Milwaukee freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr. has opted to enter the 2022 NBA Draft, he announced Friday on Twitter. Baldwin doesn’t specify whether he intends to test the waters or go pro, but the wording of his statement suggests he’ll likely forgo his remaining college eligibility.
Calf and ankle injuries limited Baldwin to just 11 games in his first and only college season. While he averaged 12.1 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 28.5 minutes per contest, he struggled to score efficiently, shooting just 34.4% from the field, including 26.6% on threes.
Once viewed as a potential top-10 pick, Baldwin has slipped to No. 31 overall on ESPN’s big board of 2022 prospects. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote in February that NBA teams had concerns about Baldwin’s left ankle, which sidelined him for much of his high school senior year and bothered him again as a freshman at Milwaukee. Teams evaluating him during the pre-draft process will likely want to get a close look at his medicals.
Givony refers to the 6-foot-9 forward as a “dynamic shot-maker” with a strong frame, but notes that he displayed a lack of toughness when he was healthy in 2021-22 and didn’t play well on defense. Baldwin is no longer considered a surefire first-round pick, let alone a top-10 candidate, Givony adds.
Early entrants declaring for the 2022 draft have until the end of the day on Sunday to officially submit their names.
More must-reads: