Patrick Baldwin Jr. was one of the most sought-after five-star recruits last year. He shook the recruiting world when he chose to play for his father, who is head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). Even before the season began, it was widely believed that Baldwin Jr. was going to be a one-and-done player. Many even expected him to be a lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, Baldwin Jr. got hurt 11 games into the season and was not able to return. This has hurt his stock considerably, with some considering him a late-first round or early-second round prospect. According to Scott Grodsky at CBS58 in Milwaukee, Patrick Baldwin Jr. himself has stated that the Milwaukee Bucks have shown some interest in him.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. (@_pbaldwin23) tells me the #Bucks have "shown some interest" in the former @MKE_MBB star. Milwaukee owns the 24th pick in the draft.
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) June 5, 2022
Patrick Baldwin Jr. at UWM
As stated, Patrick Baldwin Jr. only played 11 games during his only season at UWM. In those games, he struggled from the floor, averaging just 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Coming into college, he had a reputation of being an excellent shooter. Unfortunately, he never found his rhythm at UWM and shot just 34/26/74 from the field.
Where Will Patrick Baldwin Jr. Be Drafted?
Patrick Baldwin Jr. was once believed to be a top-ten lottery pick. However, his poor shooting at UWM and his season-ending injury have knocked him down on the draft boards. At this point, expect Baldwin Jr. to be taken in the second round. The site nbadraftroom.com has him listed as their 12th best power forward in the 2022 NBA Draft, and consider him a top-45 pick.
The Scouting Report on Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Due to such a small sample size of games at UWM, much of the scouting report on Patrick Baldwin Jr. comes from his high school and AAU games. He also worked out for NBA teams at the draft combine, which provided teams with a small glimpse in what he can bring to the table.
Strengths
- 6’9.5″ height and 220 lbs build is ideal for modern NBA power forwards
- Posts up smaller defenders well and has shown a nice fade away jump shot
- Unselfish
- Handles the ball well in the open court
- Has shown that he is a reliable shooter in AAU and US U19
Weaknesses
- Poor shooting during time at UWM
- Does not create his own shot well
- Not fast enough or strong enough to fight through screens
- Very little natural athleticism
- Slow release on his jump shot
Conclusion
Patrick Baldwin Jr. is from Sussex, Wisconsin. Getting drafted into the NBA by his home-state team would be a very fun story. However, whether or not he will fall to the Bucks in the second round will be interesting too see. Taking him with Pick 24 in the first round might be too far of a reach.
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