Editor’s Note: This story was originally published June 8, 2023
Pepperdine sophomore Maxwell Lewis is one of the most intriguing wings in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Lewis averaged 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game during his breakout campaign for Pepperdine in 2022-23. Although he didn’t take the most traditional path to the pros, we project he’ll be a first-round pick in our latest 2023 NBA Mock Draft.
As the youngest of five children but the tallest in his family, Lewis always knew that basketball was an option for him. Soon, he can potentially turn it into his career.
“I feel like it was meant for me to play basketball,” Lewis told For The Win during a recent interview. “I had a size 15 shoe in like sixth grade.”
Lewis has spent the offseason training at IMPACT Basketball in Las Vegas with legendary skills trainer Joe Abunassar. Lewis has spent the pre-draft process training alongside several NBA players including Josh Green, Caleb Houstan and Keon Johnson.
The former Pepperdine standout has worked out for several teams with draft picks in the lottery including the Mavericks, Pelicans and Thunder. Some of the other teams with first-round picks that brought Lewis into their facilities include the Hawks, Lakers and Rockets.
Now, he feels ready to take the next step and make his mark in the NBA, and here are five things to know about him.
- Meet NBA draft sleeper Brandin Podziemski, who used the transfer portal to make himself a pro
- Meet NBA draft prospect Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who says he is ‘somebody that is electric’
1
Maxwell attended art school and played the saxophone
Before playing competitive basketball, Lewis attended a charter school focused on the arts. He played saxophone for “four to five years” and he didn’t play organized basketball while there.
“I feel like I was always able to read notes when I was playing [saxophone] full-time before I started taking basketball seriously,” Lewis explained. “I was always just smart with the saxophone. It came naturally to me.”
MLEW , had to show off his skills 🎷 pic.twitter.com/sY3qV25DOM
— Robert Lewis (@RobNuffSed) May 16, 2023
Lewis eventually realized he wanted to take basketball more seriously, so he transferred to Clark High School in Las Vegas.
But he believes that even years later, his experience playing the saxophone helps him on the basketball court.
“If I can read a note or something, I can definitely play basketball and learn plays quicker,” Lewis added.
2
Maxwell has dealt with unexpected roadblocks to get to where he is today
After leaving the charter school that he attended, Lewis enrolled at Clark High School in Las Vegas.
He said that his original plan as a sophomore was to play alongside Jalen Hill (UNLV) and Frankie Collins (Arizona State) and compete against the rival Nevada powerhouse program, Bishop Gorman. But due to transfer rules, he was ineligible to play varsity and instead played on the junior varsity team.
Once the season was complete, he transferred before his junior year of high school. This time, Lewis enrolled at AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, Arizona. While there, he played alongside future NBA players including Trail Blazers forward Jabari Walker (his AAU teammate for Dream Vision Next while on the Adidas circuit).
Then, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis decided to forego his senior year of high school. He signed up for a 12-month intensive training program, Chameleon BX, run by Frank Matrisciano.
Lewis planned to train alongside other NBA prospects including Marjon Beauchamp, who was later selected by the Bucks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.
“That didn’t work,” Lewis said. The prospects were all sent home by winter, and the program no longer exists. “I was just trying to find what was best for me and my future.”
Due to his involvement with the program, Lewis faced eligibility concerns during his first year at Pepperdine. He missed the first six games of the season while awaiting a decision from the NCAA, then came off the bench once he was cleared.
After finally working his way into the starting lineup and playing two games with the first unit, a wrist injury in February sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
But after a breakout sophomore campaign, he feels ready to turn pro.
“It’s a blessing just being in this situation, especially my story and where I came from,” Lewis said.
3
Maxwell Lewis is built like the prototypical NBA wing
When you try and imagine what the modern NBA wing looks like, Lewis perfectly fits that description. He is long and plays well with the ball in his hands.
“I definitely hear that all the time,” Lewis said. “That’s the eye candy people started seeing first … just my body and my length.”
Lewis measured at over 6-foot-6 in socks at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, weighing nearly 210 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. His standing vertical (32.5 inches) ranked in the 88th percentile among all participants since 2000, per Stadium Speak.
Those are great measurements for someone who plays on the ball as often as Lewis did at Pepperdine. When including passes, according to Synergy, Lewis finished nearly 25 percent of his offensive possessions as the ball handler in pick-and-roll sets.
Asked to name his most translatable NBA skill, he knew right away.
“My instincts,” Lewis said. “I can go at a guy one-on-one with spacing and my athleticism. That is what I can really bring to the table.”
Lewis shot 43.6 percent on jumpers off the dribble, per Stats Perform. That ranked as the fourth-best among prospects projected in a draftable range with at least 90 dribble jumpers tracked.
He was also one of only a handful of underclassmen 6-foot-6 or taller who made at least 20 dunks and 3-pointers last season, per Bart Torvik.
“I feel like I have one of the quickest first steps, just getting past the defender in one move and just dunking the ball,” Lewis said.
4
Maxwell has heard positive reviews about his defense during the pre-draft process
Lewis can score the ball at the professional level. But if there is a concern about his game, it could be on the defensive end of the floor. Fortunately, he is addressing that during the pre-draft process.
“I didn’t play the best defense consistently in college,” Lewis admitted. “But I feel like that’s a major thing I’m going to show in these workouts.”
His defensive box plus-minus (-0.3) last season ranked third-worst among all prospects included in the first round of our latest mock draft.
Only seven players on record since 2008 were selected in the first round despite a career dBPM of either 0.0 or below, per Bart Torvik. None of those players (e.g. Doug McDermott and Ryan Anderson) had particularly strong careers on the defensive end of the floor.
| YEAR | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | WINGSPAN | LANE AGILITY | 3/4 SPRINT | MAX VERT | |
| Maxwell Lewis | 2023 | 6’6.25″ | 207.2 | 7’0″ | 11.4 seconds | 3.43 seconds | 36.5 inches |
| Andre Roberson | 2013 | 6’6.25″ | 205.8 | 6’11” | 11.36 seconds | 3.34 seconds | 36.5 inches |
For a sigh of relief, though: Look at how Lewis physically compares to Andre Roberson, a former first-round pick who was named NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2017.
With that in mind, the good news is that there are no physical limitations for Lewis that should prevent him from ever becoming a high-impact player on the defensive end of the floor in the pros.
It will just come down to how much work he puts in at the next level.
“I’ve been working on so much defense these past two months compared to my season and now it’s just really different,” Lewis said. “These workouts I’ve been hearing a lot of good feedback about defense. My effort is better.”
5
Maxwell eventually wants to play like Clippers star Paul George
What does Lewis think he can eventually accomplish in the NBA?
“Down the years, I want to have a Paul George role,” Lewis said.
It’s an ambitious goal to match the productivity of an eight-time NBA All-Star like George. But it isn’t exactly an unreasonable projection. Look at their numbers, per 40 minutes, during their final collegiate seasons as sophomores:
| NAME | PTS | REB | AST | TOV | 3PM | TS% | USG% | STL | BLK |
| Maxwell Lewis | 21.7 | 7.2 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 2.6 | 56.7 | 28.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Paul George | 20.2 | 8.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 57.2 | 27.9 | 2.7 | 1.0 |
George has the edge on rebounding and steals, while Lewis turned the ball over more often. Otherwise, the productivity for Lewis at Pepperdine was relatively similar to what we saw from George at Fresno State.
Lewis knows that George is one of the most athletic players in the NBA, but he sees the similarities. While he doesn’t expect to play that type of role right away, it is where he sees himself later in his career.
“I can be more ball-dominant as more time goes on … I like how he can create to score,” Lewis said. “I like his size, and I think we’re both athletic … [I like] how he can create and make shots. I just want to show my role and lead like that.”
