can run the floor – files the lane and the corners correctly in the fast break makes defenses pay for long rebounds and live ball turnovers, abilities above the rim with momentum help his ability to play off ball and cut to the basket, can defend multiple positions and can defend without fouling..won’t get pushed around in the post by big men and does a good job of walling up when being backed down, is going to make his assignment work both on and off the ball when engaged and can force players into low percentage jumpers, high upside as an individual and team defender…Should be able to guard at least 3’s and 4’s but has the potential to guard one through five if he focuses, is serviceable in the pick and roll … Not a rim protector but contests well and has shown he can block shots in a team defense setting – has proven to be effective as the helper from the weak side, rebounded at a great rate for his position and this should be the most translatable skill to the next level understood position on both ends and stayed strong on box outs … Good catch and shoot potential, is effective when he receives the ball in rhythm but also has the confidence to shoot over smaller defenders – size and a high release point make it hard to block his shot or contest his vision, in transition he can walk into a three and keeps defenses honest on what to guard (the drive or the pull up), good pick and pop potential a growing part of his game, strong in the post and his spin move gets him to the basket, really strong on cutting layups, doesn’t allow defenders to get him off his line of attack, can use his power to get to his spots and isn’t afraid of the moment.

Weaknesses: Just 6’6.25″ barefoot but his 7’2″ wingspan makes up for his lack of height …  His length gives him potential, but still struggles with consistency on the defensive end … Lacks the foot speed to defend wings on the perimeter … Can improve his focus and attention to detail on defense, seems to get a bit out of sync at points and comes out of his stance allowing both guards and forwards an opportunity to blow by with a weak recovery… Should work on discipline when it comes to contesting shots and pump fakes, seems to over-commit and bite leading to bad fouls or easy baskets, becoming more engaged on and off ball will only increase his defensive strengths … Time will tell how many positions he can guard at the NBA level, the hope is that he will be able to adequately guard 1-5 but this will depend if he can kick his current defensive tendencies, pace of play and the speed of smaller guards will be a real test for Lewis to see how he measures up … In college it seemed like he was sometimes a half a step slow especially when faced with speed or trying to recover … Welcomes contact but can continue to improve his finishing ability … Wasn’t nearly consistent enough around the rim for his size, strength and wingspan … Should continue to improve as he grows, his jumper comes off strong from his wrist at times … Shot is still a bit erratic … Feels like his mechanics can be better but would only be a minor tweak, has a real dependency on his right hands that at times forces him to take lower percentage shots around the rim, even when he is finishing on the left side of the court or spinning back toward the left he is using his right hand … Needs to develop into a better finisher with both hands, not going to beat a defender one on one with dribble moves is much more power than finesse or speed with the ball won’t create a high level of separation for himself at the next level, ball handling is a bit loose and really struggles with more than one defender bringing pressure, hard to maintain control of his dribble in traffic, will turn the ball over in the post when doubled as well, no real play making ability and hasn’t shown much growth in the area … Has shown a few flashes but overall he has a low level of court vision when facing pressure in the post and puts his head down on drives missing open teammates in both situations, had more turnovers than assists this year and will have to work on staying calm in the post and on the drive … Can develop these aspects of his game but will be a real challenge going forward …

Outlook: Shows some similarities to Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby … Red-shirt freshman who had a breakout season showing the ability to score in a variety of ways and became proficient from 3 … Currently, Lewis projects as a possible second round pick who will spend some time developing in the G-League. An excellent pick for a team with the ability to develop his defensive and three point skills …

Notes: Measured: 6’6.25” barefoot, 6’7.5” in shoes, 8’9.5” standing reach, 235.4 lbs, 7’2.5” wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine …

Joe Casey 6/17/22