2019 Draft - Post Combine Winners & Losers
May 25, 2019 13:07:24 GMT
Brian Scalabrine, Amare Stoudemire, and 3 more like this
Post by George Gervin on May 25, 2019 13:07:24 GMT
The NBA combine in Chicago has come and gone, and the usual charade of top prospects skipping everything but team interviews and media day continues. However, there were plenty of guys who put themselves through drills and the scrimmages. Some did well, while others probably wish they had sat out. From the totality of the combine, here are a few standouts:
Risers:
- Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State: If you’ve followed college basketball this past season, you’ll notice Iowa State as a team that sneakily had multiple 1st and 2nd round talents on their roster. Whether it was the cagey veteran in Mariol Shayok or young guys like THT or Lindell Wigginton, ISU was loaded. None of those prospects, though, elicited as much intrigue in this positionless basketball era as THT, who looked like a cross between Jae Crowder and Evan Turner at ISU. Upon arriving at the combine, where THT stood out was his freakish measurements. Sure, 6’3” 225 lbs seems a bit thick for a G/F type, but he measured in with a 7’2” wingspan to match that heft. The length plus his physical frame should allow him to play anywhere from SG to PF in small ball scenarios, and for teams like the Rockets, Jazz, and Thunder, he could prove to be a useful bench addition. He also is the second youngest player in the draft who won’t turn 19 till November, so the sky is the limit for THT if he continues to improve.
- Nicolas Claxton, Georgia: I was realllyyyy hoping he would continue to fly under the radar, but of any prospect who attended the combine, Claxton probably performed the best. He came in with a solid frame for a PF/C (6’11”, 215, 7’2” wingspan) and an intriguing profile as a guy who ran a lot of the offense for Georgia despite his size. His advanced stats plus shooting splits portend a player who could become a switching, rim running, shot blocking, and lastly floor spacing big man that has become the El Dorado of NBA draft circles. In the scrimmages, though, is where Claxton really shined. His first scrimmage he ended up with 7 blocks, was incredibly active, and showed off the versatile skill set. Most guys would’ve sat out the second one after a performance like that, but he came back in the second game to put up 5 more blocks plus 4 steals. Originally an early 2nd round projection (and personally one of my favorite sleepers in this draft), the cat is out of the bag and he’s now a likely top 25 pick.
- Luka Samanic, Croatia: Another player like Claxton who was flying under the radar before the combine, Luka will hide no more. A rare Euro attendee for the combine, Luka came in hoping to dispel two notions: that he could actually play defense and he wasn’t an athletic liability. His skill level has never been in doubt, but there had been real concerns Samanic wouldn’t be able to hang with elite NBA type athletes. His testing helped end that notion, as he finished top 5 in lane agility, top 10 in 3/4 sprint, and top 10 in max vertical amongst all forwards at the combine. His scrimmage results helped alleviate the defensive concerns, as he more than held his own on that end of the floor and dominated offensively. I hate doing Euro comparisons, but he plays like a Saric clone, and for a team in the 20s, he could prove to be a steal.
However, not all guys exceed expectations at the combine. Some have it blow up spectacularly, like these guys below:
Fallers:
- Kevin Porter Jr, USC: Now, I’ve ripped on Porter before, so take this with a grain of salt: I do not understand the scouting community’s fascination with him, as he sucked in the PAC 12 and seems to be full of himself. While he athletically was solid, it was Porter’s mouth that got him in trouble. He was asked multiple times by the media if his underwhelming season at USC required him to rethink his game, or if he needed to develop more. His responses were less than encouraging, as he rejected any notion that he needed to change his game and that he never got on the same page with folks at USC. Porter Jr is every bit as talented as Nassir Little, even Cam Reddish, but he has neither their production nor the humility to come in and learn. He came across as immature for the stage, and as a result, he’s likely sliding down some team boards or off others altogether.
- Bol Bol, Oregon: Another guy that I admit, I’ve been down on before, but his combine left a lot to be desired. No one denies he is a physically insane prospect, as he measured second to Tacko Fall in height, (7’2”), wingspan (7’8”), and standing reach (9’7”), but it was the last measurement that was supremely disappointing and frankly alarming: 208 lbs. How can a guy who hasn’t played in almost five months and has been prepping for the draft basically the whole time come in at almost 20 lbs LESS than his playing weight? To me, it either shows real flaws in his body’s ability to add weight and build muscle, or Bol is someone resting on laurels he has yet to earn and hope it gets him drafted. He’s someone who really needs a strong developmental organization— like Utah, OKC, or San Antonio— that can afford to give him time to build weight and be something more than Channing Frye lite.
- Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest: As a fellow Demon Deacon, I have followed Jaylen for a long time. I was so excited to see him play for my alma mater after watching him excel for the French national team, and I thought he had a real shot to jump into the lottery with a good freshman season. Alas, that never came to be, and like a lot of freshman, Hoard declared for the draft with no intention of returning. His measurements were so-so for a combo forward (6’8”, 215 lbs, 7’0” wingspan), and he didn’t wow in drills, but the intrigue was still there for scouts. Then came scrimmages, where he disappeared entirely. Already an older freshman at 20, if Hoard is struggling to make a mark in combine scrimmages, which are diluted already with a lot of fringe guys, why should a team believe he can grow against NBA guys? Hoard was one of many prospects who needed a big combine to solidify a shaky 1st round status, and his combine likely pushed him to the back half of the 2nd round.