Julian Phillips
Wing | Tennessee
Height: 6’8” | Weight: 200 lbs
2023 Draft Age: 19.63
Jason Vinlove / USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
Tennessee will have one of the best wings in the country this season in Phillips. With great positional size at 6-foot-8, he’ll be used in many different ways on both ends of the floor. His length will allow him to guard multiple positions at a high level, which will make him very attractive to NBA teams.
If Phillips can improve as a shooter, it’s easy to see a scenario in which he becomes a highly impactful 3-and-D wing. It’s not that his shot is bad now, but he is somewhat limited. He’s proven to be effective in catch-and-shoot situations from both the midrange and beyond the arc, but Phillips hasn’t had to convert on more difficult looks.
At the next level, shots have to get off more quickly and are very rarely uncontested. In general, whether or not Phillips can generate his own shot at the next level and score in isolation will be interesting.
Even if he doesn’t evolve into a shot creator, he’s still effective when he’s created for and in transition. He’s able to use his athleticism and length on the break to get easy buckets. Phillips is also a fantastic cutter, always finding himself in the right place on offense. This knack for finding the ball is also something that’s resulted in him pulling down offensive rebounds at a high rate.
What’s really impressive about Phillips is how good he is with both of his hands. Whether it’s the direction he drives the ball or the hand he finishes with at the rim, he’s effective left or right.
Scroll to Continue
The swing factors for the freshman will be getting stronger and becoming more of a creator. Either way, he should end up being a first rounder in the 2023 NBA Draft and one of the better players we’ve seen come through Tennessee in recent years.
Before landing at Tennessee, Phillips was offered an $800,000 contract with the G League Ignite and also considered joining the Overtime Elite. The five-star prospect really broke out in his senior season and emerged as one of the best wings in his class. During that final high school season, he led Link Academy to a 33-2 record and a trip to the GEICO National Championship game.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Mid to Late First-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
2023 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
.