2019 Draft Thread

[Ruzious]

Just my first exposure to him, but pretty impressive showing from Semanic.

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I think he's a real wildcard in the draft - could really fly up there.

[emunney]

Who is the best backup big man at 30?

Shaping up to be a ton of big man value at 30, as it stands.

Best case / steal of the draft level: Kabengele
Rebounder / rim runner / good value: Fernando / Gafford
High upside / skilled w/ length: Bassey

I go back and forth. I would throw Claxton ahead of Bassey in that last category, very different kinds of players, though. I just wonder what at this point is the actual value of a player at any position who can't shoot and attack closeouts OR handle the ball and pass at a high level. Certainly there's some value, but when you're looking at a list of maybe as many as a half dozen guys, where is the competitive advantage even going to come from? So I'd take Kabengele from that list, because I think he can do all those things, plus he plays with his hair on fire -- he should be a lottery pick imo. I think Fernando, Bassey, and Claxton are all maybes/marginal -- 2nd rounders. And as big and athletic as Gafford is, I think his value is entirely as a rim runner/roll-man. You have to have an extremely high motor to carve out that niche in the NBA. I don't think he plays hard enough.

[Ruzious]

Who is the best backup big man at 30?

Shaping up to be a ton of big man value at 30, as it stands.

Best case / steal of the draft level: Kabengele
Rebounder / rim runner / good value: Fernando / Gafford
High upside / skilled w/ length: Bassey

I go back and forth. I would throw Claxton ahead of Bassey in that last category, very different kinds of players, though. I just wonder what at this point is the actual value of a player at any position who can't shoot and attack closeouts OR handle the ball and pass at a high level. Certainly there's some value, but when you're looking at a list of maybe as many as a half dozen guys, where is the competitive advantage even going to come from? So I'd take Kabengele from that list, because I think he can do all those things, plus he plays with his hair on fire -- he should be a lottery pick imo. I think Fernando, Bassey, and Claxton are all maybes/marginal -- 2nd rounders. And as big and athletic as Gafford is, I think his value is entirely as a rim runner/roll-man. You have to have an extremely high motor to carve out that niche in the NBA. I don't think he plays hard enough.

Being a MD grad, I'm partial to Bruno. He was a big crowd favorite and has a great attitude. He has not reached his potential, but he has improved. Remember, he didn't grow up playing basketball - living in Angola. He's an impressive physical presence and has an ubuncance of energy. When he's not hesitating, he's very effective, but sometimes he hesitates - making it easy for a double-teamer to mess him up. He did get much better at handling double-teams, but he was inconsistent about it. Good shot-blocker and solid rebounder. He did expand his offensive game some and has a developing face-up game. Overall, he's very similar to Bam Adebayo, but long-term, I think he'll develop a perimeter game - which is not there yet. Good foul shooter. I'm a fan.

[LuessiT]

Who is the best backup big man at 30?

Shaping up to be a ton of big man value at 30, as it stands.

Best case / steal of the draft level: Kabengele
Rebounder / rim runner / good value: Fernando / Gafford
High upside / skilled w/ length: Bassey

I go back and forth. I would throw Claxton ahead of Bassey in that last category, very different kinds of players, though. I just wonder what at this point is the actual value of a player at any position who can't shoot and attack closeouts OR handle the ball and pass at a high level. Certainly there's some value, but when you're looking at a list of maybe as many as a half dozen guys, where is the competitive advantage even going to come from? So I'd take Kabengele from that list, because I think he can do all those things, plus he plays with his hair on fire -- he should be a lottery pick imo. I think Fernando, Bassey, and Claxton are all maybes/marginal -- 2nd rounders. And as big and athletic as Gafford is, I think his value is entirely as a rim runner/roll-man. You have to have an extremely high motor to carve out that niche in the NBA. I don't think he plays hard enough.

Agree on Gafford. I wouldn't draft him.

Bruno has shown good touch on his jumper, is pretty good from the line and has been shooting more recently. His jumper is highly projectile, much more than Bassey's. For me Fernando is definitely a FRP, especially since his floor is decently high and it's not out of question that he'd outperform a rookie contract.

Bassey is a tough one. If you take him in the second round and you expect production, you're bound to be disappointed. His measurements are a bit disappointing but not a dealbreaker. He needs a team with good player development and the right idea what to make out of him or he'll crash and burn. Which is probably his trajectory cause the wrong team is drafting him.

Anyway I'm not looking at backup bigs via drafts. There are so many bigs getting drafted each year, developing and yet not making it in the NBA. If you want a backup big, there is your player pool.

[LuessiT]

Just my first exposure to him, but pretty impressive showing from Semanic.

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I think he's a real wildcard in the draft - could really fly up there.

He's worth a FRP. The question is just how high imo. We've had one example in the past of a player who hasn't played for the pros @ Barcelona in Kurucs. Now he's even got production to show for (in a weaker league). Perfect profile in terms of skills for a stretch 4. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he goes late lottery.

[Ruzious]

Just my first exposure to him, but pretty impressive showing from Semanic.

Spoiler:

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I think he's a real wildcard in the draft - could really fly up there.

He's worth a FRP. The question is just how high imo. We've had one example in the past of a player who hasn't played for the pros @ Barcelona in Kurucs. Now he's even got production to show for (in a weaker league). Perfect profile in terms of skills for a stretch 4. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he goes late lottery.

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, Boston seems like a team that would target him - unless they think he's too far away from being NBA ready. And with 3 1st rounders, Boston can maneuver around - maybe even trade up for Doumbouya?

[LuessiT]

I'm still wondering about Jordan Poole. He's currently more of a herd prospect than a Bucks prospect. He was at one point a 48% shooter from 3 and you could see how his confidence shattered. The question is whether he was on an initial hot streak and regressed to the mean or did he hit a slump?
His shot selection was a major critic (unjustified imo). He's a shotmaker that needs the usage a bit in the mold of JR. Worse off ball movement than other guys in the draft like Herro, but can take players off the dribble and has some playmaking in him. His handle is very basic and will need improvement. Would love him with the Herd, maybe even on a two-way.

[LuessiT]

I think he's a real wildcard in the draft - could really fly up there.

He's worth a FRP. The question is just how high imo. We've had one example in the past of a player who hasn't played for the pros @ Barcelona in Kurucs. Now he's even got production to show for (in a weaker league). Perfect profile in terms of skills for a stretch 4. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he goes late lottery.

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, Boston seems like a team that would target him - unless they think he's too far away from being NBA ready. And with 3 1st rounders, Boston can maneuver around - maybe even trade up for Doumbouya?

I'm not really worried about who is going where. It's unpredictable really. I'm just trying to figure out who the best prospects are and then look back and see how I did and why I was wrong and adjust.
Samanic based on what I currently know about him and the rest of his piers should be drafted in the first round. Will he be? I don't really care about that.

[Ruzious]

He's worth a FRP. The question is just how high imo. We've had one example in the past of a player who hasn't played for the pros @ Barcelona in Kurucs. Now he's even got production to show for (in a weaker league). Perfect profile in terms of skills for a stretch 4. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he goes late lottery.

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, Boston seems like a team that would target him - unless they think he's too far away from being NBA ready. And with 3 1st rounders, Boston can maneuver around - maybe even trade up for Doumbouya?

I'm not really worried about who is going where. It's unpredictable really. I'm just trying to figure out who the best prospects are and then look back and see how I did and why I was wrong and adjust.
Samanic based on what I currently know about him and the rest of his piers should be drafted in the first round. Will he be? I don't really care about that.

Okay, that's part of the fun of the draft to me, but to each his own.

[emunney]

Normal for pick 30 but there are a lot of guys I'd be fine with. Would probably come down to interviews / personality.

[crkone]

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[Badgerlander]

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?s=21

[emunney]

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?s=21

Silva could stick imo.

[emunney]

EYE TEST ALERT

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[emunney]

I am lower on Culver than most, but this is a general complaint: why don't these dudes practice shooting at game speed? Do you ever see great in-game shooters sleepwalking through a shooting drill like this?

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[LuessiT]

4-8 is pretty dire. That is the only reason Culver is seen in that range. Had a very similar profile to Troy Brown.

[emunney]

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[bucksfansince88]

EYE TEST ALERT

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thats a Horst type of Pick all day

[TroyD92]

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hope he's a Buck. Really loving his game from what i've seen

[LuessiT]

Not sure what the policy is for articles behind paywalls but good read either way:

https://theathletic.com/984128/2019/05/22/vecenies-draft-combine-takeaways-who-opened-eyes-whos-on-the-fence-and-whats-up-with-bol-bol/

Spoiler:

The NBA Draft Combine came and went last week, seemingly with little fanfare given the lack of elite level players who were in attendance.

Zion Williamson wasn’t around for long, leaving early after only doing a couple of interviews with teams. Same with R.J. Barrett and Darius Garland. Ja Morant left early after doing interviews and a media session that was far too crowded with media to get anything even remotely interesting out of it. Likely lottery picks De’Andre Hunter and Rui Hachimura made the choice that the combine didn’t matter for them — something that’s eminently accurate — and didn’t even show up.

Then to top it off, after that set of players pulled out of the proceedings in full, a large group of players ended up deciding to skip the five-on-five games. Still, among the players who did attend, we gathered a wealth of knowledge. There were still players who stood out among the crowd, making the event a worthwhile one to attend for those deep into the basketball world. Here’s a breakdown of all the intel that came through these doors at the combine.

Who most helped themselves?
Luka Samanic, Petrol Olimpija: After a somewhat mixed year over in Slovenia playing for Olimpia and an average performance at Basketball Without Borders back in 2018, the luster on Samanic’s previously rising star had been somewhat dulled. He went from being considered one of the potential top-20 players as a modern NBA big man in the 2019 class to something much more questionable due in large part to his frame. However, despite their season being still active, Olimpia allowed Samanic to come over and attend the combine, where he made the choice to play in the five-on-five portion of the event.

Those were the right choices.

Samanic’s polish and skill level shone through in a significant way in his lone scrimmage performance. He scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 19 minutes, but more than that it was the way that everything seemed to come together from a translatability standpoint that made him this week’s primary standout. He hit a 3, and also was polished in the way he could set screens, short roll into an open area, and then find an open player to keep the offense in flow. Defensively, Samanic was able to switch positionally 1 through 5 at some level because of his fluidity as an athlete and increased size. His measurements weren’t necessarily outstanding, as he posted just a plus-one wingspan, but the key number was his weight. Indeed, Samanic’s body looked much better this year than it did at Basketball Without Borders just a year ago, where Samanic weighed in at just 205 pounds. He was much bigger throughout both his torso and legs, and the results were clear on the floor.

“Playing with men helps you be tougher,” Samanic said. “If you’re not tough, you’re not playing in Europe. I started working in the gym this March. I was 208 (pounds) at the start of the season, now I’m almost 230. So, I think that helps me, too.”

Entering the combine, Samanic was considered an outside chance to be selected in the first round if a team wanted to stash him. But following his one combine game, he shut it down for the rest of the event, feeling he proved all that he needed to in coming over to America. Following the combine, most executives who spoke with The Athletic believed that Samanic solidified himself as the third first rounder out of Europe this season along with France’s Sekou Doumbouya and Georgia’s Goga Bitadze. Still just 19, though, is it possible Samanic decides to not enter this draft and potentially try his luck again in 2020? I asked him, and he said he didn’t really have an answer at this stage.

“I don’t know. Things can change. You do one good day at the combine, your stock can go up. You do one bad day, your stock can go bad,” Samanic said. “So I’m not trying to think about things I cannot control. I’m trying to be focused and be the best I can be. Some days I’ll be good. Some days I’ll be less. But I need to play hard. European guys, even more you have to prove it.

“For me, the most important thing is to go to a good organization. Of course, everyone wants to be a high pick but you know, there’s so many examples of a guy getting picked high and then you have a bad year or something and you don’t improve yourself and get lost. So for me, I think it’s to get to the right spot and work hard.”

My bet is that Samanic ends up in the 2019 draft, and is taken in the first round by a smart organization. There are a few teams that stand out as interesting landing spots, including one of San Antonio’s two first round picks, one of Boston’s three first rounders, or one of Brooklyn’s two firsts. Each of those teams can afford to take a shot on a younger player, and each has a terrific international scouting staff who will have done their homework on the Croatian big man.

Nic Claxton, Georgia: Claxton wasn’t sure what to expect when he was invited to the combine. As a player who didn’t get a ton of publicity this season, it seemed like the outgoing center was still adjusting to what was happening around him.

“It’s a lot,” Claxton said with his trademark smile on his face. “Cameras in your face all the time. It’s a huge blessing, though. To be here, to be invited to the combine. I honestly didn’t know how prestigious it was to be invited here. But it’s dope, man.”

Still, Claxton is a guy that NBA executives have been extremely interested in this season because of his tools. They were on full display at the combine, where he was absolutely tremendous. Particularly, he showcased his potential on defense throughout both five-on-five games. In the first game, Claxton blocked seven shots and grabbed seven rebounds in 20 minutes. Then in the second game, he swatted four shots and grabbed four steals in 21 minutes. He also measured exceedingly well, coming in at 6-foot-10 without shoes on, with a near-7-3 wingspan and a 9-foot-2 standing reach, and posted the best lane agility score and vertical leap of any center.

In my previous mock draft, I had Claxton going late in the first round at No. 26, noting that I believed he would be someone who would significantly help himself throughout the pre-draft process. That ended up being exactly what happened. If I was selecting in the 20s, Claxton would be a no-brainer first rounder. Still, NBA teams are a bit skeptical on what exactly they do with the Georgia big man on offense. He has legitimate ball skills and can grab-and-go on the break, but he’s a still-developing shooter. Because the Bulldogs didn’t have much in the way of guard play, his screen-setting and rolling isn’t quite where it needs to be yet. Because of that, it’s expected that Claxton will spend a fair amount of time in the G-League in his first year in the NBA.

Given that situation, it’s no surprise Claxton is still testing the waters and expects to go up to the deadline as to whether or not he’ll make a decision. His line in the sand as to whether or not he’ll stay in the draft is the first round. If Claxton feels he’ll be a first round pick, he’s staying in. If he doesn’t, he’s going back to Georgia, and that’s largely because of how comfortable he is in Athens. He said he’s in a “win-win situation.” Both of his parents went to Georgia, where his dad Charles was a four-year starter who became a second-round draft pick of the Phoenix Suns in 1995. He genuinely loves the university, and enjoys playing for Tom Crean. Even after he declared for the draft, Claxton hosted recruits on visits.

“I’m all about Georgia,” Claxton said. “I feel like I have a great personality, and I do a great job of hosting recruits and telling them about the university, keeping it real with recruits. I’m a Georgia guy. I bleed red and black.”

Despite that love of the university, Claxton noted that at the end of the day, he has to do what’s right for him. I’d bet he gets the assurances he’s looking for from teams selecting at the end of the first round. There’s just too much upside here for teams to pass up, given that he’s a mobile big man who has potential to actually play games in the playoffs and also provide value with his perimeter offensive game.

Mfiondu Kabengele, Florida State: This one doesn’t have a wild amount to do with what Kabengele did at the combine, necessarily, although he helped himself with measurements and athletic testing. The Canadian big man came in at a solid 6-foot-10 in shoes with a terrific 7-foot-3 wingspan and solid 9-foot-1.5 standing reach. His vertical leap and lane agility scores were among the top scores for any combo forward/center. While the shooting scores shouldn’t really matter to executives, it’s worth noting that he made shots at an exceedingly high clip during those drills.

More than that, it’s just clear that, after speaking with executives, I have Kabengele too low at No. 40 in my mock draft. The feel around the league is that Kabengele is more likely to be taken in the top-25, as his combination of shooting and high-motor defense is terrific and fits the way the NBA is going. The one thing that’s worth noting: teams want to get a look at the medical testing taken at the combine surrounding Kabengele’s knees. Throughout the season, Kabengele wore braces on both knees, raising questions about their strength in the long-term. This isn’t to say there is an issue there; rather, teams just tend to be overly cautious and want to get a look to confirm. As long as that comes back clean, expect that Kabengele goes in Round One.

Terance Mann, Florida State: Mann had, by far, the most interesting week at the combine. He played in the G League Elite Camp on Monday and Tuesday, and looked absolutely terrific. In my opinion, he was clearly one of the five best players in attendance at the camp and performed up to that standard in the games. His high-level feel for the game shone through, as did his defensive acumen. However, after voting by NBA teams — some of which may have been sand-bagged by executives so as to not give other teams’ executives more looks at prospects — Mann was not one of the 10 players originally selected to go onto the NBA Draft Combine.

I’ll just let him tell the story of what his next two hours looked like.

“So, I played my butt off in the G League, went out there and do what I do. So I thought for sure I was going to make it,” Mann told The Athletic. “My coaches who were coaching me told me, ‘You’re definitely in. We talked to a bunch of people. You’re in.’ So the shuttle (to the airport) was at 4:15 (p.m.), and we got back to the hotel at 4, and nobody was telling me anything.

“So I got on my shuttle, stayed in traffic for like an hour and a half to get to the airport, got to the airport. Meanwhile, everything is coming out on my phone, they just dropped the 10 people who made it. So I’m going back home thinking I’ll be fine, I got great feedback. Teams are giving me great feedback. So I was fine with it. A little disappointed because this is a dream come true to be at the NBA Draft Combine, but you know.

“So I’m checking my bag in, and my phone is on one percent. I’m thinking I’ll just charge it when I get back to Atlanta, which is where I’m working out for pre-draft. My phone is about to die, and I get a call from a random number. And I’m like I can’t answer this, my phone is about to die. But I think maybe it’s something important, so I decided to answer it.

“And it’s the NBA, and they ask ‘Where are you?’ And I’m like ‘I’m about to get on the plane to head back.’ They said that they needed me back here right now, ‘You’ve got an invite.’ Nobody told me anything. And as soon as I hit end, my phone died. So it was a blessing. Then I had to take an Uber all the way back through the same traffic. But it’s all worth it.”

Mann ended up being, unquestionably, a worthy invite. His game is a quiet, but effective one. You’re not going to see him can five 3s in a game right now, or throw down the thunderous dunk. But he’s effective all over the floor because of his feel for the game. The kind of guy where you’ll look up, and he’ll have nine points, six rebounds, and five assists and two steals in 20 minutes without noticing him doing a damn thing.

At the combine, Kris Wilkes started out hot during the first game and scored eight quick points. Mann came in the game and shut that down real quick during the next stretch. He keeps the ball moving on the floor and makes the right decision constantly. NBA teams have also come away very impressed with him during interviews, as he’s an intelligent kid who is involved with the community off the floor. There are a lot of similarities here in his pre-draft profile to Davon Reed out of Miami (Fla.) in 2017 who ended up being a somewhat surprising No. 32 overall pick in large part due to his potential translatability and character. I wouldn’t bet on Mann going that high, but don’t be surprised if he ends up being something of a shock top-40 pick for a team looking for trustworthy guys who make an impact all over the floor.

Terence Davis, Mississippi: For reasons surpassing comprehension, Davis was not originally invited to the G League Elite Camp after a standout performance at Portsmouth and strong pre-draft workouts for NBA teams. Given that I had Davis ranked at No. 64 heading into the combine and thus thought he probably should have been invited to the main event, it was a bizarre decision. No matter, Davis ended up making it to Chicago after Bennie Boatwright pulled out, and in that time he was terrific. He dropped 22 points in the second game of the G League Elite Camp to secure his place at the NBA Combine. Then, he combined for 30 points and eight rebounds in the two NBA scrimmages, using his athleticism to impose his will on the floor.

Davis also measured exceedingly well at the combine, coming in at over 6-foot-4 with a near-6-9 wingspan and an 8-5 standing reach, well in the range for a true 2 guard. One wild measurement, though, came in the form of his hand size. In the hand width measurement, Davis came in at 10.75, which tied for the second-biggest hands at the combine. To put that into perspective, Kawhi Leonard’s hands only came in half an inch bigger than that. Hand width has only been measured since the 2010 combine, and Sylven Landesberg is the only player to ever hit that mark as a guard. Following his high-level performances at all of Portsmouth, the G League Elite Camp, and the NBA Draft Combine, I think Davis’ name is probably going to be in the mix starting as high as No. 40.

Tacko Fall, UCF: I’ll be honest, I wrote off Fall as a potential draft pick a couple of years ago. I didn’t think there was ever any way that a guy who struggles that much with general coordination would be able to play in the modern NBA. But at the end of the day, I was wrong. Fall is kind of a real NBA Draft prospect.

He just warps the game to such a ridiculous extent. Think about this: in terms of height, the difference between Fall and someone like Steven Adams, a legitimate 7-footer, is equivalent to the height difference between Adams and a true guard at 6-foot-5 like James Harden. Then, throw in the fact that Fall has an absolutely preposterous 8-foot-2.5 wingspan — about four inches longer than that of Mohamed Bamba, and it’s easy to understand why Fall is just a genuinely unique player who is unlike anything else in basketball right now.

But the big movement here for Fall that has made him go from non-prospect to prospect is his frame. He’s gone from being a non-athlete to merely a below-average one, and that might be enough given his unbelievable size. His mobility has increased dramatically over his four years. While he won’t be anything resembling a switch guy on the perimeter, he’s not going to get flat out embarrassed. But on the inside, it’s hard to imagine many guys scoring easily against him. After all, he doesn’t even need to leap to be able to get his hands over the rim, as his 10-foot-2 standing reach gives him a few inches of coverage over the basket against drivers. That was on display in the G League Elite Camp, where he was a legitimately dominant force on the interior, and earned his way into the NBA Draft Combine. Then, in the combine’s first game, Fall made potential first-round pick Neemias Queta look small and dominated around the basket as a rim protector. In the second game, he was a bit less productive, but still useful on defense.

Look, I’m not saying Fall is an answer to a team’s prayers at center. At the end of the day, he’s probably a 10-minute per game guy given his propensity for fouling and his complete and utter inability to make foul shots. But as a weird situational player to throw out there, I can see why a team would be intrigued. If he got picked in the last 10 picks of the draft, I don’t think I’d be particularly surprised. He’ll enter my top-100 board, which is something I never anticipated saying.

Other standouts

• Tulsa wing DaQuan Jeffries was one of the more intriguing seniors to attend both the G League Elite Camp and the combine. He stood out as one of the best players at the first camp, earning his invite to the second camp because of his stout 6-foot-5 frame paired with his 7-foot wingspan. He’s good on defense due to his positional versatility, and he knows down shots with a clean stroke from the outside. I think he’ll get looks starting in the 40s as an interesting potential role player. I’m a fan.

• Washington guard Jaylen Nowell was quite good as a scoring guard this week, essentially continuing along the same trajectory he did with the Huskies. I don’t know that he necessarily did anything different, but he looked a bit more athletic and explosive than we got to see at Washington. I had him ranked right around 60 coming into the combine, and he’ll move up into the 50 range, meaning he’ll be in play for teams sometime earlier than that.

• Tennessee guard Jordan Bone dominated the athletic testing portion of the combine, something that tracks well with his terrific ability to get separation on the floor as a lead guard. He was the first guard in over a decade to post a sub-10-second lane agility drill, and his 43-inch vertical leap led the combine. So why can’t he be considered a full-stop standout deserving of his own section? Well, Bone struggled in the five-on-five. He wasn’t particularly efficient as a scorer, and he only facilitated well in one of the two games. Basically, Bone’s issue continues to be a lack of polish as a ball-handler, scorer, and decision-maker. There’s a real chance he ends up sticking in the NBA at some point because he’s, simply put, an utterly elite athlete. But it’s going to take some time in the G League. I wouldn’t blame a team for drafting him in the second half of the second round, but he strikes me as more of a two-way guy.

• On the other side of that spectrum, LSU guard Tremont Waters doesn’t have the measurables at just 5-10 in shoes. His agility times were fine, not elite. But that dude just has such an innate feel for the game that it’s hard not to believe in him. He commanded the show, knocking down 3-pointers off the bounce and distributing at a high level. He generally was the best point guard on the floor in games where his primary matchups were Shamorie Ponds and Bone. There’s a real chance Waters ends up turning into a very interesting backup point guard. I’d select him over Bone, and think he’s a reasonable second round pick for a team.

-Former Syracuse commit and current New Balance employee Darius Bazley was solid in his combine appearance. The key for guys like him is not looking out place, given that he’s only 18. He was particularly solid in the second game of the combine, where he looked much more poised than the other non-college, non-pro player in attendance, Jalen Lecque. He came in at a solid 6-9 with an 8-11 standing reach, great size for the 4 position. He also looked to have put on about 15 to 20 pounds from his high school playing days. I don’t think it’s likely Bazley gets picked in the first round, but I’d expect someone to take a chance in the second round on developing him long-term.

• UCLA wing Kris Wilkes has long struggled with a skinny frame. But throughout the last year being out here in Los Angeles, I’ve gotten a chance to see him grow and get a lot stronger. While he only came in three pounds heavier this year at the combine than last year, the difference in muscle mass and bulk is substantial. He’s much broader across his chest now, and stronger through his legs. The result of that is increased ability to actually play through contact, something he showed at the combine. He’s still going to have to prove himself in the G League and likely be something of a two-way contract candidate, but he’s now a project that I think is certainly worth undertaking for a team given that he’s a 6-8 wing with legitimate shooting potential and ball skills.

• A pair of other seniors who played well in the five-on-five: Mississippi State wing Quinndary Weatherspoon and Nevada wing Cody Martin. Weatherspoon’s shooting ability shone through, and Martin’s all-around decision-making and defensive prowess looked terrific in this setting. Both of these guys are more likely to be two-way contract candidates, but they wouldn’t look out of place hearing their name called on draft night.

• Finally, former Miami (Fla.) big man Dewan Hernandez had an absolutely awesome week in Chicago. He started at the G League combine, where I spoke with one executive who believed he wouldn’t have Hernandez in his top 150 prospects off of the top of his head. But throughout the first half of the week, Hernandez turned heads with his terrific hands, ability to run the floor, touch around the basket, and burgeoning ability as a stretch big man. That earned him an NBA Draft Combine invite. Then in the two combine games, Hernandez combined to score 32 points and grab 15 rebounds, including a fantastic double-double performance in the Friday scrimmage. I still don’t think Hernandez ends up getting drafted, but I bet his performance here gets him a two-way contract. He’ll also enter my top-100 board, as it’s clear he’s taken his year off and gotten much, much better.

Other Notes

The Nassir Little Media Session Narrative

One strange takeaway out of the NBA Draft Combine seemed to be that, during his media session, former North Carolina forward Nassir Little blamed his inconsistency this season on the coaching staff. I’m not sure if that happened because the media sessions for this NBA Draft Combine lacked the exciting storylines of years past and people were looking for a quick story or what, but the narrative that Little blames Roy Williams and the Tar Heel coaching staff for his struggles is wrong.

Little simply was acknowledging the fact that hesitancy in himself and in his own game caused issues. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was supposed to do on the court. “Just kind of being unsure, playing out of position, created some confusion on the court which caused me to be hesitant,” Little said.

When he says playing out of position, he doesn’t mean that he thought the coaches were doing something wrong for what the team needed. He was saying that it was just something he hadn’t done before. You had to be there to understand what his tone and voice were. He wasn’t trying to pass the buck or anything; he was actually trying to acknowledge his own role while noting that his fit in the scheme wasn’t necessarily seamless, something I’ve written about multiple times at length. That doesn’t mean he’s calling out the coaching. Rather, he’s just calling out the challenges of adjusting to something new in his freshman season.

The fact of the matter is, according to sources close to him, Little loved his time at North Carolina even in spite of the struggles. And it’s not just a fake thing where he’s trying to put on a positive attitude for the draft process. He looks at it as a positive experience even if the basketball side didn’t go according to plan.

“It was a struggle statistically, I’m talking about, but on the court I developed, my body developed and became more mature in the weight room there, learning about the game, playing against actual defense – in high school there is no help, you beat your guy you’re going to get a dunk. Going to college exposes you to what’s helpful for the NBA,” Little said.

Here’s the thing: as media members, we want athletes to be intelligent and introspective. We want them to look at situations with maturity, then give us honest answers on what they’re feeling and seeing out on the floor. Little is the epitome of those characteristics. He’s thoughtful and smart beyond his years for a kid that just turned 19 years old in February. It’s unfair to players — and the readership at large — to misconstrue what guys say when they’re trying to give interesting answers to complicated questions.

Because at the end of the day, all that matters realistically is how Little answers these questions for NBA teams. And during his 13 interviews at the combine, Little came off impressively, according to sources who spoke with The Athletic.Teams appreciated, specifically, that he took responsibility with them for not playing up to what he considered his standard, and they also liked his answers on how he responded to the adversity of coming off the bench for the first time. I’m comfortable saying that Little is likely to go somewhere in the top-15, with the top-10 remaining a distinct possibility.

Bol Bol stock all over the board

I went to Chicago hoping to gain more clarity on Bol’s draft situation. I can’t say that ended up happening, although there is certainly something of a direction to it. Bol’s measurements were absolutely terrific as he came in at nearly 7-foot-1 without shoes, a 7-7 wingspan, and a 9-foot-7 standing reach. Those are Rudy Gobert-ish numbers. However, he only weighed in at 208 pounds, a much lower number than the 235 pounds he was listed at when he played for Oregon earlier this year. So either Oregon was wrong about what he weighed, or he’s lost nearly 30 pounds while injured from not working out. Either answer is not a particularly encouraging sign.

Evaluators are still remarkably mixed on Bol. The weight is a legitimate issue. He can’t play in the NBA with his high center of gravity at 210 pounds. He’ll get pushed around all over the place. Teams also just will pull him away from the basket constantly and force him to guard on the perimeter, something he was not particularly interested in doing or was incapable of accomplishing in his short stint this season. But at 7-foot-2 with that length, Bol is also a genuine floor spacer who can hit 3s at a near-40-percent clip from Day One. That’s a legitimately fascinating package of skills, especially when paired with the fact that he can handle the ball a little bit out in space. But the injury is a serious issue for teams as well, as big men tend to have recurring foot problems.

It’s all going to come down to what kind of reports doctors get back on the foot, and what kind of intel evaluators get back on Bol’s work ethic and background. His motor on the floor is not particularly strong, and he has a reputation for not working as hard as possible off the court. Is it possible that it’s just teenage immaturity, and something that a team can work with? Or is it just never going to come, especially once a team gives him millions of dollars? That’s the conundrum facing every NBA team. Are they willing to take the risk/reward plunge with Bol? Genuinely his draft night will be among the most interesting storylines in the entire event.

Bol will be in consideration for teams starting around No. 10 or so. But I also can’t guarantee you that he ends up going in the first round right now, given how risk-averse decision-makers tend to be. That’s how in flux this situation is. That’s how wide Bol’s draft range is. Ultimately, for Bol to be picked anywhere, it’s going to take something of a leap of faith by a lead decision maker. He’s going to have to, on some level, overlook the many questions that surround Bol as a player at the next level and just decide to say “Screw it, I’m taking a chance.” When does the risk outweigh the reward? For me personally, probably not until around the second round starts. But there are certainly evaluators who think otherwise and rate him much more highly.

Brian Bowen shows up with confidence to NBA Draft Combine

Last year, Bowen showed up to the Combine after a long season. He was supposed to play for Louisville. The FBI investigation into college basketball prevented that. Then, he went and practiced with South Carolina, hoping to get eligible at some point. That never happened. So at that point, Bowen hadn’t played competitive game time in about a year. It’s easy to see why there was some rust on his game. Bowen has always belonged on the court with the best of them, from the time he was a five-star prospect in high school, but imagine taking basically a year off. Of course his athleticism waned a bit, and the speed of the game caught up to him. It would for anyone.

But here’s the other thing: Bowen was also known as something of a shy kid coming up throughout his career. People close to him say that if you got to know him, he was a genuinely funny kid who would make you laugh as hard as you’ve ever laughed in your life. But he just wasn’t quite as open to allowing anyone into his life at that stage, and he could occasionally question himself. He went off to Australia, where I talked to him within a month of his arrival as he was getting settled.

It’s clear that a season in Australia, out of his former comfort zone, has done wonders for getting Bowen out of his shell. Bowen showed up to Chicago with all sorts of confidence, looking as comfortable in his own skin as anyone who has known him for a long time can remember. He didn’t make a ton of shots during his five-on-five games, but he looked confident taking them after a year of playing against full-grown men in the NBL. Then in the media session, Bowen was laid back and comfortable answering anything and everything that was volleyed his way. That’s where the moment that exemplified Bowen’s growth and maturity came out the most. A writer from Yahoo! Sports asked Bowen a question about struggling last year at the NBA Draft Combine. He asked Bowen if he felt like he “belonged” at the combine this year more than he did last year. Bowen responded with a quick smile and laugh, then a volley of his own.

“I remember last year, I remember your article saying I didn’t belong out there,” Bowen said. “That was on my wall in Australia. I put that up there. I put that quote. ‘He doesn’t belong out there.’ A lot of people out there I want to prove wrong, and you’re just one of those guys I wanted to prove wrong. So I feel a lot better about myself.”

When I relayed that story later that night to someone who knows Bowen, their immediate reaction was “No way, he didn’t do that.” There was a genuine surprise that he had the confidence to go on the offensive in a setting that is, by nature, awkward owing to the cameras and recorders in the athlete’s face. But that’s what happens when you’re thrown into an incredibly tough situation for two years: you grow up, and you start to figure out just exactly who you are. Given how much people have talked about him over the last two years, it’s hard to remember sometimes that he’s still only 20 years old.

The feedback on Bowen is that he should expect to hear his name called on draft night sometime in the second round. It’s hard to find guys who are 6-7 with athleticism and shooting ability. Where he ends up and when? We’ll see. But I’d bet on Bowen figuring things out. He’s finally come through the other side of a trying two years, and he hasn’t crumbled in the face of adversity. In fact, he’s grown stronger.