Following a breakout sophomore campaign, Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis has risen across draft boards and made his mark as a player with NBA-ready skills.
Maxwell Lewis 2023 Draft Profile
College Career
After a commitment to a training program known as Charmeleon BX fell through due to COVID-19, Lewis chose Pepperdine as a four-star recruit out of AZ Compass Prep. He primarily came off the bench as a freshman, and his averages of 11 points, three assists, and one steal per game earned him a spot on the 2021-22 WCC All-Freshman Team.
Lewis showed tremendous growth as a sophomore, leading the Waves in scoring with 17.1 points per game on 52% shooting from the field, 34% from three, and 78% from the free-throw line. He also averaged 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game and was named to this year’s All-WCC Second Team.
Pepperdine graduate Jerry Jiang was the sports editor of the university’s newspaper, the Graphic, and interviewed Lewis back in January while covering the men’s basketball team. He offered his perspective on the forward’s journey to the draft.
“[Lewis]’s freshman year, he kind of had an up-and-down season,” Jiang said. “From freshman year to sophomore year, his jump was pretty much night and day. You can definitely tell he puts a lot of effort into watching film and studying his game and others, and putting that into practice.”
He added that Lewis’s first year was “a rush,” but he was able to “collect himself” as a sophomore with more time and reps.
Strengths
Offense
Lewis stands out with his speed and shot creation, among other talents, as a three-level scorer. When he isn’t pulling up from three-point range, he blows by defenders with a quick first step and gets to the rim with ease, making tough layups or converting thunderous dunks. He also doesn’t shy away from contact despite his 210-pound frame, a key factor in his improved free-throw rate (from 24% to 33%). Lewis has also shown good work in the post, often backing down defenders before swishing a turnaround midrange jumper.
Aside from scoring, Lewis is also an effective playmaker. He uses driving lanes to draw defenses in before finding bigs in the dunker spot, and he can thread the needle to cutting teammates or kick it out to open shooters. Overall, Lewis holds plenty of offensive upside, having produced 511 points through scoring, assists, or offensive rebounds, which ranked sixth in the WCC this past season.
Jiang mentioned that Lewis’s first step, length, and athleticism make him ready for the league.
“All those 3-and-D guys, [they] are very valuable in the NBA,” he said. “Someone who can be very versatile has a lot of moves in his bag. [Lewis] is not afraid to be creative or attack when necessary, and he lets the offense come to him. He is very collected and calm under pressure. Those are all things that will serve him well.”
Defense
Lewis has also proven to be scrappy on defense, despite only accumulating 50 steals and 36 blocks in his two seasons with the Waves. He can hound defenders on the ball, alter shots well, and jump the passing lanes for fast break opportunities.
“The biggest thing for young players is the defensive side,” Jiang noted. “He obviously puts in effort on both sides of the floor, but in his sophomore year, there was a lot more attention to detail compared to when he first started. That’s to the credit of [Pepperdine men’s basketball head coach Lorenzo Romar] and his staff over there, but it’s also to [Lewis’s] credit because he puts in the time.”
Jiang also stated the defensive end is where Lewis “collects himself” and understands the game more.
Above all, Lewis’s teammates and coaches value his character.
“Everyone has a lot of high praise for him, both Romar and those around him,” he added. “I talked to Max plenty of times, and he is a gym rat. He’s always in there, working on his game and studying film, doing the extra things. He’s obviously very dedicated, so he’s got a lot of good upside and a very high character.”
Weaknesses
Though Lewis does have some speed on his side, scouting reports note that he may struggle to guard quicker NBA players and must improve on his shot selection, as he tends to go for more complicated shots than easier looks. Additionally, taking care of the ball will be key for Lewis going forward, as he averaged 3.3 turnovers per game this past season and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.75 (139 assists and 176 turnovers).
NBA Player Comparison
O.G. Anunoby. Both Lewis and Anunoby are reliable two-way players with similar frames and skill sets. Anunoby has turned into a standout three-and-D wing who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to star in his role.
Jiang mentioned a previous interview with a scout on Lewis, who first made the comparison to the Raptors wing.
“You can kind of use him off-ball and on the wing,” Jiang said. “I think [Anunoby] is a very accurate comparison for him, but he’s kind of one-of-one. It’s not like there’s a direct comparison. He’s a bit of a [Swiss Army Knife] kind of guy.”
