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Huge decisions coming up for the franchise. I would take harden and Dillon brooks. Draft cam whitmore. Or draft amen and throw a bag at cam Johnson
2024 NBA Draft Thread - the hawks might be on the clock
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NBA draft combine recap: Latest on Brandon Miller and rising prospects
The 2023 NBA draft combine is in the books, concluding a week in Chicago that will forever be highlighted by the San Antonio Spurs winning the draft lottery and the right to select 19-year-old French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick. NBA executives from all 30 teams were on hand to get a closer look at this year's draft class -- minus Wembanyama, who is still playing for Metropolitans 92 in Paris -- prior to the June 22 draft (ESPN/ABC, 8 p.m. ET).
One of the prospects in the spotlight was Alabama's Brandon Miller, ESPN's projected No. 2 pick. Miller addressed executives and the media regarding the fatal shooting of Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Below is a look at Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo's key observations from last week, including how Charlotte is approaching the No. 2 pick, how some teams felt underwhelmed by the combine and the prospects who stood out.
Brandon Miller interviews with 12 teams at the combine
With the San Antonio Spurs not doing anything to hide the fact that they will be selecting Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick, the 2023 NBA draft starts at No. 2 with Charlotte deciding which direction it will head in.
Miller's season, which saw him named SEC player of the year and a first-team All-American, elevated him on many NBA teams' big boards to the No. 2 prospect in the class. Tuesday's lottery results further solidified his chances of hearing his name called immediately after Victor Wembanyama at No. 1, as both of the teams who rose into the top three -- Charlotte and Portland -- have bigger needs on the wing than at guard. While there is a process that will need to play out over the next month, it was hard to find a single NBA executive at the draft combine who believed that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson will eventually rise into the No. 2 spot.
There are several mitigating factors that will still need to play out for that to become a reality, though. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak is known to place individual team workouts very high up on his priority list when it comes to his decision-making process, and its unclear what type of workout Miller -- who was recovering at home in Nashville from mononucleosis while his peers were training for the pre-draft process -- will be able to conduct on his visit to Charlotte. Miller has lost 13 pounds and hasn't conducted much basketball activity since the season ended, his agent Wilmer Jackson told ESPN.
The fact that Kupchak attended Miller's best game of the season -- a 41-point performance at South Carolina in late February -- should help alleviate that concern. But the door is still open for Henderson to blow Charlotte executives out of the water during his individual workout, something he's more than capable of doing based on what we've seen the past two years.
While Henderson has narrowed his focus to the three teams picking atop the draft, Miller elected to interview with 12 teams last week at the combine, something you don't usually see from a player with such a seemingly narrow draft range. Team executives present at interviews said Miller arrived holding a legal brief written by his attorneys informing teams that, because of legal concerns, he will not be able to comment on specific details regarding his involvement in the lead-up to the killing of Harris. Teams that interviewed Miller in Chicago have privately expressed some concern regarding fallout that might still come in the form of a potential lawsuit or follow-up investigation with yet-to-be-released details and were hoping to get more information directly from him.
Miller was also asked publicly by reporters at the draft combine about what message he was hoping to convey to teams regarding the shooting and said the following:
"The message I've presented to them is just it's all a lesson learned," Miller said. "You always have to be aware of your surroundings and know what you're surrounded by. I feel like the night could've changed my career in less than a heartbeat. So always be aware of your surroundings."
The Hornets will likely have a degree of apprehension after Miles Bridges' felony domestic charges, for which he pleaded no contest and was suspended 30 games by the NBA. Bridges sat out the past season and is currently a free agent, but the front office would like to have him back on the roster next year, sources told ESPN.
The Hornets' ownership situation is currently in flux, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported in March that Michael Jordan is in "serious talks to sell a majority stake in the franchise to a group led by Hornets minority owner Gabe Plotkin and Atlanta Hawks minority owner Rick Schnall." Jordan was awaiting the possibility of landing the No. 1 pick before deciding whether to proceed with a sale, sources told ESPN. It remains to be seen whether moving up to No. 2 changes that plan and what the timetable might look like if a sale did occur, as well as how that might affect the front offices' decision-making process in regards to who to draft.
Charlotte is planning on sending its own attorneys to Tuscaloosa this week to conduct their own due diligence on Miller's involvement in the fatal Jan. 6 shooting, Jackson told ESPN, and Miller plans to fly to Charlotte in mid-June for a workout and follow-up interview.
Jackson reiterated there is no pending investigation into Miller, he did not break any laws and that he is "free and clear" of any wrongdoing. "The case is still open, and Brandon has had limited communication for that reason," Jackson said. "He's been cleared from day one. We were told by the attorneys not to speak about the situation. At the right time we can have that conversation, but for now, we're leaving it alone and will let the process complete itself."
There's little doubt that teams will want Miller to answer more questions regarding his involvement in the shooting, for which he has not been charged and is merely a "cooperating witness," according to the University of Alabama. How he handles those questions moving forward will likely play a role in where he's ultimately picked, especially in light of what Memphis is going through with Ja Morant, which has completely upended the Grizzlies' franchise.
-- Jonathan Givony
Combine dissatisfaction
It's worth noting that teams seemed to be somewhat underwhelmed by combine week on the whole, with 37 players (some more justified than others) declining to play in scrimmages. The need for participants created a trickle-up effect that predictably led to watered-down games both at the combine and G League Elite camp, with most executives we spoke with feeling that the level of play -- and the number of legitimate first-round candidates playing -- was down relative to past years. On top of that, there were gripes about a rather arduous agency pro day schedule that required team personnel to hang around for hours after the conclusion of on-court activity on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, to watch primarily fringe-draftable prospects in unhelpful workout settings.
Executives were somewhat puzzled because the schedule ran so late on those days, while Tuesday's schedule was left open. Pro day attendance, in general, seemed to be down, with teams splitting up gym duties amongst themselves but rarely assigning full cohorts of staff to stick around. Most of the NBA's top decision-makers will now leave their home markets and flock to Los Angeles this week for yet another set of agency-led pro days -- effectively taking a second week of potentially significant team-hosted workouts off the calendar.
The nonstop nature of the scheduling setup unintentionally makes things difficult for college prospects who are genuinely testing the waters. In many cases, this leaves just a few days for players to work out privately for teams, to better assess their own standing ahead of the NCAA's May 31 withdrawal deadline. And with so few projected first-rounders actually playing in any capacity at this year's combine (even the first day of low-intensity drills was thinner on big-name participants than usual), the concept of the scrimmages as a purported proving ground to earn first-round status also lost a bit of its luster.
The onset of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement on July 1 will bring with it a couple of major changes to next year's combine. Prospects will be required to attend and participate in order to be eligible for the draft and will be required to partake in medical examinations. While players will still not be forced by the league to scrimmage, the changes to the rules give the NBA far more control over the pre-draft process, eliminating agents' ability to create leverage by controlling which teams have access to what information about their clients. It's still unclear exactly where the lines will be drawn in terms of which players will be required to do what moving forward -- it's still difficult to imagine the NBA forcing a projected top-10 pick to test or partake in drills -- but the hope is that the combine itself may take on at least some degree of added significance in years to come.
Some around the league hypothesized that this year's generally limited participation from nearly every projected first-rounder may have stemmed from agents exercising their ability to effectively play games in this particular context for the final time before the rules tilt in favor of teams. Reasoning aside, the combine itself felt a tad less consequential than normal this year, and there's still quite a bit left to play out behind closed doors with the draft just a month away.
-- Jeremy Woo
Stock movers
Brandin Podziemski | Santa Clara | Top 100: No. 31
Having entered the week as one of our higher-ranked prospects slated to scrimmage, Podziemski turned in an excellent showing on the first day of games, stuffing the box score with 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, flashing some on-ball creation ability and a willingness to battle in the run of play. While not immensely gifted from a physical standpoint (6-3¾ barefoot with a 6-5 wingspan), his constant pursuit of 50-50 balls and nonstop motor would seem to be good indicators that he'll at least hold his own on the defensive end. He will have to work himself into a truly high-level shooter to secure a regular NBA role, but has been trending in a good direction on that front.
Many around the league view Podziemski as one of the most competitive prospects in this class, and he reinforced that reputation in Chicago, approaching every aspect of the combine seriously and choosing to play on the second day of scrimmages, rather than shut it down after a strong initial showing. On Friday, Podziemski announced his intent to remain in the draft and he's likely earned himself guaranteed money.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper | Marquette | Top 100: No. 32
Prosper was a Wednesday combine standout, racking up 21 points and seven rebounds, bullying his way to the free throw line (10-for-12 on free throws in 22 minutes), and showcasing his two-way upside before opting to shut it down on Thursday. Measuring at just under 6-7 barefoot with a 7-1 wingspan and 40½-inch max vertical, Prosper's physical advantage was pronounced in a scrimmage setting where few opponents could really slow him. While not the type of player NBA teams will trust to make decisions with the ball, he's physically suited to play either forward spot and was able to separate himself from the pack somewhat at the combine. He wasn't heavily featured on offense at Marquette, but the flashes of aggression he showed in Chicago popped in a big way.
While still not a particularly good shooter -- his mechanics are a bit stiff, and cultivating three-point range will be crucial to him sticking around in the NBA long-term -- Prosper is still on the younger side for a college junior, turning 21 in July with room for additional physical and skill development. There are still some warts around his questionable feel and below-average defensive productivity that may keep him from sneaking into the first round but he's the type of athlete who at least deserves real developmental opportunities on the chance his ability to read the game gets up to snuff by NBA standards. A return to college could give him an opportunity to bolster his stock further, but Prosper's odds of landing a guaranteed contract look much better following his combine showing.
Ben Sheppard | Belmont | Top 100: No. 36
As a mid-major prospect who went somewhat under-scouted at Belmont, Sheppard legitimized himself as a draftable player in Chicago, turning in a pair of strong scrimmages that showcased some breadth in his skillset. He was tasked with some ball-handling duties and didn't look entirely uncomfortable initiating play, also making several impressive passes for assists. Those elements of his game leave the door open for potential growth as a secondary creator moving forward. Sheppard also looked solid defensively trailing the ball, and his all-around activity level and constant energy left a positive impression.
We knew Sheppard was a legitimate threat from distance entering the week, but he also flashed a pretty quick first step and measured up to par for a 2-guard, coming in at 6-5¼ barefoot with a 6-6¾ wingspan. He certainly didn't look like an overmatched mid-major star in any respect, and considering the constant league-wide demand for perimeter shooters, Sheppard now looks like a solid bet to be drafted. He could conceivably keep rising with positive showings in team workouts.
Tristan Vukcevic | Partizan | Top 100: No. 37
Vukcevic was nearly automatic scoring the ball on the first day of scrimmages with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, flashing an appealing mix of size and scoring ability and doing enough to justify shutting things down after that. The combine presented a major opportunity for him on a couple of fronts, as the majority of executives and scouts in attendance had never seen him play live, and with the center position widely acknowledged as the thinnest in this year's draft.
At 6-11¼ barefoot with a 7-'2½ wingspan, Vukcevic offers as much from a skill perspective as any non-Wembanyama big in this draft class. That alone gives him some obvious appeal, although his history of productivity is a bit questionable. He's never been a standout defensively and has a lot of things to refine, but there's some legitimate stretch-five potential with him, and he's looking like one of the better stashable options anywhere in the second round.
Seth Lundy | Penn State | Top 100: No. 51
Viewed by some as a surprise combine invite, Lundy dispelled that notion by putting on the week's best 3-point shooting display, draining eight 3-pointers on 11 attempts across both scrimmages and placing himself in the ever-popular "3-and-D" bucket. Teams hoping he'd remain somewhat under the radar as a sleeper two-way candidate had to have been bummed by Lundy's scoring explosion. He's in a significantly better position to hear his name called after the week's events, also measuring at 6-4 with a solid 6-10¼ wingspan. While Lundy is already 23 and can have occasional tunnel vision as a scorer, he flashed some ability to make the next pass and fit in alongside teammates. If he can handle himself defensively at the next level, there's a well-worn path to role player utility for him.
Dillon Mitchell | Texas | Top 100: No. 42
Although Mitchell briefly captivated imaginations with good showings in shooting drills on Monday, his scrimmage performance reinforced why he wasn't much of a contributor at Texas. In his defense, that setting was never going favor him and props to Mitchell for playing anyway, but his decision-making struggles and overall inability to impact the game on offense were pretty evident. He's a big-time project who is multiple years away from being a net positive in an NBA game. Drafting him will require belief in his potential for development down the line.
Amari Bailey | UCLA | Top 100: No. 43
Bailey was productive in the scrimmages, totaling 14 assists between them, but was a big beneficiary of a heavy on-ball usage. There are scouts who like his vision and athleticism, but his iffy 3-point shooting and somewhat one-dimensional style of downhill attacking makes him more of an acquired taste. He's a ways from helping an NBA team, but Bailey is in a better spot to be drafted than he was entering the week, at the very least.
Emoni Bates | Eastern Michigan | Top 100: No. 57
Contrary to expectations, Bates did a fairly decent job of sharing the ball in scrimmages while also showcasing his own shot-making skills. Given all we know, however, it's pretty clear at this point his aptitude for team basketball is subpar at this stage. Bates struggles to impact the game when not placed in a high-usage offensive role with a large diet of touches, and his feel for playing with others away from the ball has always been somewhat limited. His lack of physical strength and great length hinders him, as well. It wasn't all bad for Bates at the combine, but he didn't reinvent the wheel, either, and he's far from a lock to be drafted at this point.
Hunter Tyson | Clemson | Top 100: No. 60
Tyson was among the top players at G League Elite camp and played his way into the combine by showcasing a nice mix of shooting, positional size and toughness over the course of the week. Measuring at 6-7½ with a nearly 6-10 wingspan, Tyson established enough of a physical presence on the floor to impact the game beyond simply spacing the floor. Whether or not he's drafted, the constant demand for players in his mold should lead to a real opportunity somewhere.
Jordan Miller | Miami | Top 100: No. 67
While Miller is one of the older players in the draft, he was among the most productive players at the combine. At this point, he has proven his mettle as a winning role player with a decent mix of size, skill, and motor, totaling 28 points and 15 rebounds between the two scrimmages. Though he measured in under 6-5, his nearly 7-foot wingspan allows him to play a bit bigger, and makes him an interesting fit for small-ball lineups, particularly if his shooting can improve a bit. Miller is a solid two-way contract candidate who could overachieve in the right situation.
-- Woo
Other measurement takeaways
Zach Edey | Purdue | Top 100: No. 48
NBA executives were well aware of Edey's outlier physical tools, but it was still startling to see the Wooden Award winner measure over 7-3 barefoot, 306 pounds with a 7-10½ wingspan and 9-7½ standing reach. If he elects to stay in the draft, Edey will be the tallest and longest player in the NBA -- along with the 7-5 Wembanyama -- while eclipsing the likes of Boban Marjanovic and Rudy Gobert.
Edey also conducted what many considered to be the most interesting pro day of any prospect in Chicago, showing better-than-expected mobility, coordination and skill running the floor, finishing around the basket and making jumpers from mid-range and beyond the arc. He brought a huge amount of energy and looks to be in outstanding shape. Several NBA executives said they were impressed with the way he presented himself and now view him in a slightly different light after seeing him in that setting. Edey hasn't decided yet whether to keep his name in the draft -- he's looking for assurances he'll be picked in the late first or early second round -- and told reporters in Chicago he'll likely go up to the NCAA deadline of May 31 for his decision.
Amen Thompson | Overtime Elite | Top 100: No. 4
Ausar Thompson | Overtime Elite | Top 100: No. 5
The Thompson twins both measured longer than expected relative to several previously released figures from Overtime Elite the past two years -- at 6-7 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan. Ausar (218 pounds) is four pounds heavier than Amen (214) but both are extremely impressive for a guard or wing prospect, on par with the likes of Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Jaylen Brown. The twins both have legitimate guard skills with their ability to handle, pass and finish with creativity around the basket. The fact they have the length and frame to guard power forwards or even centers in extreme small-ball lineups gives them defensive versatility that few players in this draft can boast, especially after considering their top tier athleticism.
Jalen Hood-Schifino | Indiana | Top 100: No. 14
It's been nearly four years since we've gotten updated measurements on Indiana's Hood-Schifino, and he's clearly grown and filled out considerably since then, now up to 6-5½ in shoes, 217 pounds with a 6-10¼ wingspan. It's hard to find many players in the NBA who play point guard and boast those types of physical dimensions-- our extensive measurement comparison database spit out the likes of James Harden, Dwayne Wade, Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Edwards as a few of his physical comps.
Cason Wallace | Kentucky | Top 100: No. 12
Wallace measured 2½ inches longer and more than an inch taller than expected from the figures we received from the Kentucky Pro Day in October -- an event that seemed to shortchange several of its players (Chris Livingston's wingspan is more than three inches longer and he's over an inch taller for example). At 6-4 in shoes, 195 pounds with a 6-8½ wingspan, John Wall, Bruce Brown, De'Anthony Melton and Derrick White are some of the comps our database offers, suggesting Wallace has the type of coveted defensive versatility we saw in his lone season at Kentucky.
Rayan Rupert | NZ Breakers | Top 100: No. 18
We were well aware of Rupert's dimensions from the season, but it was still impressive to see them on paper. He has the same wingspan as De'Andre Hunter (7-2) and very similar dimensions to his favorite NBA player Mikal Bridges, who was 11 pounds heavier at age 21 (Rupert is still 1
. Herbert Jones, Trevor Ariza and Otto Porter Jr. are a few other names our database suggests as close physical comps, which is exactly the mold of player many NBA teams envision when projecting Rupert long-term.
-- Givony
Pro days recap
Keyonte George | Baylor | Top 100: No. 15
George elected to not measure, test or participate in any facet of the drills portion of the combine, making his pro day the only glimpse of on-court action NBA teams would receive. Several executives pointed to this workout as one of the most impressive they saw over the course of the week, as he was noticeably in outstanding shape, looked extremely explosive finishing around the basket and made difficult shots look easy all session long. The late-night workout, run by two-time NBA champion Mike Miller (who is also his agent), was full of energy and something much appreciated by scouts after a long day in the gym. George still has work to do in workouts to solidify his standing as a lottery prospect, but he certainly helped his cause in Chicago.
Matthew Murrell | Ole Miss | Top 100: NR
Coming off a somewhat underwhelming junior season at Ole Miss, Murrell didn't have a great showing at the G League Elite camp, posting just 13 points on 15 field goal attempts in 34 minutes of action. Understandably not drawing a great deal of interest from NBA teams, he looked all but set to return to Ole Miss next season -- where a new coaching staff led by highly regarded Chris Beard awaits him -- before giving NBA teams one last glimpse of him at his agency's pro day in the last day of the NBA draft combine. Murrell took advantage of the platform and then some, looking like one of the most vertically explosive athletes in the class while shooting the ball better than expected in drills and making several eye-popping plays that only a handful of players outside the NBA are capable of. Murrell was viewed as a breakout candidate after a sophomore season in which he shot 39% from 3, but didn't make the step many hoped this year -- hitting just 30% of his 3s (but 84% of his free throws). His pro day experience has rekindled the interest he's garnering among NBA teams, leading to a flurry of workout invites, but he still has work to do to receive the type of assurances he's hoping for in order to keep his name in the draft.
Gregory Jackson II | South Carolina | Top 100: 34
Viewed by NBA teams as one of the more polarizing prospects in this class in terms of his draft range, Jackson's pro day was well attended by executives. Electing to be the only player on the floor, somewhat of a rarity, Jackson looked completely gassed only minutes into his workout, struggling to make shots for much of the session. If teams had concerns about his body language and especially his shot-selection this season -- he was the most inefficient high volume scorer in high major major basketball (44% EFG%) -- Jackson didn't do much to alleviate those concerns. The majority of the types of shots he attempted in Chicago would be considered low-percentage looks even for the NBA's best scorers. Couple that with his relatively pedestrian measurements for a power forward -- Paul George, Kevin Knox, Sam Dekker and Sekou Doumbouya are some of his closest physical comps -- along with his struggles in the drills session of the combine on Monday, and this clearly wasn't a great week for Jackson's hopes of solidifying himself as a sure-fire first-rounder.
-- Givony
The 2023 NBA draft combine is in the books, concluding a week in Chicago that will forever be highlighted by the San Antonio Spurs winning the draft lottery and the right to select 19-year-old French phenom Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick. NBA executives from all 30 teams were on hand to get a closer look at this year's draft class -- minus Wembanyama, who is still playing for Metropolitans 92 in Paris -- prior to the June 22 draft (ESPN/ABC, 8 p.m. ET).
One of the prospects in the spotlight was Alabama's Brandon Miller, ESPN's projected No. 2 pick. Miller addressed executives and the media regarding the fatal shooting of Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Below is a look at Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo's key observations from last week, including how Charlotte is approaching the No. 2 pick, how some teams felt underwhelmed by the combine and the prospects who stood out.
Brandon Miller interviews with 12 teams at the combine
With the San Antonio Spurs not doing anything to hide the fact that they will be selecting Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick, the 2023 NBA draft starts at No. 2 with Charlotte deciding which direction it will head in.
Miller's season, which saw him named SEC player of the year and a first-team All-American, elevated him on many NBA teams' big boards to the No. 2 prospect in the class. Tuesday's lottery results further solidified his chances of hearing his name called immediately after Victor Wembanyama at No. 1, as both of the teams who rose into the top three -- Charlotte and Portland -- have bigger needs on the wing than at guard. While there is a process that will need to play out over the next month, it was hard to find a single NBA executive at the draft combine who believed that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson will eventually rise into the No. 2 spot.
There are several mitigating factors that will still need to play out for that to become a reality, though. Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak is known to place individual team workouts very high up on his priority list when it comes to his decision-making process, and its unclear what type of workout Miller -- who was recovering at home in Nashville from mononucleosis while his peers were training for the pre-draft process -- will be able to conduct on his visit to Charlotte. Miller has lost 13 pounds and hasn't conducted much basketball activity since the season ended, his agent Wilmer Jackson told ESPN.
The fact that Kupchak attended Miller's best game of the season -- a 41-point performance at South Carolina in late February -- should help alleviate that concern. But the door is still open for Henderson to blow Charlotte executives out of the water during his individual workout, something he's more than capable of doing based on what we've seen the past two years.
While Henderson has narrowed his focus to the three teams picking atop the draft, Miller elected to interview with 12 teams last week at the combine, something you don't usually see from a player with such a seemingly narrow draft range. Team executives present at interviews said Miller arrived holding a legal brief written by his attorneys informing teams that, because of legal concerns, he will not be able to comment on specific details regarding his involvement in the lead-up to the killing of Harris. Teams that interviewed Miller in Chicago have privately expressed some concern regarding fallout that might still come in the form of a potential lawsuit or follow-up investigation with yet-to-be-released details and were hoping to get more information directly from him.
Miller was also asked publicly by reporters at the draft combine about what message he was hoping to convey to teams regarding the shooting and said the following:
"The message I've presented to them is just it's all a lesson learned," Miller said. "You always have to be aware of your surroundings and know what you're surrounded by. I feel like the night could've changed my career in less than a heartbeat. So always be aware of your surroundings."
The Hornets will likely have a degree of apprehension after Miles Bridges' felony domestic charges, for which he pleaded no contest and was suspended 30 games by the NBA. Bridges sat out the past season and is currently a free agent, but the front office would like to have him back on the roster next year, sources told ESPN.
The Hornets' ownership situation is currently in flux, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported in March that Michael Jordan is in "serious talks to sell a majority stake in the franchise to a group led by Hornets minority owner Gabe Plotkin and Atlanta Hawks minority owner Rick Schnall." Jordan was awaiting the possibility of landing the No. 1 pick before deciding whether to proceed with a sale, sources told ESPN. It remains to be seen whether moving up to No. 2 changes that plan and what the timetable might look like if a sale did occur, as well as how that might affect the front offices' decision-making process in regards to who to draft.
Charlotte is planning on sending its own attorneys to Tuscaloosa this week to conduct their own due diligence on Miller's involvement in the fatal Jan. 6 shooting, Jackson told ESPN, and Miller plans to fly to Charlotte in mid-June for a workout and follow-up interview.
Jackson reiterated there is no pending investigation into Miller, he did not break any laws and that he is "free and clear" of any wrongdoing. "The case is still open, and Brandon has had limited communication for that reason," Jackson said. "He's been cleared from day one. We were told by the attorneys not to speak about the situation. At the right time we can have that conversation, but for now, we're leaving it alone and will let the process complete itself."
There's little doubt that teams will want Miller to answer more questions regarding his involvement in the shooting, for which he has not been charged and is merely a "cooperating witness," according to the University of Alabama. How he handles those questions moving forward will likely play a role in where he's ultimately picked, especially in light of what Memphis is going through with Ja Morant, which has completely upended the Grizzlies' franchise.
-- Jonathan Givony
Combine dissatisfaction
It's worth noting that teams seemed to be somewhat underwhelmed by combine week on the whole, with 37 players (some more justified than others) declining to play in scrimmages. The need for participants created a trickle-up effect that predictably led to watered-down games both at the combine and G League Elite camp, with most executives we spoke with feeling that the level of play -- and the number of legitimate first-round candidates playing -- was down relative to past years. On top of that, there were gripes about a rather arduous agency pro day schedule that required team personnel to hang around for hours after the conclusion of on-court activity on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, to watch primarily fringe-draftable prospects in unhelpful workout settings.
Executives were somewhat puzzled because the schedule ran so late on those days, while Tuesday's schedule was left open. Pro day attendance, in general, seemed to be down, with teams splitting up gym duties amongst themselves but rarely assigning full cohorts of staff to stick around. Most of the NBA's top decision-makers will now leave their home markets and flock to Los Angeles this week for yet another set of agency-led pro days -- effectively taking a second week of potentially significant team-hosted workouts off the calendar.
The nonstop nature of the scheduling setup unintentionally makes things difficult for college prospects who are genuinely testing the waters. In many cases, this leaves just a few days for players to work out privately for teams, to better assess their own standing ahead of the NCAA's May 31 withdrawal deadline. And with so few projected first-rounders actually playing in any capacity at this year's combine (even the first day of low-intensity drills was thinner on big-name participants than usual), the concept of the scrimmages as a purported proving ground to earn first-round status also lost a bit of its luster.
The onset of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement on July 1 will bring with it a couple of major changes to next year's combine. Prospects will be required to attend and participate in order to be eligible for the draft and will be required to partake in medical examinations. While players will still not be forced by the league to scrimmage, the changes to the rules give the NBA far more control over the pre-draft process, eliminating agents' ability to create leverage by controlling which teams have access to what information about their clients. It's still unclear exactly where the lines will be drawn in terms of which players will be required to do what moving forward -- it's still difficult to imagine the NBA forcing a projected top-10 pick to test or partake in drills -- but the hope is that the combine itself may take on at least some degree of added significance in years to come.
Some around the league hypothesized that this year's generally limited participation from nearly every projected first-rounder may have stemmed from agents exercising their ability to effectively play games in this particular context for the final time before the rules tilt in favor of teams. Reasoning aside, the combine itself felt a tad less consequential than normal this year, and there's still quite a bit left to play out behind closed doors with the draft just a month away.
-- Jeremy Woo
Stock movers
Brandin Podziemski | Santa Clara | Top 100: No. 31
Having entered the week as one of our higher-ranked prospects slated to scrimmage, Podziemski turned in an excellent showing on the first day of games, stuffing the box score with 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, flashing some on-ball creation ability and a willingness to battle in the run of play. While not immensely gifted from a physical standpoint (6-3¾ barefoot with a 6-5 wingspan), his constant pursuit of 50-50 balls and nonstop motor would seem to be good indicators that he'll at least hold his own on the defensive end. He will have to work himself into a truly high-level shooter to secure a regular NBA role, but has been trending in a good direction on that front.
Many around the league view Podziemski as one of the most competitive prospects in this class, and he reinforced that reputation in Chicago, approaching every aspect of the combine seriously and choosing to play on the second day of scrimmages, rather than shut it down after a strong initial showing. On Friday, Podziemski announced his intent to remain in the draft and he's likely earned himself guaranteed money.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper | Marquette | Top 100: No. 32
Prosper was a Wednesday combine standout, racking up 21 points and seven rebounds, bullying his way to the free throw line (10-for-12 on free throws in 22 minutes), and showcasing his two-way upside before opting to shut it down on Thursday. Measuring at just under 6-7 barefoot with a 7-1 wingspan and 40½-inch max vertical, Prosper's physical advantage was pronounced in a scrimmage setting where few opponents could really slow him. While not the type of player NBA teams will trust to make decisions with the ball, he's physically suited to play either forward spot and was able to separate himself from the pack somewhat at the combine. He wasn't heavily featured on offense at Marquette, but the flashes of aggression he showed in Chicago popped in a big way.
While still not a particularly good shooter -- his mechanics are a bit stiff, and cultivating three-point range will be crucial to him sticking around in the NBA long-term -- Prosper is still on the younger side for a college junior, turning 21 in July with room for additional physical and skill development. There are still some warts around his questionable feel and below-average defensive productivity that may keep him from sneaking into the first round but he's the type of athlete who at least deserves real developmental opportunities on the chance his ability to read the game gets up to snuff by NBA standards. A return to college could give him an opportunity to bolster his stock further, but Prosper's odds of landing a guaranteed contract look much better following his combine showing.
Ben Sheppard | Belmont | Top 100: No. 36
As a mid-major prospect who went somewhat under-scouted at Belmont, Sheppard legitimized himself as a draftable player in Chicago, turning in a pair of strong scrimmages that showcased some breadth in his skillset. He was tasked with some ball-handling duties and didn't look entirely uncomfortable initiating play, also making several impressive passes for assists. Those elements of his game leave the door open for potential growth as a secondary creator moving forward. Sheppard also looked solid defensively trailing the ball, and his all-around activity level and constant energy left a positive impression.
We knew Sheppard was a legitimate threat from distance entering the week, but he also flashed a pretty quick first step and measured up to par for a 2-guard, coming in at 6-5¼ barefoot with a 6-6¾ wingspan. He certainly didn't look like an overmatched mid-major star in any respect, and considering the constant league-wide demand for perimeter shooters, Sheppard now looks like a solid bet to be drafted. He could conceivably keep rising with positive showings in team workouts.
Tristan Vukcevic | Partizan | Top 100: No. 37
Vukcevic was nearly automatic scoring the ball on the first day of scrimmages with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, flashing an appealing mix of size and scoring ability and doing enough to justify shutting things down after that. The combine presented a major opportunity for him on a couple of fronts, as the majority of executives and scouts in attendance had never seen him play live, and with the center position widely acknowledged as the thinnest in this year's draft.
At 6-11¼ barefoot with a 7-'2½ wingspan, Vukcevic offers as much from a skill perspective as any non-Wembanyama big in this draft class. That alone gives him some obvious appeal, although his history of productivity is a bit questionable. He's never been a standout defensively and has a lot of things to refine, but there's some legitimate stretch-five potential with him, and he's looking like one of the better stashable options anywhere in the second round.
Seth Lundy | Penn State | Top 100: No. 51
Viewed by some as a surprise combine invite, Lundy dispelled that notion by putting on the week's best 3-point shooting display, draining eight 3-pointers on 11 attempts across both scrimmages and placing himself in the ever-popular "3-and-D" bucket. Teams hoping he'd remain somewhat under the radar as a sleeper two-way candidate had to have been bummed by Lundy's scoring explosion. He's in a significantly better position to hear his name called after the week's events, also measuring at 6-4 with a solid 6-10¼ wingspan. While Lundy is already 23 and can have occasional tunnel vision as a scorer, he flashed some ability to make the next pass and fit in alongside teammates. If he can handle himself defensively at the next level, there's a well-worn path to role player utility for him.
Dillon Mitchell | Texas | Top 100: No. 42
Although Mitchell briefly captivated imaginations with good showings in shooting drills on Monday, his scrimmage performance reinforced why he wasn't much of a contributor at Texas. In his defense, that setting was never going favor him and props to Mitchell for playing anyway, but his decision-making struggles and overall inability to impact the game on offense were pretty evident. He's a big-time project who is multiple years away from being a net positive in an NBA game. Drafting him will require belief in his potential for development down the line.
Amari Bailey | UCLA | Top 100: No. 43
Bailey was productive in the scrimmages, totaling 14 assists between them, but was a big beneficiary of a heavy on-ball usage. There are scouts who like his vision and athleticism, but his iffy 3-point shooting and somewhat one-dimensional style of downhill attacking makes him more of an acquired taste. He's a ways from helping an NBA team, but Bailey is in a better spot to be drafted than he was entering the week, at the very least.
Emoni Bates | Eastern Michigan | Top 100: No. 57
Contrary to expectations, Bates did a fairly decent job of sharing the ball in scrimmages while also showcasing his own shot-making skills. Given all we know, however, it's pretty clear at this point his aptitude for team basketball is subpar at this stage. Bates struggles to impact the game when not placed in a high-usage offensive role with a large diet of touches, and his feel for playing with others away from the ball has always been somewhat limited. His lack of physical strength and great length hinders him, as well. It wasn't all bad for Bates at the combine, but he didn't reinvent the wheel, either, and he's far from a lock to be drafted at this point.
Hunter Tyson | Clemson | Top 100: No. 60
Tyson was among the top players at G League Elite camp and played his way into the combine by showcasing a nice mix of shooting, positional size and toughness over the course of the week. Measuring at 6-7½ with a nearly 6-10 wingspan, Tyson established enough of a physical presence on the floor to impact the game beyond simply spacing the floor. Whether or not he's drafted, the constant demand for players in his mold should lead to a real opportunity somewhere.
Jordan Miller | Miami | Top 100: No. 67
While Miller is one of the older players in the draft, he was among the most productive players at the combine. At this point, he has proven his mettle as a winning role player with a decent mix of size, skill, and motor, totaling 28 points and 15 rebounds between the two scrimmages. Though he measured in under 6-5, his nearly 7-foot wingspan allows him to play a bit bigger, and makes him an interesting fit for small-ball lineups, particularly if his shooting can improve a bit. Miller is a solid two-way contract candidate who could overachieve in the right situation.
-- Woo
Other measurement takeaways
Zach Edey | Purdue | Top 100: No. 48
NBA executives were well aware of Edey's outlier physical tools, but it was still startling to see the Wooden Award winner measure over 7-3 barefoot, 306 pounds with a 7-10½ wingspan and 9-7½ standing reach. If he elects to stay in the draft, Edey will be the tallest and longest player in the NBA -- along with the 7-5 Wembanyama -- while eclipsing the likes of Boban Marjanovic and Rudy Gobert.
Edey also conducted what many considered to be the most interesting pro day of any prospect in Chicago, showing better-than-expected mobility, coordination and skill running the floor, finishing around the basket and making jumpers from mid-range and beyond the arc. He brought a huge amount of energy and looks to be in outstanding shape. Several NBA executives said they were impressed with the way he presented himself and now view him in a slightly different light after seeing him in that setting. Edey hasn't decided yet whether to keep his name in the draft -- he's looking for assurances he'll be picked in the late first or early second round -- and told reporters in Chicago he'll likely go up to the NCAA deadline of May 31 for his decision.
Amen Thompson | Overtime Elite | Top 100: No. 4
Ausar Thompson | Overtime Elite | Top 100: No. 5
The Thompson twins both measured longer than expected relative to several previously released figures from Overtime Elite the past two years -- at 6-7 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan. Ausar (218 pounds) is four pounds heavier than Amen (214) but both are extremely impressive for a guard or wing prospect, on par with the likes of Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Jaylen Brown. The twins both have legitimate guard skills with their ability to handle, pass and finish with creativity around the basket. The fact they have the length and frame to guard power forwards or even centers in extreme small-ball lineups gives them defensive versatility that few players in this draft can boast, especially after considering their top tier athleticism.
Jalen Hood-Schifino | Indiana | Top 100: No. 14
It's been nearly four years since we've gotten updated measurements on Indiana's Hood-Schifino, and he's clearly grown and filled out considerably since then, now up to 6-5½ in shoes, 217 pounds with a 6-10¼ wingspan. It's hard to find many players in the NBA who play point guard and boast those types of physical dimensions-- our extensive measurement comparison database spit out the likes of James Harden, Dwayne Wade, Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Edwards as a few of his physical comps.
Cason Wallace | Kentucky | Top 100: No. 12
Wallace measured 2½ inches longer and more than an inch taller than expected from the figures we received from the Kentucky Pro Day in October -- an event that seemed to shortchange several of its players (Chris Livingston's wingspan is more than three inches longer and he's over an inch taller for example). At 6-4 in shoes, 195 pounds with a 6-8½ wingspan, John Wall, Bruce Brown, De'Anthony Melton and Derrick White are some of the comps our database offers, suggesting Wallace has the type of coveted defensive versatility we saw in his lone season at Kentucky.
Rayan Rupert | NZ Breakers | Top 100: No. 18
We were well aware of Rupert's dimensions from the season, but it was still impressive to see them on paper. He has the same wingspan as De'Andre Hunter (7-2) and very similar dimensions to his favorite NBA player Mikal Bridges, who was 11 pounds heavier at age 21 (Rupert is still 1
. Herbert Jones, Trevor Ariza and Otto Porter Jr. are a few other names our database suggests as close physical comps, which is exactly the mold of player many NBA teams envision when projecting Rupert long-term.-- Givony
Pro days recap
Keyonte George | Baylor | Top 100: No. 15
George elected to not measure, test or participate in any facet of the drills portion of the combine, making his pro day the only glimpse of on-court action NBA teams would receive. Several executives pointed to this workout as one of the most impressive they saw over the course of the week, as he was noticeably in outstanding shape, looked extremely explosive finishing around the basket and made difficult shots look easy all session long. The late-night workout, run by two-time NBA champion Mike Miller (who is also his agent), was full of energy and something much appreciated by scouts after a long day in the gym. George still has work to do in workouts to solidify his standing as a lottery prospect, but he certainly helped his cause in Chicago.
Matthew Murrell | Ole Miss | Top 100: NR
Coming off a somewhat underwhelming junior season at Ole Miss, Murrell didn't have a great showing at the G League Elite camp, posting just 13 points on 15 field goal attempts in 34 minutes of action. Understandably not drawing a great deal of interest from NBA teams, he looked all but set to return to Ole Miss next season -- where a new coaching staff led by highly regarded Chris Beard awaits him -- before giving NBA teams one last glimpse of him at his agency's pro day in the last day of the NBA draft combine. Murrell took advantage of the platform and then some, looking like one of the most vertically explosive athletes in the class while shooting the ball better than expected in drills and making several eye-popping plays that only a handful of players outside the NBA are capable of. Murrell was viewed as a breakout candidate after a sophomore season in which he shot 39% from 3, but didn't make the step many hoped this year -- hitting just 30% of his 3s (but 84% of his free throws). His pro day experience has rekindled the interest he's garnering among NBA teams, leading to a flurry of workout invites, but he still has work to do to receive the type of assurances he's hoping for in order to keep his name in the draft.
Gregory Jackson II | South Carolina | Top 100: 34
Viewed by NBA teams as one of the more polarizing prospects in this class in terms of his draft range, Jackson's pro day was well attended by executives. Electing to be the only player on the floor, somewhat of a rarity, Jackson looked completely gassed only minutes into his workout, struggling to make shots for much of the session. If teams had concerns about his body language and especially his shot-selection this season -- he was the most inefficient high volume scorer in high major major basketball (44% EFG%) -- Jackson didn't do much to alleviate those concerns. The majority of the types of shots he attempted in Chicago would be considered low-percentage looks even for the NBA's best scorers. Couple that with his relatively pedestrian measurements for a power forward -- Paul George, Kevin Knox, Sam Dekker and Sekou Doumbouya are some of his closest physical comps -- along with his struggles in the drills session of the combine on Monday, and this clearly wasn't a great week for Jackson's hopes of solidifying himself as a sure-fire first-rounder.
-- Givony
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Vecenie’s NBA Draft Combine takeaways: Which prospects upped their stock in Chicago?
The 2023 NBA Draft Combine has wrapped up, and it’s worth providing an update on some players who participated in the event last week.
Over the past few days, I’ve connected with a number of NBA sources across the spectrum to understand where the draft sits. The biggest takeaway is pretty simple: Very few players actually moved the needle in a truly substantive way.
There was no Jalen Williams, who measured well and rose from the latter portion of the first round into the lottery after playing and dominating five-on-five, in this class. Frankly, I’m not even sure yet that there was a performance like Christian Braun, a player who was projected on the precipice of the first round and solidified himself there.
Most projected first-round picks chose not to play in the scrimmages. The three highest-ranked players on my big board to play in the five-on-five portion were Jalen Wilson at No. 32, Andre Jackson at No. 33 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper at No. 37. In total, 37 players decided not to play in the scrimmages at all, including a few who made dumbfounding decisions to not play that I can hardly fathom.
Playing and succeeding in the five-on-five portion is the easiest way to help yourself as a draft prospect within the competitive and front-facing portions of the event, even including the parade of pro days that has begun to litter proceedings over the last two years. But even then, only the outliers really tend to stand out, and there weren’t any this year who ticked every combine box.
It’s worth mentioning, though, that the front-facing portions of the combine are not the most important pieces of it. The medical reports that prospects take part in and the interviews with teams are, by far, the parts NBA personnel point to as the things they care about most. Teams also use the time at the combine to interface with their colleagues on other teams and agents, sometimes starting or continuing conversations about offseason plans regarding trades and free agency.
The scrimmages matter, but they’re certainly only one data point. Teams like having measurements, and they’re intrigued by athletic testing that catches them by surprise. But in general, the testing, the drills and the pro days mean very little in the grand scheme of the selection process.
With all that being said, here’s a dive into two players who helped themselves more than anyone else for a consensus of evaluators; four other players who played well; the player from G League Elite Camp on whom I got the most positive feedback; and arguably the most interesting player who chose to participate in all facets of the event due to how split teams are on him.
Two players who helped themselves most
Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 6-foot-8 wing | Marquette | Ranking: No. 35
Every year, guys perform exceedingly well in the first game of the combine then decide to sit out the second game after showing out. Prosper was that player this season, scoring 21 points on 11 shots while grabbing 11 rebounds and calling it a day. Above all, Prosper just looked the part. His athleticism and size stood out.
Measuring 6-foot-6 3/4 without shoes and an enormous 7-1 wingspan, he has the ideal measurements for a defensively conscious wing. His tape at Marquette backs that up as well, where he was often used as a stopper on opposing teams’ best perimeter players, such as Connecticut’s Jordan Hawkins. It’s harder than people think to find guys with legitimate size, length and athleticism on the wing like this, especially when they have upside to shoot it. Prosper made just 34 percent of his 3s this past season and only hit one-of-five from 3 in the scrimmage, so teams will want to keep a close on eye on how that continues to develop throughout his workout circuit. Teams also generally want to see more from Prosper as a decision-maker and passer and want to learn more about his overall feel for the game.
Prosper showcased in the scrimmages that he’s comfortable handling the ball, something he didn’t get a chance to show at Marquette. He had a few moments of escape dribbles and downhill attacks. He’s not exactly a shot creator out there, but he looks to have more game attacking closeouts and getting out in transition than meets the eye. And his ability to attack downhill and cover ground quickly saw him draw 12 free-throw attempts. Mix this with the defense that we know is high level, and it’s easy to see why Prosper is someone who excites NBA teams. He’s also really smart with a professional demeanor and mindset that was impressive in front of NBA personnel last week.
Prosper came the closest to ticking just about every box he could have. If the shot would have been there and looked truly consistent and comfortable, and he would have dished out a few high-level passing reads, he might have skied further up the board for teams. Still, expect him to be a name in the mix for teams starting somewhere in the 20s, and it’s hard to see him getting beyond the early 40s at this point. There’s a big group of players jockeying for position in that range, but Prosper firmly solidified himself as one of them.
Ben Sheppard | 6-foot-6 wing | Belmont | Ranking: No. 39
Even with everything I said earlier, it’s worth noting the combine is more important for some players than for others. Typically, the ones it matters most for are the guys who haven’t exactly been seen a ton by high-level decision-makers throughout the season. I would bet just about every team got eyes on Sheppard at Belmont this past season, but I’d also bet that precious few important front-office personnel did.
Sheppard was really good in the first game, scoring 10 points and playing incredibly fundamentally sound basketball. He cut at the right times and was a step ahead of his opponents in terms of his decision-making. He knocked down a couple of 3s, important for a player who profiles as a 3-and-D guy. But Sheppard was superb in the second game, scoring 25 points on just 10 field goal attempts and clearly looking like a standout.
Teams don’t always look for the same things the public does in a setting like this. The points are nice, but with how first-round picks have started to sit out the event in recent years, evaluators are looking for skills that translate more into a role player capacity. Do you make the right decision? Do you profile to make life easier for the stars around you? Can you defend? Can you cut and pass? Do you have feel for the game?
Even if Sheppard hadn’t scored 25 points in the best performance of the event in the second game, I thought his first game actually poised him to be a winner. But then, he blew the second game out of the water and was the best on-court. The issue for Sheppard is that he didn’t measure particularly well, coming in at 6-5 with a 6-7 wingspan and an 8-4 standing reach that makes him more of a two guard size than a true wing. Still, it wouldn’t stun me if teams late in the first round gave Sheppard a genuine look. At the very least, he is poised to strongly be in the mix to get a guaranteed contract, whereas coming into the event he was seen by scouts more as a curiosity in terms of how his game would translate to a higher level. First impressions matter, and Sheppard aced his for those who hadn’t seen him in-person previously.
Four others who played well
Amari Bailey | 6-5 wing | UCLA | Ranking: No. 46
When I talked to scouts ahead of the combine, Bailey was one of the players they seemed to be a bit worried about. They didn’t think he’d perform poorly necessarily; they just didn’t know what to expect after a season at UCLA that was a bit all over the map.
He was an efficient scorer who consistently got out in transition and generally took advantage of open 3-point opportunities. But the school also had Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell taking up most of the usage, and the team took 3s on a lower percentage of their shot attempts than all but 15 teams in the country. For a player who has always seemed to be much more comfortable playing in the midrange and attacking as a driver, it was difficult to know exactly how Bailey would look after playing off the ball so much, even after a strong close to the season when he averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists on a 65.6 percent true shooting in the team’s conference tournament and NCAA Tournament games — games that came after Jaylen Clark’s Achilles injury.
There was a lot riding on this for Bailey. A bad performance could have hurtled him outside of the draft for teams. But Bailey showed up well, and it was instructive tape because it showed parts of Bailey’s game that we hadn’t gotten to see a ton of at UCLA.
With the increased spacing of the NBA, Bailey looked much more comfortable operating at pace. Without Campbell around and placed on a team without another NBA-caliber lead guard, Bailey got to play more as a primary ballhandler, and the production was terrific. He had 17 points, dished out eight assists and had zero turnovers in the first game. In the second game, he had 19 points and six assists but did turn it over five times.
There were some ups and downs. He didn’t showcase much in the way of explosiveness that makes you buy him consistently being able to separate from his man. And as a scorer, he still doesn’t seem wildly comfortable taking 3s, something that will need to change for his long-term outlook. But his overall polish on the ball was evident, his vision was crisp and he made the right passing read more often than not, especially in that first game.
I don’t know that Bailey moved the needle upward in a significant way with these performances, because it’s clear there is still a ways to go for him developmentally. Shooting off the catch still isn’t exactly his first option, and his finishing in the half court remains questionable. But he certainly steadied himself and gave scouts a picture of what could be if he works as an on-ball player with further reps. I think I’d still be a bit surprised if he heard his name called in the first round. He’s quite skinny and doesn’t have a ton of pop in terms of explosiveness. But anywhere from No. 30 to No. 50 seems about right at this stage.
Tristan Vukčević| 6-11 center | Partizan | Ranking: No. 53
Vukčević made shots at the combine, and that’s going to get you noticed. In the first game, Vukčević was 8-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3. He was the most efficient offensive player in the first day of scrimmages and decided to sit out the second day after putting up such a performance.
This is definitely the kind of positive momentum Vukčević needed. He’s mostly been in the rotation of EuroLeague power Partizan’s games in the Adriatic League this year, posting solid 58/40/81 shooting splits in limited shots. A few scouts mentioned to me that they have some worries about his overall movement skills and whether he’ll be able to slide his feet enough to defend on the perimeter or anchor his spot enough to consistently hold his ground at the center position. He was a bit of a mixed bag in that regard defensively even in his standout combine performance. The good news is that he came in at 6-11 1/4 without shoes, so he’ll be a 7-footer with shoes on with a 9-3 standing reach. That puts him in strong company as a potential floor-spacing center.
I’d bet Vukčević ends up being a priority stash candidate in the second round this year. Teams with multiple picks in the second round like Charlotte (the Hornets have Nos. 34, 39 and 41) make a lot of sense. I don’t think he has done enough to climb into the first, but if you don’t have an available roster spot, he’ll be one of the best options.
Seth Lundy | 6-5 wing | Penn State | Ranking: No. 55
Lundy was solid and steady in Chicago. He did exactly what he was asked to do and did so with limited touches. In the first game, Lundy went 4-of-5 from the field — all 3s — to score 12 points. In the second game, he went 6-of-9 from the field, including another 4-of-6 shooting from 3 for 18 points. He also dished out three assists in the first game and four assists in the second.
We knew Lundy could shoot, but what was impressive about these two games was the way he got the shots. At Penn State, a lot of his shots came out of standstill spot-up situations, but in these games, he hit a few off movement. At Penn State this past season, 52 of Lundy’s 3s came out of spot-up situations, 12 came in transition and just 11 came off screens, per Synergy. For a player who made a pretty substantial leap as a shooter in his fourth season — something that can be a bit of a flag for evaluators — scouts did question what kind of shooter Lundy really was after going from a 34.9 percent 3-point shooter in his first three years to a 40 percent one in his final season. At the very least, this should quell some of those worries.
Lundy measured well for what is essentially an undersized combo forward. He came in at just 6-4 without shoes, but his massive 6-10 1/4 wingspan gives him an 8-8 standing reach that will allow him to play reasonably at the three and pinch hit at the four, an important skill set given his current skill level as a ballhandler and overall decision-maker. But Lundy is also a tough one-on-one defender who is willing to be physical and use his length and solid 215-pound frame to contest and make life difficult for opposing scorers. He’s not elite on that end, but he’s solid.
Teams won’t look at these games as the be-all, end-all. But everyone in the league is looking for shooting, especially from players with legitimate size and length to hold up defensively on the wing. It’s pretty easy to see a team like Sacramento, which has pick Nos. 38 and 54, value Lundy. The same goes for teams like Cleveland and the Lakers, both of whom should be pretty desperate to add cheap shooting on the wing around their stars in the 40s. Lundy isn’t a sure thing, but he has a shot to play a solid role in the NBA, and he solidified himself as worthy of a draft pick.
Adama Sanogo | 6-8 center | Connecticut | Ranking: No. 42
Sanogo is one of those guys I think people have the wrong impression of. There is this idea that he is just a big, slow undersized center who can’t guard in space, isn’t vertical enough to protect the rim and isn’t anything resembling a potential floor spacer. But I think he might have more to his game than meets the eye.
Connecticut this past season ran two very different schemes. When Sanogo was in, the Huskies would hard hedge and recover with him in ball screens, using his strength and length to get back into the play. When Donovan Clingan was on the court, they’d play in drop and let him use his immense length to just cover the entire court. But Sanogo actually is the more mobile one in defensive coverages. There is some short-area quickness there, and he communicates extremely well and calls out coverages for his guards. He’s also incredibly physical and strong. He’s not a Drew Timme or Oscar Tshiebwe type who has no chance to defend at the NBA level.
On top of that, Sanogo displayed historically relevant touch at the high-major level around the basket this past season. The Connecticut big man averaged 17.2 points and shot 60.2 percent from the field, but he shot 75.6 percent at the basket this past season having dunked the ball only 26 times. The rest were on layups. Per Synergy, Sanogo shot 74.8 percent on layups this past season, an absurd number for a big who gets contested at the basket like Sanogo does. He finished about four percent better than any high-major player who took at least three such shots per game. His 74.8 mark was actually the best percentage of any high-major player since 2016-17. Sanogo might not be a particularly vertical finisher with much lift, but he might have the touch that allows him to survive without it.
Beyond that, Sanogo is kind of a butt-kicker on the inside. There’s not another way to phrase it. He’s tougher and more physical than you. He came in at just 6-7 1/4 without shoes, but he has an enormous near-7-3 wingspan and a 9-0 1/2 standing reach that will allow him to play center. In five-on-five, Sanogo went for 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first game and 13 points, six rebounds and three assists in his second game.
He’s one of those dudes who works. I’m not a full-scale buyer, but I think there’s probably more to his game than he’s getting credit for. I’ve moved him into the top 50 and think he has a case as a fully rostered player on a guaranteed contract next year.
The Brandin Podziemski question
Brandin Podziemski | 6-5 guard | Santa Clara | No. 45
A draft darling who excited public evaluators throughout the season, Podziemski was a tale of extremes at the combine. On one hand, he tested better than expected with a 39-inch vertical leap that got some attention. On the other hand, he measured with just an 8-0 1/2 standing reach that gave evaluators real pause about his potential to defend. In the first combine game, he produced a near masterpiece, scoring 10 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing eight rebounds. In the second game, he was completely invisible. Where does this leave him?
Podziemski is polarizing, which is unsurprising given his journey. His counting stats of 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists are outstanding. He’s a great shooter and hit 43.8 percent of his 3s this past season. On the surface, those are high-end numbers, but if you dig deeper, his numbers tanked against quality competition. In his six Tier A games, per KenPom, Podziemski had just a 53.8 true shooting percentage and saw his rebounding rate and assist rate drop by about 25 percent. In the five games he played against top-50 KenPom defenses, he averaged just 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.
This would probably be worth overlooking as small sample, but the track record on players who transferred from the high-major level down to a lower level is not exactly long or littered with immense success stories. Outside of players who moved to powerhouse Gonzaga, only five such down-transfers have been selected going back through the 2011 NBA Draft. And I’m not sure any are entirely equivalent to Podziemski, who simply couldn’t get on the floor at Illinois then became a draft prospect at what a person could reasonably consider a mid-major in Santa Clara.
Cody Martin transferred from NC State to Nevada, but that was going from Mark Gottfried to Eric Musselman. We’ll be gracious and merely call that a significant coaching upgrade. Malachi Flynn and Xavier Thames are two others, going from lowly Washington State in the Pac-12 — a school that has made five NCAA Tournaments since 1941 — to Mountain West power San Diego State (a school that has missed the NCAA Tournament just twice since 2010). That’s not a lateral move; that’s an upgrade. The fourth is Damyean Dotson, who was dismissed from Oregon in the wake of a sexual assault allegation before landing at Houston. The fifth is Semi Ojeleye, going from Duke to SMU. Ojeleye is probably the closest comparable situation, but SMU isn’t exactly a mid-major, and he also carried the Mustangs to a 30-5 record that saw them ranked 11th in the final AP poll of the season.
As you can probably guess, I’m lower on Podziemski than the average evaluator. But I’m not the one making the picks, and NBA scouts and decision-makers came out of the combine with a more positive feeling on Podziemski than a negative one. Much like with Sheppard above, this was a more important event for him than for others. Very few higher-level evaluators got out to Santa Clara this past season. For some, this was their first chance to see Podziemski. Performing the way he did on the first day of scrimmages — in what was widely perceived by people in attendance to be the best, most competitively played game of the four at the event — did him a lot of good. First impressions are so important for prospects and realistically are often over-indexed in the scouting process. It far outweighed the two-point performance in the second game, at least anecdotally, based on conversations I had.
More than anything, I think Podziemski solidified his standing as someone who will get looks starting near the end of the first round and will likely become the down-transfer anomaly who hears his name called within the first 40 to 45 picks. Following the event, he announced that he will stay in the draft, and I think that’s the right call for him given the feedback. He’ll be a bit lower on my board than others because I tend to be less interested in smaller players in the modern NBA. I really struggle to see how he’s going to defend effectively without much in the way of quickness or height. Scoot Henderson, Cason Wallace and Marcus Sasser are the only players 6-3 or under in my top 50. Sasser’s standing reach is actually three inches longer than Podziemski’s. Wallace’s standing reach came in at 8-5. While we don’t have a standing reach for Henderson, I’d bet it also exceeds that of Podziemski’s given that he has something in the ballpark of a 6-9 wingspan. In terms of effective NBA size, Podziemski is essentially the smallest player ranked in my top 50.
All that matters, though, is that quite a few NBA evaluators feel differently. My guess is one of their teams takes the plunge on Podziemski, a fascinating prospect who did more good than harm last week for his stock.
The G League Elite Camp’s winner
Dillon Jones | 6-foot-5 wing | Weber State | Rank: No. 63
Jones has risen as much as any player in the pre-draft process for teams, taking advantage of a head start he got. Jones chose to play for the Portland Generals at Nike Hoop Summit, a group of older college veterans who play against the elite-level high-school recruits at that event in scrimmages seen by dozens of high-level NBA decision-makers. In the game against the World Team, Jones was arguably the best player on the court, controlling the game with his pace, passing ability, toughness on the glass and willingness to shoot. He essentially played as a point guard late in the game and got his teammates open looks with his high-IQ style of play.
Had he not played well there, I think there is a very good chance he would not have been invited to the G League Elite Camp. Despite leading the entire NCAA in defensive rebounding rate this past season, Jones didn’t have a ton of buzz among NBA scouts. I had him ranked in my top 100 entering the process, but when I’d bring him up to teams, they’d just bat his name away as an undersized four who isn’t traditionally athletic and only made 30 percent of his 3-point attempts.
However, he parlayed that great performance in Portland into another opportunity, this time in front of the entire basketball world at the Elite Camp. He had nine points and seven rebounds in the first game of that event but blew up in the second. He had 15 points and seven rebounds in that game to go with four steals, using his immense length and feel for the game to impact things on both ends. That earned the big combine call-up, where in his first game he had 17 points, three assists and three steals. He only had five points and five assists in the second game, but the damage was done. Jones had cemented himself as a huge winner of the process. Throw in that he measured at 6-4 1/2 with a massive 6-11 1/4 wingspan and an 8-8 standing reach, and it was just gravy.
At the end of the day, Jones probably didn’t necessarily move the needle in a substantial way league-wide. For instance, it’s unlikely he’ll hear his name called in the top 40. If he stays in the draft, he probably will be on a two-way next year. But Jones is the player at the Elite Camp who got the most mention to me from scouts, and he gave himself a very real shot to be picked in June. He deserves an immense amount of credit for being a small school player who has taken every opportunity afforded to him after the season ended and given himself a chance.
The 2023 NBA Draft Combine has wrapped up, and it’s worth providing an update on some players who participated in the event last week.
Over the past few days, I’ve connected with a number of NBA sources across the spectrum to understand where the draft sits. The biggest takeaway is pretty simple: Very few players actually moved the needle in a truly substantive way.
There was no Jalen Williams, who measured well and rose from the latter portion of the first round into the lottery after playing and dominating five-on-five, in this class. Frankly, I’m not even sure yet that there was a performance like Christian Braun, a player who was projected on the precipice of the first round and solidified himself there.
Most projected first-round picks chose not to play in the scrimmages. The three highest-ranked players on my big board to play in the five-on-five portion were Jalen Wilson at No. 32, Andre Jackson at No. 33 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper at No. 37. In total, 37 players decided not to play in the scrimmages at all, including a few who made dumbfounding decisions to not play that I can hardly fathom.
Playing and succeeding in the five-on-five portion is the easiest way to help yourself as a draft prospect within the competitive and front-facing portions of the event, even including the parade of pro days that has begun to litter proceedings over the last two years. But even then, only the outliers really tend to stand out, and there weren’t any this year who ticked every combine box.
It’s worth mentioning, though, that the front-facing portions of the combine are not the most important pieces of it. The medical reports that prospects take part in and the interviews with teams are, by far, the parts NBA personnel point to as the things they care about most. Teams also use the time at the combine to interface with their colleagues on other teams and agents, sometimes starting or continuing conversations about offseason plans regarding trades and free agency.
The scrimmages matter, but they’re certainly only one data point. Teams like having measurements, and they’re intrigued by athletic testing that catches them by surprise. But in general, the testing, the drills and the pro days mean very little in the grand scheme of the selection process.
With all that being said, here’s a dive into two players who helped themselves more than anyone else for a consensus of evaluators; four other players who played well; the player from G League Elite Camp on whom I got the most positive feedback; and arguably the most interesting player who chose to participate in all facets of the event due to how split teams are on him.
Two players who helped themselves most
Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 6-foot-8 wing | Marquette | Ranking: No. 35
Every year, guys perform exceedingly well in the first game of the combine then decide to sit out the second game after showing out. Prosper was that player this season, scoring 21 points on 11 shots while grabbing 11 rebounds and calling it a day. Above all, Prosper just looked the part. His athleticism and size stood out.
Measuring 6-foot-6 3/4 without shoes and an enormous 7-1 wingspan, he has the ideal measurements for a defensively conscious wing. His tape at Marquette backs that up as well, where he was often used as a stopper on opposing teams’ best perimeter players, such as Connecticut’s Jordan Hawkins. It’s harder than people think to find guys with legitimate size, length and athleticism on the wing like this, especially when they have upside to shoot it. Prosper made just 34 percent of his 3s this past season and only hit one-of-five from 3 in the scrimmage, so teams will want to keep a close on eye on how that continues to develop throughout his workout circuit. Teams also generally want to see more from Prosper as a decision-maker and passer and want to learn more about his overall feel for the game.
Prosper showcased in the scrimmages that he’s comfortable handling the ball, something he didn’t get a chance to show at Marquette. He had a few moments of escape dribbles and downhill attacks. He’s not exactly a shot creator out there, but he looks to have more game attacking closeouts and getting out in transition than meets the eye. And his ability to attack downhill and cover ground quickly saw him draw 12 free-throw attempts. Mix this with the defense that we know is high level, and it’s easy to see why Prosper is someone who excites NBA teams. He’s also really smart with a professional demeanor and mindset that was impressive in front of NBA personnel last week.
Prosper came the closest to ticking just about every box he could have. If the shot would have been there and looked truly consistent and comfortable, and he would have dished out a few high-level passing reads, he might have skied further up the board for teams. Still, expect him to be a name in the mix for teams starting somewhere in the 20s, and it’s hard to see him getting beyond the early 40s at this point. There’s a big group of players jockeying for position in that range, but Prosper firmly solidified himself as one of them.
Ben Sheppard | 6-foot-6 wing | Belmont | Ranking: No. 39
Even with everything I said earlier, it’s worth noting the combine is more important for some players than for others. Typically, the ones it matters most for are the guys who haven’t exactly been seen a ton by high-level decision-makers throughout the season. I would bet just about every team got eyes on Sheppard at Belmont this past season, but I’d also bet that precious few important front-office personnel did.
Sheppard was really good in the first game, scoring 10 points and playing incredibly fundamentally sound basketball. He cut at the right times and was a step ahead of his opponents in terms of his decision-making. He knocked down a couple of 3s, important for a player who profiles as a 3-and-D guy. But Sheppard was superb in the second game, scoring 25 points on just 10 field goal attempts and clearly looking like a standout.
Teams don’t always look for the same things the public does in a setting like this. The points are nice, but with how first-round picks have started to sit out the event in recent years, evaluators are looking for skills that translate more into a role player capacity. Do you make the right decision? Do you profile to make life easier for the stars around you? Can you defend? Can you cut and pass? Do you have feel for the game?
Even if Sheppard hadn’t scored 25 points in the best performance of the event in the second game, I thought his first game actually poised him to be a winner. But then, he blew the second game out of the water and was the best on-court. The issue for Sheppard is that he didn’t measure particularly well, coming in at 6-5 with a 6-7 wingspan and an 8-4 standing reach that makes him more of a two guard size than a true wing. Still, it wouldn’t stun me if teams late in the first round gave Sheppard a genuine look. At the very least, he is poised to strongly be in the mix to get a guaranteed contract, whereas coming into the event he was seen by scouts more as a curiosity in terms of how his game would translate to a higher level. First impressions matter, and Sheppard aced his for those who hadn’t seen him in-person previously.
Four others who played well
Amari Bailey | 6-5 wing | UCLA | Ranking: No. 46
When I talked to scouts ahead of the combine, Bailey was one of the players they seemed to be a bit worried about. They didn’t think he’d perform poorly necessarily; they just didn’t know what to expect after a season at UCLA that was a bit all over the map.
He was an efficient scorer who consistently got out in transition and generally took advantage of open 3-point opportunities. But the school also had Jaime Jaquez and Tyger Campbell taking up most of the usage, and the team took 3s on a lower percentage of their shot attempts than all but 15 teams in the country. For a player who has always seemed to be much more comfortable playing in the midrange and attacking as a driver, it was difficult to know exactly how Bailey would look after playing off the ball so much, even after a strong close to the season when he averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists on a 65.6 percent true shooting in the team’s conference tournament and NCAA Tournament games — games that came after Jaylen Clark’s Achilles injury.
There was a lot riding on this for Bailey. A bad performance could have hurtled him outside of the draft for teams. But Bailey showed up well, and it was instructive tape because it showed parts of Bailey’s game that we hadn’t gotten to see a ton of at UCLA.
With the increased spacing of the NBA, Bailey looked much more comfortable operating at pace. Without Campbell around and placed on a team without another NBA-caliber lead guard, Bailey got to play more as a primary ballhandler, and the production was terrific. He had 17 points, dished out eight assists and had zero turnovers in the first game. In the second game, he had 19 points and six assists but did turn it over five times.
There were some ups and downs. He didn’t showcase much in the way of explosiveness that makes you buy him consistently being able to separate from his man. And as a scorer, he still doesn’t seem wildly comfortable taking 3s, something that will need to change for his long-term outlook. But his overall polish on the ball was evident, his vision was crisp and he made the right passing read more often than not, especially in that first game.
I don’t know that Bailey moved the needle upward in a significant way with these performances, because it’s clear there is still a ways to go for him developmentally. Shooting off the catch still isn’t exactly his first option, and his finishing in the half court remains questionable. But he certainly steadied himself and gave scouts a picture of what could be if he works as an on-ball player with further reps. I think I’d still be a bit surprised if he heard his name called in the first round. He’s quite skinny and doesn’t have a ton of pop in terms of explosiveness. But anywhere from No. 30 to No. 50 seems about right at this stage.
Tristan Vukčević| 6-11 center | Partizan | Ranking: No. 53
Vukčević made shots at the combine, and that’s going to get you noticed. In the first game, Vukčević was 8-of-10 from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3. He was the most efficient offensive player in the first day of scrimmages and decided to sit out the second day after putting up such a performance.
This is definitely the kind of positive momentum Vukčević needed. He’s mostly been in the rotation of EuroLeague power Partizan’s games in the Adriatic League this year, posting solid 58/40/81 shooting splits in limited shots. A few scouts mentioned to me that they have some worries about his overall movement skills and whether he’ll be able to slide his feet enough to defend on the perimeter or anchor his spot enough to consistently hold his ground at the center position. He was a bit of a mixed bag in that regard defensively even in his standout combine performance. The good news is that he came in at 6-11 1/4 without shoes, so he’ll be a 7-footer with shoes on with a 9-3 standing reach. That puts him in strong company as a potential floor-spacing center.
I’d bet Vukčević ends up being a priority stash candidate in the second round this year. Teams with multiple picks in the second round like Charlotte (the Hornets have Nos. 34, 39 and 41) make a lot of sense. I don’t think he has done enough to climb into the first, but if you don’t have an available roster spot, he’ll be one of the best options.
Seth Lundy | 6-5 wing | Penn State | Ranking: No. 55
Lundy was solid and steady in Chicago. He did exactly what he was asked to do and did so with limited touches. In the first game, Lundy went 4-of-5 from the field — all 3s — to score 12 points. In the second game, he went 6-of-9 from the field, including another 4-of-6 shooting from 3 for 18 points. He also dished out three assists in the first game and four assists in the second.
We knew Lundy could shoot, but what was impressive about these two games was the way he got the shots. At Penn State, a lot of his shots came out of standstill spot-up situations, but in these games, he hit a few off movement. At Penn State this past season, 52 of Lundy’s 3s came out of spot-up situations, 12 came in transition and just 11 came off screens, per Synergy. For a player who made a pretty substantial leap as a shooter in his fourth season — something that can be a bit of a flag for evaluators — scouts did question what kind of shooter Lundy really was after going from a 34.9 percent 3-point shooter in his first three years to a 40 percent one in his final season. At the very least, this should quell some of those worries.
Lundy measured well for what is essentially an undersized combo forward. He came in at just 6-4 without shoes, but his massive 6-10 1/4 wingspan gives him an 8-8 standing reach that will allow him to play reasonably at the three and pinch hit at the four, an important skill set given his current skill level as a ballhandler and overall decision-maker. But Lundy is also a tough one-on-one defender who is willing to be physical and use his length and solid 215-pound frame to contest and make life difficult for opposing scorers. He’s not elite on that end, but he’s solid.
Teams won’t look at these games as the be-all, end-all. But everyone in the league is looking for shooting, especially from players with legitimate size and length to hold up defensively on the wing. It’s pretty easy to see a team like Sacramento, which has pick Nos. 38 and 54, value Lundy. The same goes for teams like Cleveland and the Lakers, both of whom should be pretty desperate to add cheap shooting on the wing around their stars in the 40s. Lundy isn’t a sure thing, but he has a shot to play a solid role in the NBA, and he solidified himself as worthy of a draft pick.
Adama Sanogo | 6-8 center | Connecticut | Ranking: No. 42
Sanogo is one of those guys I think people have the wrong impression of. There is this idea that he is just a big, slow undersized center who can’t guard in space, isn’t vertical enough to protect the rim and isn’t anything resembling a potential floor spacer. But I think he might have more to his game than meets the eye.
Connecticut this past season ran two very different schemes. When Sanogo was in, the Huskies would hard hedge and recover with him in ball screens, using his strength and length to get back into the play. When Donovan Clingan was on the court, they’d play in drop and let him use his immense length to just cover the entire court. But Sanogo actually is the more mobile one in defensive coverages. There is some short-area quickness there, and he communicates extremely well and calls out coverages for his guards. He’s also incredibly physical and strong. He’s not a Drew Timme or Oscar Tshiebwe type who has no chance to defend at the NBA level.
On top of that, Sanogo displayed historically relevant touch at the high-major level around the basket this past season. The Connecticut big man averaged 17.2 points and shot 60.2 percent from the field, but he shot 75.6 percent at the basket this past season having dunked the ball only 26 times. The rest were on layups. Per Synergy, Sanogo shot 74.8 percent on layups this past season, an absurd number for a big who gets contested at the basket like Sanogo does. He finished about four percent better than any high-major player who took at least three such shots per game. His 74.8 mark was actually the best percentage of any high-major player since 2016-17. Sanogo might not be a particularly vertical finisher with much lift, but he might have the touch that allows him to survive without it.
Beyond that, Sanogo is kind of a butt-kicker on the inside. There’s not another way to phrase it. He’s tougher and more physical than you. He came in at just 6-7 1/4 without shoes, but he has an enormous near-7-3 wingspan and a 9-0 1/2 standing reach that will allow him to play center. In five-on-five, Sanogo went for 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first game and 13 points, six rebounds and three assists in his second game.
He’s one of those dudes who works. I’m not a full-scale buyer, but I think there’s probably more to his game than he’s getting credit for. I’ve moved him into the top 50 and think he has a case as a fully rostered player on a guaranteed contract next year.
The Brandin Podziemski question
Brandin Podziemski | 6-5 guard | Santa Clara | No. 45
A draft darling who excited public evaluators throughout the season, Podziemski was a tale of extremes at the combine. On one hand, he tested better than expected with a 39-inch vertical leap that got some attention. On the other hand, he measured with just an 8-0 1/2 standing reach that gave evaluators real pause about his potential to defend. In the first combine game, he produced a near masterpiece, scoring 10 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing eight rebounds. In the second game, he was completely invisible. Where does this leave him?
Podziemski is polarizing, which is unsurprising given his journey. His counting stats of 19.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists are outstanding. He’s a great shooter and hit 43.8 percent of his 3s this past season. On the surface, those are high-end numbers, but if you dig deeper, his numbers tanked against quality competition. In his six Tier A games, per KenPom, Podziemski had just a 53.8 true shooting percentage and saw his rebounding rate and assist rate drop by about 25 percent. In the five games he played against top-50 KenPom defenses, he averaged just 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.
This would probably be worth overlooking as small sample, but the track record on players who transferred from the high-major level down to a lower level is not exactly long or littered with immense success stories. Outside of players who moved to powerhouse Gonzaga, only five such down-transfers have been selected going back through the 2011 NBA Draft. And I’m not sure any are entirely equivalent to Podziemski, who simply couldn’t get on the floor at Illinois then became a draft prospect at what a person could reasonably consider a mid-major in Santa Clara.
Cody Martin transferred from NC State to Nevada, but that was going from Mark Gottfried to Eric Musselman. We’ll be gracious and merely call that a significant coaching upgrade. Malachi Flynn and Xavier Thames are two others, going from lowly Washington State in the Pac-12 — a school that has made five NCAA Tournaments since 1941 — to Mountain West power San Diego State (a school that has missed the NCAA Tournament just twice since 2010). That’s not a lateral move; that’s an upgrade. The fourth is Damyean Dotson, who was dismissed from Oregon in the wake of a sexual assault allegation before landing at Houston. The fifth is Semi Ojeleye, going from Duke to SMU. Ojeleye is probably the closest comparable situation, but SMU isn’t exactly a mid-major, and he also carried the Mustangs to a 30-5 record that saw them ranked 11th in the final AP poll of the season.
As you can probably guess, I’m lower on Podziemski than the average evaluator. But I’m not the one making the picks, and NBA scouts and decision-makers came out of the combine with a more positive feeling on Podziemski than a negative one. Much like with Sheppard above, this was a more important event for him than for others. Very few higher-level evaluators got out to Santa Clara this past season. For some, this was their first chance to see Podziemski. Performing the way he did on the first day of scrimmages — in what was widely perceived by people in attendance to be the best, most competitively played game of the four at the event — did him a lot of good. First impressions are so important for prospects and realistically are often over-indexed in the scouting process. It far outweighed the two-point performance in the second game, at least anecdotally, based on conversations I had.
More than anything, I think Podziemski solidified his standing as someone who will get looks starting near the end of the first round and will likely become the down-transfer anomaly who hears his name called within the first 40 to 45 picks. Following the event, he announced that he will stay in the draft, and I think that’s the right call for him given the feedback. He’ll be a bit lower on my board than others because I tend to be less interested in smaller players in the modern NBA. I really struggle to see how he’s going to defend effectively without much in the way of quickness or height. Scoot Henderson, Cason Wallace and Marcus Sasser are the only players 6-3 or under in my top 50. Sasser’s standing reach is actually three inches longer than Podziemski’s. Wallace’s standing reach came in at 8-5. While we don’t have a standing reach for Henderson, I’d bet it also exceeds that of Podziemski’s given that he has something in the ballpark of a 6-9 wingspan. In terms of effective NBA size, Podziemski is essentially the smallest player ranked in my top 50.
All that matters, though, is that quite a few NBA evaluators feel differently. My guess is one of their teams takes the plunge on Podziemski, a fascinating prospect who did more good than harm last week for his stock.
The G League Elite Camp’s winner
Dillon Jones | 6-foot-5 wing | Weber State | Rank: No. 63
Jones has risen as much as any player in the pre-draft process for teams, taking advantage of a head start he got. Jones chose to play for the Portland Generals at Nike Hoop Summit, a group of older college veterans who play against the elite-level high-school recruits at that event in scrimmages seen by dozens of high-level NBA decision-makers. In the game against the World Team, Jones was arguably the best player on the court, controlling the game with his pace, passing ability, toughness on the glass and willingness to shoot. He essentially played as a point guard late in the game and got his teammates open looks with his high-IQ style of play.
Had he not played well there, I think there is a very good chance he would not have been invited to the G League Elite Camp. Despite leading the entire NCAA in defensive rebounding rate this past season, Jones didn’t have a ton of buzz among NBA scouts. I had him ranked in my top 100 entering the process, but when I’d bring him up to teams, they’d just bat his name away as an undersized four who isn’t traditionally athletic and only made 30 percent of his 3-point attempts.
However, he parlayed that great performance in Portland into another opportunity, this time in front of the entire basketball world at the Elite Camp. He had nine points and seven rebounds in the first game of that event but blew up in the second. He had 15 points and seven rebounds in that game to go with four steals, using his immense length and feel for the game to impact things on both ends. That earned the big combine call-up, where in his first game he had 17 points, three assists and three steals. He only had five points and five assists in the second game, but the damage was done. Jones had cemented himself as a huge winner of the process. Throw in that he measured at 6-4 1/2 with a massive 6-11 1/4 wingspan and an 8-8 standing reach, and it was just gravy.
At the end of the day, Jones probably didn’t necessarily move the needle in a substantial way league-wide. For instance, it’s unlikely he’ll hear his name called in the top 40. If he stays in the draft, he probably will be on a two-way next year. But Jones is the player at the Elite Camp who got the most mention to me from scouts, and he gave himself a very real shot to be picked in June. He deserves an immense amount of credit for being a small school player who has taken every opportunity afforded to him after the season ended and given himself a chance.
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N41D
tim Cato mentioning on his pod that gradey ain’t the player profile they’re looking forIf they keep the pick there’s a glut of options- feel like it could be anyone lol. No consensus
They keep saying trade down but what ultimately would does that look like for Dallas what does that really do for them
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They don’t want another subpar athlete white guy wing?
If they keep the pick there’s a glut of options- feel like it could be anyone lol. No consensus
They keep saying trade down but what ultimately would does that look like for Dallas what does that really do for them
Shocking news, really.
They’re guaranteed to get one of Whitmore, Thompsons, Walker/Hendricks, Black/Cason.
Throw Lively in that mix.
If they stay at 10, they’re gonna get a player profile that can help immediately.
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They were trying to say trade down to be able to get out of Bertrans contract… that seems like a pipe dreamThey don’t want another subpar athlete white guy wing?
Shocking news, really.
They’re guaranteed to get one of Whitmore, Thompsons, Walker/Hendricks, Black/Cason.
Throw Lively in that mix.
If they stay at 10, they’re gonna get a player profile that can help immediately.
But if they did hood looks good to me
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Sure, but where?
I don’t know if I’m all aboard the “use asset to dump Bertans” train… his contract is effectively expiring. Someone will want off long term dollars as the year progresses and you can flip Bertans to take advantage.
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Mister Meaner
formerly super producer j
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Been a looongg time since I hadn’t any interest in this thread at no point in the last year or two.
May adobt a b squad so I can have an escape, this syndrome doesn’t die easy. They say the battered wife tends to come back to their abuser but when the abuser stops abusing all of a sudden, that’s akin to quitting cold Turkey.
**** it, it was Popovich and the Spurs who kept me together for some time low key. That was beautiful ball in their day. And look now how the turntables. We getting Wemby too OMG OMG
. Chatter acquiring another top for Keldon too but idk how srs.
May adobt a b squad so I can have an escape, this syndrome doesn’t die easy. They say the battered wife tends to come back to their abuser but when the abuser stops abusing all of a sudden, that’s akin to quitting cold Turkey.
**** it, it was Popovich and the Spurs who kept me together for some time low key. That was beautiful ball in their day. And look now how the turntables. We getting Wemby too OMG OMG
. Chatter acquiring another top for Keldon too but idk how srs.
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Listening to all these pods debating charlottes choice
Came to the conclusion that
1. G league is actually pretty legit in terms of having a kid play there, if they (hardy, scoot etc) “struggle” I’m not gonna hold that too much against them. Scoot spent two years against older competition and probably better than ncaa
2. I’m still higher on miller than a lot of you guys, I’m not gonna **** on him to make the case that scoot should be the #2
3. Teams passing on prospects for fit needs haven’t worked out too well (ie warriors passing on ball lol). Just take scoot and pair him with ball and figure out the rest later. They are way different skill sets anyway which is a good thing. Let scoot be the rim pressure driver
Came to the conclusion that
1. G league is actually pretty legit in terms of having a kid play there, if they (hardy, scoot etc) “struggle” I’m not gonna hold that too much against them. Scoot spent two years against older competition and probably better than ncaa
2. I’m still higher on miller than a lot of you guys, I’m not gonna **** on him to make the case that scoot should be the #2
3. Teams passing on prospects for fit needs haven’t worked out too well (ie warriors passing on ball lol). Just take scoot and pair him with ball and figure out the rest later. They are way different skill sets anyway which is a good thing. Let scoot be the rim pressure driver
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Idk but now I’m really liking jordan Hawkins. So many interesting role players in this range
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I'm talking myself more and more into "keep the pick" every day.
Lots of guys that fit needs.
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Miller’s lack of explosiveness and ability to get by his man is a worry for me with the midrange struggles. It would be uncharacteristic of Mitch to go with a wing that lacks explosiveness/athleticism with an early pick.
His range and shooting ability does help negate some of that. He operates well in space from behind the arc but when teams press up on him it’s tough to expect him to get by his man and finish around the rim which is something he struggled with.
With Scoot they have the ability to add another playmaker beside Lamelo. Lamelo’s catch and shoot numbers are above average and opens up more playmaking ability for him. I think fit aside Scoot still makes the most sense. Talent wise, yes, this team needs shooting and he did shoot 85% from the line which is the good metric in shooting translating. They do have the same shooting coach who worked with Kemba to improve his shot so I’m not worried about Scoot’s long term translation. His mindset/mentality and competitiveness are things that will appeal to the front office and ownership. Individual workouts will be big factor.
When they bring Miles back this summer and sign PJ you are left with Miller playing the 2. Is that ideal? A lot of size for todays game. They can move Terry by attaching one of the 5 picks this year and potentially 27. They won’t make all picks and I doubt they even use 27 with the lack of roster spots. All things to keep in mind with Charlotte
His range and shooting ability does help negate some of that. He operates well in space from behind the arc but when teams press up on him it’s tough to expect him to get by his man and finish around the rim which is something he struggled with.
With Scoot they have the ability to add another playmaker beside Lamelo. Lamelo’s catch and shoot numbers are above average and opens up more playmaking ability for him. I think fit aside Scoot still makes the most sense. Talent wise, yes, this team needs shooting and he did shoot 85% from the line which is the good metric in shooting translating. They do have the same shooting coach who worked with Kemba to improve his shot so I’m not worried about Scoot’s long term translation. His mindset/mentality and competitiveness are things that will appeal to the front office and ownership. Individual workouts will be big factor.
When they bring Miles back this summer and sign PJ you are left with Miller playing the 2. Is that ideal? A lot of size for todays game. They can move Terry by attaching one of the 5 picks this year and potentially 27. They won’t make all picks and I doubt they even use 27 with the lack of roster spots. All things to keep in mind with Charlotte
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I don’t care if they keep or trade but pls just work out in some kind of great way
A pod I was listening to had Ausur falling to 10
Someone is going to fall it’s guaranteed. Too many dudes in the same range
If a team “reaches”, which probably will happen, it’ll make even more fall
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Better defending Tyreke Evans is my Scoot comp.
HOU$TON
formerly convertibleburt
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I've heard a few analysts start to make this turn. I wonder if it's really a thing or just noise.
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Some guy on the No Ceilings network has been pushing the Ausur>Amen for several months
Pretty sure I've heard other folks float this as well, or at least question how much of a difference there really is between the two
Pretty sure I've heard other folks float this as well, or at least question how much of a difference there really is between the two
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The idea of him sitting out the season and going straight to the draft was one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of
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One of my favorite role players. I hope he lands on a good team to take advantage of his IQ and skillset.
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