UNC basketball star a late first-round in ESPN's latest NBA Mock Draft
Will Drake Powell carve himself out a successful NBA career?
The NBA Draft takes center stage in the sports world on Wednesday, June 25 – and there's a strong likelihood a former UNC basketball star will hear his name called.
The Tar Heel in question is Drake Powell, who grew up minutes from Chapel Hill – and watched his dream come true last year. Powell started his freshman campaign as one of North Carolina's top bench options, but after a few strong offensives performances and consistent lockdown defense, Powell became a mainstay in the starting lineup.
Many wondered if Powell would withdraw soon after initially declaring for the NBA Draft, but Powell proved he was NBA-ready in just one year at UNC.
In ESPN's latest NBA Mock Draft, Powell goes 28th overall – which is a late, first-round selection – to the Boston Celtics.
Nothing says welcome to the pros like playing for arguably the NBA's most-storied franchise. Boston holds a league-leading 18 NBA titles, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024 Finals.
The Celtics are a deep team, with former Duke superstar Jayson Tatum and Cal-Berkeley star Jaylen Brown leading the charge. Boston starts former All-Stars Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday, with Holiday taking Tatum's starting spot after the latter's season-ending achilles injury. Derrick White, one of the NBA's top undervalued guards, rounds out the starting lineup.
The Celtics have all the offensive firepower an NBA team could imagine, but they're also a great defensive squad. Powell's defensive presence would only add to Boston's firepower, while Powell is also more than capable of dropping 10 points – on any given night.
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