Prospect Overview
Long, versatile forward with budding jump shooting ability who scored in a variety of ways as a sophomore at Marquette and has interesting tools for small-ball lineups.
About Justin Lewis
Justin Lewis is a long, versatile forward who made significant strides with his jump shot as a sophomore at Marquette to add to his intrigue as a small-ball weapon. Finishing his senior year at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (MD) regarded as a fringe top-100 prospect in the high school class of 2020, Lewis headed to Marquette where he averaged 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over 20.9 minutes per game while knocking down just 7 three-pointers as a true freshman. Staying with the Golden Eagles as a sophomore under first-year Head Coach Shaka Smart, the Baltimore native had a breakout sophomore year. Averaging 16.8 points and 7.9 rebounds over 32.2 minutes per game while making 58 three-pointers, he turned a corner in a number of areas to earn Big East Most Improved Player honors and a spot on the All-Big East first team.
• Measured standing 6’7.5 in shoes with a strong 237-pound frame and a terrific 7’2.5 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Lewis has unique dimensions with his length and strength. He is not the most explosive athlete, but is fluid with the ball and has good body control.
• Doing a little bit of everything offensively as the Golden Eagles’ first option, Lewis’s rise as a reliable jump shooter bolstered his efficiency as a sophomore and makes him an interesting fit at the NBA level. Possessing the ability to create his own shot from the post, serve as both the ball handler and screener in pick and rolls, and make an impact with his length as a finisher, he was a difficult matchup for opposing forwards.
• Holding his own at times defensively, Lewis showed the ability to bother shooters with his length and some versatility to switch when he was locked in. He has significant room to improve off the ball and in terms of consistency on that end of the floor.
Advanced Stats
• Ranking among the more versatile scoring forwards in college basketball, Lewis was also consistently productive as he found a nice rhythm in Big East play. On his best nights, he not only scored opportunistically inside and made the most of spot up opportunities, but ran hot shooting on the move picking and popping or even pulling up in transition.
• Coming a long way with his mechanics as a sophomore, Lewis averaged 1.06 points per catch and shoot jump shot in the half court [63rd percentile] and was even steadier from beyond the arc than his numbers suggest after taking some time to settle into his expanded role. After scoring just 0.55 points per attempt as a freshman, he found a comfort level on the perimeter this season not just shooting the three well, but operating out of hand offs and creating his own shot in spots.
• As well as he shot the ball in catch and shoot situations, he averaged 0.82 points per dribble jump shot in the half court [59th percentile] showing some promise with his ability to rise into shots in the mid-post or make shots from beyond the arc off rhythm dribbles. He still has room to grow as a shooter, but the number of ways he made perimeter shots was encouraging.
• Scoring 0.97 points per shot around the rim in the half court [24th percentile], Lewis forced the issue at times around the rim. He’s more strong than quick with the ball and still has some room to pick and choose his spots more effectively inside.
• Making the simple play as a passer but having some issues with turnovers when creating off the dribble, Lewis continues to evolve on the offensive end, but his trajectory from his freshman year and instincts leave plenty of room for optimism projecting ahead.
Defensive Analysis
• Possessing rare length for his height and a strong frame, Lewis handled some matchups in the post and on the perimeter better than others. He used his frame well in spots and was not shy about mixing it up on the glass, but is still learning how to make the most of his tools consistently.
• Faring better on the ball than off it, Lewis showed some instincts rotating for blocks but was still figuring out how to be in the right spots closing out on the perimeter.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
