“6. Portland Trail Blazers
Asa Newell | 6-9 forward/big | 19 years old | Georgia
Newell has been about as metronomically consistent as you will find for a freshman this year. He’s averaging 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s been in double figures every single game save for one, a nine-point showing against Marquette. He’s switchable and impactful on the defensive end because of how flexible and coordinated he is athletically. Georgia can play him in drop coverage against ball screens or can use him in more aggressive coverages. He does a good job of rotating across the play and protecting the rim from the weak side and is quite active with his hands. Offensively, he largely plays as a big, but one who can pick-and-pop and occasionally knock down a 3. He’s hit nine of them this season, albeit at a 29 percent clip.And yet — and I mean this as no shot at Newell — it feels aggressive to have Newell this high given that he’s largely just been utilized as a low-usage, defensive big this season. He looks like he’s going to be an excellent NBA player, but there’s a lot of work to do with both his frame and his ability to consistently attack the glass. Still, he’s an enormous athlete who has been productive, and NBA teams are excited to see how he fares in SEC play.”
2025 NBA mock draft: After Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, a whole lot of questions
All told, this is not shaping up to be the monstrous class that was projected in some corners.
www.nytimes.com
