2025 NBA Draft: Asa Newell
NBA Draft Scouting Report
Asa Newell
Height/Weight: 6’11, 220lbs
Position: Forward
Team: Georgia
Birthdate: October 5th, 2005
Player Overview
Asa Newell is a rangy forward that flies around the floor on both ends. On offense, Newell finds most of his work off the ball. He excels above the rim where his hands and hops allow him to create second chances and pose as a serious lob threat. Where he can grow comes on the perimeter, with his handle and shot being fairly raw. Defensively, Newell utilizes his big frame and top-tier athleticism to make an impact in the paint and on the perimeter. He can occasionally fall into being high in his stance, but more effort should easily resolve that.
Strengths
Athleticism
Newell is a hyper-athletic big and it shows in multiple areas. His mobile nature makes him a nightmare to guard in the half-court and transition. Asa is already much faster than opposing bigs and his constant movement capitalizes on this. Additionally, Newell jumps out of the gym allowing him to finish over defenders and come down with high passes. He projects to be a great lob threat at the next level as he improves in the pick and roll.
Offensive Rebounding
Upon watching Asa’s film, his hands stuck out to me. Whether it's low passes or high rebounds, Newell just finds a way to control the ball. Combine that with his leaping ability and he’s been an elite offensive rebounder. Through 10 games, Newell has an offensive rebounding percentage of 16%, ranking second amongst all freshmen. Creating second chances to get looks in a high-percentage area like the paint is valuable at all levels.
Defensive Versatility
Asa’s athleticism extends to the defensive end where he can guard 1-5. While his length helps to contest shots all over the floor, it also aids in Newell being a pest in the passing lanes. Adding his speed into the equation, Asa can stick in front of smaller, quicker guards. Defensive versatility is an increasingly valuable trait amongst NBA prospects, and Newell appears to be in the upper echelon of this category.
Concerns
Strength
There is no doubt that Newell has found success on the glass and in the paint due to his athleticism, but he’ll need to fill out his frame to continue this success in the NBA. Asa has already shown signs this year of setting soft screens and struggling in post situations due to his lack of strength. Adding this muscle will only make him more versatile than he already is, especially in the pick and roll.
Shooting
Newell’s jumper continues to be a question mark through ten games this season. Shooting 22% from three and only 65% from the line has caused it to be the main area of concern for many scouts. However, Newell possesses encouraging shooting mechanics and shoots with confidence when opportunities present themselves. With this in mind, I believe it’s only a matter of time until the shot starts falling.
Ball-Handling
By no means does Newell need to become a ball-handling maestro, but improving his dribble skills could make him lethal from all areas. Right now, a great majority of Newell’s jumpers come from catch-and-shoot situations while most of his layups come from passes right near the rim. The ability to handle the ball will allow Newell to create looks for his improving jumper, attack from the perimeter, and get downhill off the short roll.
Analytics
Predictive Value
While analytics and statistics don’t tell the entire story, there’s no denying that many have been good indicators of success at the next level. Recently, user “criggsnba” on X correlated 25 statistics to NBA VORP/yr from 212 collegiate bigs drafted between 2008 and 2023. VORP represents “value over replacement player” and estimates the points per 100 team possessions a player scores over their replacement. VORP has been used since the 1970s and is one of the best statistical indicators of success in the NBA. The findings showed BPM (box plus-minus), net rating, DR% (defensive rebounding percentage), and 2P% were some of the stats that correlated the most among bigs.
Asa’s Situation
With ten games under his belt, Newell has notched a BPM of 9.3, an offensive rating of 129.2, a defensive rating of 91.4, a DR% of 12.4%, and a 2P% of 65%. Historically, players such as Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis, and Donovan Clingan have met these production levels over an entire season. Newell has yet to begin conference play in what may be a historically good SEC, but thus far he’s performed at the level needed to find success in the NBA.