2023 NBA Draft Profile: Maxwell Lewis
NBA Position: Wing
General Info: 20-year-old Sophomore, played at Pepperdine. From Las Vegas, NV.
Measurables: 6’7, 207 lbs, 7’0 wingspan.
2022-23 Season Statistics: 17.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 3.3 TPG (31 games played, 31.4 minutes a contest), 46.8% FG, 34.8% 3P, 78.7% FT
All hyperlinks in this profile are video clips showcasing the skills discussed.
I’d bet that Max Lewis is going to be all over the boards for NBA teams as they prepare for the 2023 NBA Draft. The 6’7 sophomore has a sweet jumper, good size and length, and on- and off-ball upside to captivate both pro- and armchair-scouts alike. But he also played on the West Coast Conference’s worst team over the last two years, and saw his excellent early-season efficiencies crater once conference play kicked off. He’s absolutely a project player, especially on the defensive end – but one who offers offensive upside that will tantalize front offices looking for secondary on-ball creation. I could see Lewis going in mid-teens, or falling into the late first—and if he’s on the board for the Kings, they now have the team and staff in place to gamble on a guy like Lewis.
Lewis’ ability as a spot-up bomber is very promising—he shot 43.1% off of catch, a skill that should give him a clear offensive floor in his first few development seasons. He moves well off the ball and will make defenses pay attention to him on the perimeter from the jump. As with a majority of draft prospects, Lewis will have to adjust to a much more off-ball role in the NBA than he played in college. At Pepperdine, Lewis was the primary offensive option and had a 28.2% usage rate, and his tape shows both his offensive promise and limitations with that role. Here’s a typical Lewis highlight where he goes one-on-one against UCLA’s Jaylen Clark, an NBA-level defender.
He clearly has innate tools and the willingness to be a creator off the bounce, and loves to pop off of step-back threes and midrange/post turnaround shots. But he was also prone to dribbling the air out of the ball and making poor decisions as Pepperdine’s primary creator, which highlights the balancing act his future team will have to make between growing his on-ball game and fitting him into an efficient NBA offense.
Lewis had a strong start to the NCAA season; across eight games in December, he averaged 21.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on 49.2% shooting and 38.6% from deep. But those efficiencies tanked after the start of conference play, as WCC Coaches watched his tape. He finished the 16 games of WCC Conference play averaging 15.1 points on 41% shooting and 25.4% from deep. The offensive potential he showed earlier in the year was still there, but hidden behind his own inconsistencies and those of the poor Pepperdine squad surrounding him.
His offensive game comes with two more question marks that I’ll be excited to see how he tackles at the next level. While his passing numbers (2.8 assists per game, 17.2% assist rate) are promising and he certainly showed the ability to see right plays, he also had plenty of miscues (especially in the pick-and-roll) and finished with 87 assists to 107 turnovers. Pepperdine chaos factored into that, but he needs to prove he can be a consistent cog in a smart offense. He does pass with ambition, though, which I think is always better than the alternative for a young player.
The other question mark is his ability to score at the basket. He often favored contested jumpers over attacking the basket, but began to show more balance towards the end of WCC play. He finished the season shooting 62.7% at the rim (1.25 PPP, 72nd percentile), which is a very promising number for a shoot-first wing. He doesn’t have the most explosive first step, but can certainly get by defenders and finish with his length and elevation. His catch-and-shoot promise begs to be paired with the continued ability to attack overly aggressive closeouts.
Pepperdine was not a good team in either of Lewis’ two years in the program—the Waves went a combined 16-47 in that span and were last for points allowed per game in the WCC during both seasons. I would not blame Lewis for the Waves’ woes—I’d put a lot of that blame on Lorenzo Romar, who, as my friend/WCC expert Zack Farmer put it to me, “Knows how to do less with more better than anyone in college basketball.” Romar has never been known as a defensive coach, but this Waves team rarely looked coherent and composed on that end of the floor in the games I watched, Lewis very much included. But I’m sure that one of the first questions teams ask Lewis is why they should be willing to bet on him considering the Waves’ lack of success in his college career.
Lewis has the tools to make an impact on defense. He has moments of patient, posed on-ball defense where his length can just swallow up ball-handlers. And when dudes beat him off the dribble, he showed an ability to stick with it and snag recovery blocks thanks to his length and pop. But he can also lose his man off of the ball, or just fail to stay locked in in the first place. Faster offenses threw him and his whole team into chaos, and he seems a ways from being an NBA-level defender.
Lewis will have to adjust to a new offensive role in the NBA and prove he can be a better, more consistent defender than he was in Malibu. While he may spend a season or two in the GLeague, his ability to shoot off the catch and his promising upside with the ball in his hands makes him the exact sort of upside play that smart playoff squads should look to snag in the 1st round—and the Sacramento Kings now classify as a smart playoff squad. For a team that could always use more athleticism, length, and offensive upside at the wings, Lewis could make a lot of sense for the Kings.
I think some see him as Zaire Williams or Jaylen Williams.
Don’t think so.
IMO- not deserving of #24 and unless I am wrong, not the #38 either.
No defense or desire for defense.
Somebody will jump for him.
I am flipping all over the place on this draft (like it matters) -sometimes, looks like good prospects, other times, looks terrible.
One of the Kings needs is rim protection, shot blocking and rebounding, all coupled with a tall guy who shoots the 3. This is not available in this draft.
Either go for partial solution or look at another need.
I do believe that TD will be “let go”. Hence, a fifth guard is needed. Preferably one with some size and PG skills. Sensabaugh can shoot, plays little D. Podz has versatility but no one super skill. Colby Jones is a more polished scorer.
Is there a lengthy 4-5 at #24. ? Clowney but man that guy is undeveloped. Pipe dream- package Holmes and 24 and move up. But I am smoking…………….
Colby Jones is the guy I want them to get. 5th guard, good size, can run PnR, play defense, good enough shooter. Fills a need as the roster is lacking size in the backcourt and a 3rd PG type of guy.
He fits what Monte has drafted thus far. Upper classmen, good production, good IQ.
When you draft a G League caliber player, you get a G-League player and hope for more. When you draft an NBA caliber player, you’re satisfied with the end product and anything else is a bonus.
The latter strategy has seemingly been Monte’s strategy, and I’m partial towards this philosophy as well. Clowney, Lewis, Whitehead, etc – could these be good NBA players one day? Yes. But likely one or more of them won’t be. And in those cases, wouldn’t you rather just have picked Kris Murray, Colby Jones, etc. instead?
The latter strategy has seemingly been Monte’s strategy, and I’m partial towards this philosophy as well. Clowney, Lewis, Whitehead, etc – could these be good NBA players one day? Yes. But likely one or more of them won’t be. And in those cases, wouldn’t you rather just have picked Kris Murray, Colby Jones, etc. instead?
Makes a ton of sense. The more I think about it, I like the idea of keeping it simple and just drafting Kris Murray. The Ringer had his draft comp as a left handed Keegan Murray which I thought was kind of funny. But that’s the prospect that he is, Keegan with less upside. So if you know you’re likely getting like 70 percent of Keegan in Kris, then seems like a good pick to be made late in the first.
It’s really hard to complain when a late first is going to be a surefire rotation player
IMO the only way you are going to get a good backup center is through free agency. There are some out there. One for instance is Paul Reed. At 23 he has a really good motor can protect the rim but also go outside and protect the perimeter.
agree with first sentence. Is Naz Reid a center? a backup possibility? Rhetorical question. Poertl- too expensive. Plumlee- cannot shoot at all.
Paul Reed- simply interim. Better than Metu?
is Landale an UFA?
Paul Reed is worth a look. why not consider him a PF?
Ive liked Reed for a while. Hes probably better suited as a small ball 5 since he can’t stretch the floor, but he brings length and physicality that we are sorely missing. I’ll take that out of the #13 guy on the roster.
Anyone outside the top 8, possibly 9, is just filler, and not worthy of much thought, or cap-space. That said, I think Reid would be, at least a 3rd big, and likely a big part of the rotation. I could see him giving you 20 minutes per game pretty easily between the 4 and 5.
It’s crazy that he have to worry about backup center with Richaun on the roster. If he’s not traded, I hope he can turn back the clock and be the player he was a few years ago, I know that’s wishful thinking but that could be MM and Coach Brown’s plan.
To mix metaphors:
That train has sailed
Rich does not fit this system, either as a sub for DS or as a change of pace guy. I love the guy but he needs to go.
Thanks for the breakdown. I’m up and down on him. The idea of him on paper looks like such an obviously NBA caliber scoring wing. But you don’t know if he can do it at the next level, and the fact he doesn’t do near enough of the other things doesn’t settle one’s nerves.
FWIW Im in favor of one of the french wings (Cissoko, Rupert, Coulibaly) and I think one of them is bound to fall to us. Coulibaly looks like OG Anunoby – he’s probably a lottery pick. Rupert is less polished but could be Mikal Bridges. If he falls I’d snatch him up and not think twice. I got him in the Top 14 on my big board.
Cissoko looks like an NBA role player with the potential to be more. Big dude with long arms that plays even bigger. He looks like Josh Hart to me with the way he rebounds, passes, runs in transition, attacks the basket, and defends multiple positions. If he starts knocking down 3s with regularity, look out. He’s my vote among the guys that I suspect will be available at #24 (I’d take Rupert or Coulibaly and pray that I don’t live to regret it as Cissoko is the surest of the three of them imo).
The downside of those three players are they could easily be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Evan Turner, KZ Okpala…and the list goes on and on with guys that just “need their shot to come around”.
I watched Adam Spinella’s video on Bilal, the strengths looked amazing, and then the improvements areas made me want to pass. Dude is just not being guarded if he doesn’t have the ball, like nobody even close to him.
Coulibaly is high risk, high reward and so I get the MGK comparison. Rupert and Evan Turner are not really comparable players tho – Turner was a score first wing that contribute little else. Rupert is already a good defender and passer and is just relying on one or two swing skills.
Cissoko I’m in complete disagreement on. KZ never had this much offensive upside (and Sidy is probably a better defender, too). I’d bet quite a bit that he’ll be an NBA player for a long time.
I was looking more at just the shooting comparisons. We see it every year, swing skill being the 3. Rarely does it improve for those players.
Just not the archetype of player I tend to like in the draft.
all 3 are interesting and all 3 have similarities and differences. There may be a reluctance to draft because not proven (a Monte mantra) or because Kings do not want 2 foreign players in one year. Not a “prejudice but concern about adjustments. Sasha will take his sweet time and right now I suspect with play coy and stay a Euro.
At 24, Kris can shoot, C. Jones can shoot a little. Podz a little and Sensabaugh a lot but he does not play D.
Bilal’s status is giving me vibes of the Scottie Barnes draft. Somewhat similar players who steadily kept climbing the mock draft boards leading up to the draft and then in Scottie’s case went even higher than expected. I think the same happens with Bilal, likely gets picked in the top ten. Kings would have to trade up to get him.
Maxwell has obvious upside, but it’s not likely to show itself in the NBA very soon. He’s worth a 2nd rounder, if you can’t think of anything else to do with it. Kings have better options, for this season, sitting on their bench right now.
One option is to sell their picks, and sit out the offseason sweepstakes, which never seems to go their way anyhow. Save space, and wait for the desperation to set-in, mid-season, on the teams who will inevitably over-spend. Last night, I watched “Breaking down the Kings roster with Ham, Cunningham, and Brendan Nunes,” very depressing all that. They mostly agreed the Kings have no great options in FA, or in trade, nothing at #24 either. Brendan apparently likes Kelly Oubre Jr., and pretty much no one else, not Grant, Collins, Wood, PJ Washington, not really anyone. Maybe he’s right. I like some of those options, but none are cheap, and therefore low-risk. They’re already saddled with Holmes bad contract, (which I liked when it was signed) they don’t need anymore bad money on the books. Cunningham is especially negative, maybe he’s just more cunning than Ham (sorry, couldn’t help myself).
Sacramento has always relied on the draft, and especially trades to acquire their best assets. The only trade asset they currently possess, which I would be willing to part with is Huerter’s contract, not Davion, not Murray, not Monk, and Holmes is a negative asset.
Barnes could be a sign-and-trade piece, but that’s likely not a great option either. I do think Barnes for Dillon Brooks could be good, but I don’t love it, for obvious reasons. I mention it because I think it would be a solid option for Memphis, and Brooks defense could help in Sac.
Holmes will likely be very difficult to offload this summer because teams are saving cap-space for free-agency. He’s too expensive, this year, and next, and there are too many other options available for teams with money to spend. He’ll be easier to dump next off-season as an expiring, or mid-season when teams are desperate with less options to explore. Also Sabonis’ contract is the elephant in the room. IIWM I would not want to spend big building around him w/o some assurance he’s staying long-term. And if he extends, that going to cost a chunk of cap-space.
Sac will make the playoffs again standing pat. If there’s not an option Monte feels will help come playoff time, then why not wait and see who comes available. Patience sucks, and as Kings fans, we’ve waited long enough, I know. But McNair has been nothing if not patient, and with a newly signed contract, I don’t see him being in a big hurry now. Good things come to those who wait. I’m hoping they can add an impact player (or two) to the starting line-up, immediately, but I’m not holding my breath.
The conundrum of continuing to build or making an all in move is an interesting one. Given how cash strapped we’ll be once Domas signs a max, an argument could be made to go all in this season before being completely cash strapped. That argument is further bolstered by how wide open the west is right now. Couple years from now the west could easily have a few juggernauts and that championship window would be much smaller to get through for the Kings. At this moment, I see only Denver as being in a tier of their own in the west and then there is everyone else.
I think MM most likely makes moves this offseason that straddles the line between going all in this season and maintaining some flexibility for the future.
It’s tough to know what Monte is thinking. That’s probably a good thing.
If there’s not an option Monte feels will help come playoff time, then why not wait and see who comes available.
Who do you see would actually become available that would make sense for this roster and move the needle?
The Raptors with Siakam and OG come to mind, maybe the Clips make KL or George available at some point if they implode. I don’t know there doesn’t seem to be many big names that would make much sense and usually big name trades don’t work out very well anyways, at least the last few years.
I think the Raptors would be crazy to not move Siakam this off-season. They probably want to move into the Barnes-OG era and Siakam has massive value to get a host of prospects/picks. But every day that goes by, it becomes more and more of a buyers market for his services. If they hang on to him until the trade deadline, someone’s gonna twist the Raptors arm for him.
Your probably right. I’m not quite sure how to cobble together a deal for Siakam but, he would be excellent IMO. The new CBA will affect everything, and I’m not yet sure what that impact will be. I hear that 2nd round picks will increase in value. That’s partly why I suggested selling them. There are always impact players available in the 2nd, but I would not have a lot of confidence in anyone there moving the needle here in Sac.
My Siakam offer: Huerter, Holmes, Davion and as many picks seal the deal. I could also swap out Murray for Davion and give fewer picks (in which case, resign Lyles and Barnes and still bring Sasha over).
So you’re basically willing to give up essentially what PHX did for KD. I just don’t think that highly of Siakam.
Nobody I named is as talented as Cam Johnson OR Mikal Bridges. Trading a bench warmer on a bad contract, 2 one-way players, and a pick or two is crazy value for an All-NBA type guy.
Hard pass on Murray in the deal. As in hell no. I’m not a huge fan of adding Davion, either, though I understand we’re going to have to offer “something”. The issue becomes depth, though. I don’t think you’re resigning Barnes if you’re adding Siakam if we’re being honest. He can get 8-10 mil anywhere and get a lot more playing time too. If he stayed for 8 to be a rotational piece off the bench I’d be ecstatic, I just don’t think you could bank on it. So you’re likely going to need to find at least one backup PG, 2 wings, and a 4/5 minimum, and hope guys like Queta, Ellis, and our draft pick would be ready to contribute.
That leaves a lot to be desired, IMO.
Good players will sign for the vet minimum to play for a title and that’s the promise of a Fox-Sabonis-Siakam core. You must pursue elite talent if you are serious about winning in this league, and guys like Siakam (who fit team needs perfectly btw) are not frequently available.
There are hundreds of backup PGs on the planet – just pick one. Let Barnes walk and spend a little money on a veteran wing (Josh Hart, Dillon Brooks). Sasha would slot in perfectly behind, and alongside Siakam at a reasonable cost.
The supporting cast can be filled out rather easily, getting guys like Siakam is the hard part.
I don’t think Sasha is coming here and honestly don’t think his European success is going to necessarily translate to success in the NBA immediately, if at all.
For starters.
You’re not wrong about elite talent, but pursuing it at the cost of everything else can leave you looking like the Lakers; 2 “elite” talents with almost nothing else around them but constant roster discord and zero accountability. I don’t want to see us waste the few good young assets we have for a 2, maybe 3 year window. Specifically Murray. I’d probably be ok sending Davion, Barnes, Holmes and a pick (or 2 maybe) for Siakam. Murray should be considered part of the core moving forward, IMO.
There will be guys come available no one is considering now, there always is. Porzingis will likely opt-in, although with his injury history, he’s probably better off signing long-term for less. If he’s still in Washington on that same contract, he could be an option, at that time. If he opts out, he could be an option now. The others you mentioned are options, but I would focus on front-court rebounding, and defense.
One guy no one has mentioned, is Jusef Nurkic. I think he’s available now. He’s about an average starting 5, but would be an excellent back-up. I can’t see him playing next to Domas, but he could bring serious physicality off the bench. He’s big, strong, a good paint/rim protector, and cleans the glass. He’s in his prime at 28, and has had trouble staying healthy playing big minutes, probably ready for a bench role. I don’t see him letting Kevon Looney become Moses Malone either, that really bothered me. And he would provide some insurance against Domas leaving us at the alter.
I think Nurkic is washed at this point. He hasn’t been any good since the injury.
I do like the fit of KP next to Sabonis, if KP can stay healthy.
Always having one of those two on the floor would help keep the offense humming.
I hope no one in the Kings’ org asks him that question, given how obtuse it is.
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