Intrigue at the NBA draft Combine

  The NBA held its annul Draft Combine on May 15th and 16th last week.  There wasn't much hype going in to the combine due to the number of high level players pulling out.  Players such as Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid did not participate.  There were also a number of them that were in attendance that only performed the athletic testing.  Some of those players were Marcus Smart, Aaron Gordon and Dante Exum.

  Going in the the combine Exum was the player most fans and teams wanted to see perform.  He participated in the measurements and testing and he was one of a handful of intriguing prospects.  Others included, Zach LaVine of UCLA, Arizona's Aaron Gordon, Wichita State's Cleanthony Early, Florida's Patrick Young and Michigan's Glen Robinson III.  Lets take a quick look....

Dante Exum-

31.5" no step vertical jump
34.5" max vertical jump
10.75 lane agility
Measured at 6'6" in shoes
6'9" wing span
196 lbs

  While not the elite athlete some thought he might be, Exum tested very well.  He was run through the athletic testing with the shooting guards.  He actually tested the highest over all of all the shooting guards.  Exum considers himself a point guard and with his measurables and athleticism he has the potential to be an elite level point guard in the league.

Zach LaVine-

33.5" no step vertical jump
41.5" max vertical jump
10.42 lane agility
Measured 6'5.75" in shoes
6'8.75" wing wpan
180 lbs

  LaVine stole the show at the combine.  He was clearly the best athlete of anyone tested.  What makes it even more interesting, he was interviewed by ESPN's Andy Katz. and was asked by Katz what position he sees himself playing.  He answered the point guard, but was willing to play the shooting guard or small forward, what ever the coach needed.  If LaVine turns out to be a Point Guard he has all the same measurements as Exum, but also has elite level athleticism.  He also participated with the point guards in the on court drills and was a standout.  LaVine also has a decent shot that does not appear broken.  All in all, he may have more to work with than Exum, you just might have to wait a little longer.

Aaron Gordon-

32.5" no step vertical jump
39.5" max vertical jump
10.81 lane agility
Measured 6'8.75" in shoes
6'11.75" wing span

  Coming in most people knew Aaron Gordon was a freak athlete.  He did not disappoint.  For a player at basically 6'9" and to have a sub 11 second agility drill is impressive.  Even more impressive is having nearly 40" vertical!  After the vertical testing was complete, Andy Katz spoke with Gordon and asked him what he thought, Gordon said that he was a little disappointed with his vertical, said that his highest test ever was 42"!
That is unreal for a player of his size.  While Gordon did not participate in any of the on court drills he did mention that he has been working on his shot and his free throws, the two biggest concerns for teams in regards to Gordon.  He mentioned there was a disconnect between his jumper and how he shot it at the line and that he had worked on that and corrected it.

Cleanthony Early-

34" no step vertical jump
40" max vertical jump
11.15 lane agility
Measured 6'7.25" in shoes
6'10.75" wing span

  Cleanthony Early went from being undrafted to second round pick and now possibly solidifying himself as a first round pick.  Early participated in both the on court drills as well as the testing for the small forwards and was very successful.  Early had a great run in the NCAA tournament and put up some big numbers versus Kentucky and their star studded lineup.  This is where most people started to take notice.  Early shot the ball really well in drills and clearly was putting in work.  I think the thing that stood out the most to people, was his athletic testing numbers.  He showed good quickness with his agility testing, but he had elite athleticism with his vertical jump.  With Wiggins and Parker as the top two small forward studs there is plenty of room for a player of Early's caliber to end up on a team with a need at small forward....(Utah Jazz)

Patrick Young-

32" no step vertical jump
37" max vertical jump
11.18 lane agility
25 bench reps
Measure 6'10" in shoes
7'1.75" wing span
246 lbs

  If you are looking for a physical monster, you found it in Florida's Patrick Young.  At 246 lbs and still having a 37" vertical leap!  Who is going to want to challenge this guy?  He also showed great lateral quickness for a man his size, making him valuable in both rim protection and the pick and roll.  Young at one time was considered a late second rounder, but with these kind of numbers teams that made the playoffs that maybe  looking to add depth or a rotation big, Young would be the perfect fit.  There is a lot to like about this kid although he may not have the potential or upside that some of these other younger players may have.

Glen Robinson III-

36.5" no step vertical jump
41.5" max vertical jump
11.22 lane agility
Measure 6'6.75" in shoes
6'10" wing span
211 lbs

  Glen Robinson III has the pedigree.  His dad was a fantastic pro.  GR3 had a better than expected freshman year but then followed in up with what many consider to be a sub-par sophomore season.  Robinson, in my opinion is going to one of those players that is a better NBA pro than college player.  While he is a bit of a tweener (SG/SF) he has the athleticism and quickness to guard either position.  While he may lack elite length, he makes up for with strength and I have to give him something for the pedigree.  Having a father that played in the league goes a long way for these kids and can help them prepare for the rigors of the NBA.  I believe Robinson is one of those players.  He is going to be a nice piece that someone is going to get late first round early second.

Wiggins rumored to be between 42-44"

  While this years combine may not have had the big names people were hoping to see it still had plenty of intriguing performance that are going to give NBA front offices a lot to think about.

http://stats.nba.com/draftCombine.html

Expanded Look.....picks 7-32 2014 NBA Draft

 Back for part 2!  Here is a quick look for Jazz fans or NBA fans of some intriguing names to consider with these picks.  The purpose for the expanded look, the Jazz are winning!  They are winning more games than expected and the are hitting a soft stretch in the schedule through the month of January.  So I figure Jazz fans ought to be aware of some of the possible picks at the tail end of the lottery.  Lets take a look....

Noah Vonleh- 6'10" 242 lbs 7'4" wing span Freshman Center

  I have watched a couple of Indiana games and the one thing I noticed was how long they are.  If that is the only thing that stood out to me, that is exactly what the scouts are saying about Noah.  He has all the tools to be an absolute star, but is still trying to find himself.  He seems to be a quiet shy kid who likes to play basketball.  So far this season, he is averaging 12.3 pts 9.5 rebs 1stl 1blk a game.  His last game against Illinois he posted 16 pts 9 rebs 4 blks 2 stls and was 2-3 from 3.  You have to love his length and ability to defend multiple positions.  When this kid realizes how good he is, he should have a problem filling that expectation of star.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Noah-Vonleh-6471/
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/noah-vonleh 

Rodney Hood- 6'8" 201 lbs Sophomore Small Forward

  Batman has Robin....Jabari Parker has Rodney Hood.  Rodney Hood has been the perfect fit along side Duke's phenomenal freshman.  Hood is a "do it all" small forward.  He has a good handle, great athleticism, a solid shooting stroke.  But the thing that may be the most overlooked is his ability to defend.  He has the lateral quickness to guard most shooting guards and the size and strength to guard the small forwards.  On the season, Hood is averaging 17.2 pts 5 rebs 2 ast.  He has also had five 20+ point games this season.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Rodney-Hood-5723/
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/rodney-hood

Wayne Selden- 6'6" 223 lbs 6'10 wing span Freshman Shooting Guard

  Wayne Selden is another star freshman on the Kansas Jayhawk squad full of super freshman.  Selden is the most overlooked of the bunch, but according to Coach Self, has been the most impressive of the bunch in practice and the hardest worker.  Yeah its practice, so he needs to perform in real games.  Selden is a physical specimen for a freshman.  He is a man!  He has excellent athleticism and length.  He is a southpaw which does give him a bit of an advantage.  On the season, Selden is averaging 8.7 pts 2.9 rebs 2.3 ast.  Looking at Selden, his size athleticism and game, may be better suited for the pro game.  Strange hunch tells me he will be a better pro than college player.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Wayne-Selden-6473/
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/wayne-selden

  Looking at these 3 prospects Noah Vonleh has the most potential or highest ceiling.  If Vonleh does not fulfill that potential, Selden may then be the best prospect of the 3.  Picking an of these 3 will not hurt your team as all will be solid peices/NBA rotation players.  Stay tuned....Will highlight more prospect soon!

Chicago Classic gave us some CLASSICS!

  College hoops fans that tuned in for some early season match-ups last night were not disappointed!  It kicked off with #1 Kentucky Wildcats vs #2 Michigan state Spartans.  Followed by #5 Kansas Jayhawks  vs #4 Duke Blue Devils.  Michigan State pulled of the so called upset 78-74.  Kansas beat Duke 94-83.



  The Michigan State/Kentucky game was a veteran squad in Michigan State vs one of the best if not the best recruiting classes ever for John Calipari.  Kentucky starts 4 freshman and a sophomore.  Opposed to Michigan States 2 seniors, 2 sophomores and a junior.  The experience of the Spartans was the difference in the first half and really down the stretch.  Senior PG Keith Appling had 22 pts 8 reb and 8 assists.  Super sophomore Garry Harris had 20 point and a key steal late in the second half.  The story of the game was freshman phenom Julius Randle from Kentucky.  The first half for Randle was a feeling out process.  He was defended by senior Adreian Payne who had the size and length to battle with Randle.  Payne is no slouch himself, as his is thought to be a first round pick.  The second half was a completely different game for Randle.  He came out and put his team on his back, getting them back in the game and making it a tight one.  Randle on the boards is almost impossible to box out.  If he gets inside position, it over.  I have never seen a player so dominant on the boards and get the kind of position he did.  Offensively, Randle has a very good back to the basket game for such a young player.  He has great foot work and gets position that he wants.  He reminds me of a more athletic version of Zach Randolph.  He was dominant in the second half, Sparty had no answer.  Randle finished with 27 pts 13 rbs and a tough loss.  This game was a great game to watch with so many highly touted players but it was the vets that stole the show.



  The marquee game of the night had to be Duke vs Kansas.  People were tuning in to watch the 2 top freshman in the country Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.  They did not disappoint.  For the eye test, Wiggins is extremely thin, really long limbed but quick.  Parker is big, strong wide shoulders, very smooth.  The first half was the Jabari Parker show.  He was getting his jumper off early and often.  He had 19 pts in the first half, knocking down 4-5 3 point shots.  The first half for Wiggins was plagued with foul trouble.  He was unable to get in to a rhythm and get into the game.  At times, he looked aloof and not engaged.  The second half was a different story for Wiggins and especially down the stretch.  Wiggins wanted the ball and wanted to help his team get a victory however he could.  The same can be said for Parker as he defended Wiggins down the stretch.  As size goes, Wiggins was clearly out matched, although he does have the upper hand in athleticism.  I was surprised at how athletic Parker really is.  He had a couple of nice shot blocks and would rebound the ball and start the early transition for Duke.  That is not something you see from too many freshman, kid has a natural feel for the game.  In the end, Parker finished with 27 pts, 9 rbs, 2 stl.  Wiggins finished with 22 pts  8 rbs and a block.

  After watching these 2 games I can't say there is a clear cut #1 of Parker, Randle and Wiggins.  They appear to be 1A, 1B or 1C.  I guess its going to come down to whoever has the #1 pick and what that teams needs really are.  Glad that these match-ups happened early in the season, there will be so much more to come from the special young players. Its going to be a great season in college basketball!

Must Watch College Hoops Tonight!

OK folks, if you are a huge college hoops fan as I am or if your NBA team is a bit of a "cellar dweller" that is all the more reason to tune in tonight and catch some college hoops.  There are some huge match-ups tonight in Champions Classic in Chicago.  #1 University of Kentucky taking on #2 Michigan State.  Kentucky has super freshman Julius Randle thought to be one of the top 3 picks in this summers NBA draft.  Michigan State has Gary Harris and Adreian Payne both players thought to be first round picks.  But what may be the marquee match-up of the night, The Duke Blue Devils and Jabari Parker take on the Kansas Jayhawks and Andrew Wiggins!  This is must see TV!

  Parker and Wiggins very well could be the top two picks in this summers draft.  Parker seems to have an NBA ready body and game.  Very polished, with the size to play inside and the touch to shoot it from deep.  Parker is also more athletic than he is give credit for.  Many compare him to Carmelo Anthony.  I would say that is a very fair comparison.

  Andrew Wiggins is a supreme athlete.  They just don't make them like this kid very often.  The last player with the kind of athleticism that Wiggins possess was Lebron James.  Now Wiggins and James games are vastly different at this stage in their careers.  Lebron was more polished, had a great handle and unbelievable vision.  Wiggins has a good handle but is still extremely raw.  He realize upon his athleticism, which is something he can't do as much in college.  Wiggins does have good form on his jumper but just needs time in the gym shooting jumper after jumper.  What makes Wiggins really specially is his ability to play defense.  He is long, explosive and quick.  Qualities that can make a top flight defender in both college and the NBA.

   Utah Jazz radio voice David Locke spoke with NBA types, last night and was told that tonight's games could have as many as 16+ first round picks.  Here are a few more names to watch tonight.....Joel Embiid Kansas, Arron and Andrew Harrison Kentucky, Alex Poythress Kentucky, Rasheed Sulaimon Duke, Willey Cauley-Stein Kentucky, Wayne Selden Kansas.

  If all these players declare for this summers draft as well as the many other super talented prospects, this could very well be the best draft in NBA history.  Not just from a super star stand point, but from a late first round early second round player being very good, very successful NBA players.  Its going to be a great season for college basketball!