(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Florida’s Scottie Lewis was a top-ten recruit coming out of high school and a presumed one-and-done candidate for the 2020 NBA draft.
Lewis instead opted to return to school to improve his draft stock after what some would consider a disappointing freshman campaign. However, he was not able to show much offensive productivity, which limited his upside in the eyes of some evaluators.
Of 26 prospects to test today, Scottie Lewis had fastest shuttle run, fastest lane agility, fastest sprint, 2nd highest standing vert, 2nd highest max vert (tied)
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) June 23, 2021
But during athletic testing and measurements, he was able to remind the top decision-makers why he is worth serious consideration when their team is on the clock next month.
Lewis dominated during the strength and agility drills, producing one of the best marks in almost every category.
His max vertical leap (42 inches) led all players except Texas big man Jericho Sims and Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, who set the combine record. He tied South Carolina’s AJ Lawson for the fastest mark at the three-quarter sprint (2.98 seconds) and he also recorded the fastest lane agility time (10.45 seconds) among all combine participants in 2021.
If you plug in his measurements to the simulator tool from NBAthlete.com, two of the players with similar measurements are stellar wing defenders Marcus Smart and De’Anthony Melton. Both of these players notched a “similarity score” to Lewis of at least 91 percent.
The 21-year-old had his limitations on the offensive side of the floor but like Smart and Melton, his primary strength in the NBA is going to be his defense and athleticism.
While he is just 6-foot-4 without shoes, Lewis also measured with a 7-foot wingspan during the event. That elite length gives him a huge advantage on the defensive side of the floor, as you can see in this highlight below:
Scottie Lewis seems to do one thing each game that doesn’t physically make sense. pic.twitter.com/jtHXMe7AcY
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) December 31, 2020
As noted in this mock draft, Lewis was the only D-I basketball player in a high-major conference who averaged a block and steal percentage both over 3.5 percent this past season.
While he might not be someone whose numbers pop out, Lewis certainly has the makings of someone who is going to earn his way on an NBA roster and keep his spot.
