NBA Draft Scouting Report: Gonzaga's Julian Strawther

Prospect Profile 

Although Strawther will be entering the 2023 NBA Draft after three college seasons, his age shouldn’t turn teams away. He entered the 2022 NBA Draft but opted to bet on himself and spend one more season at Gonzaga.

He’s built like a wing, but can also play the off-ball guard spot which opens up his versatility on both ends.

Strawther improved as a 3-point shooter from freshman to sophomore year, but still has work to do. His shot is somewhat unorthodox, but that doesn’t worry us long-term. He gets good elevation on his jumper which will help moving forward.

With that in mind, his free throw shooting isn’t great either which can often be an indicator of future shooting success.

The 6-foot-7 prospect was thrown into a much larger role last year, but thrived with the new opportunity. He was a great positional rebounder, even on a team with two dominant bigs.

What’s promising about Strawther is his understanding of roles. Although he came to Gonzaga as a big recruit, he doesn’t try to do too much. He takes generally takes good shots within the flow of the offense, which is a huge reason he shoots nearly 70% on 2-point attempts. He doesn’t force shots near the rim, allowing the offense to come to him.

While he does have the ability to be a primary scorer at times, he hasn’t shown that he could be a team’s top option all game. With yet another expanded role this season, perhaps he could change that perception.

If Strawther is going to make another jump this season, it will be as an isolation scorer. To this point he’s fed off of others, but will need to improve his handle and facilitation to become more of a focal point on offense.

As a defender, Strawther has a ton of quickness and covers a lot of ground. He’s active on that end of the floor and should have no problem being an effective defender at the NBA level.

Gonzaga is a fantastic system that produces NBA talent nearly every season. If he’s able to evolve into the face of the team alongside Drew Timme this season, Strawther could be a first-round selection next summer.

Coming out of high school, Strawther was a lethal scorer. While he hasn’t had the opportunity to show yet at the college level, this could be the season. He represents Puerto Rico at the international level, which has been another chance for him to showcase his skills. 

Highlights

Draft Projection 

Late First-Round or Early Second-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.