bigfoot wrote:Booker doesn't look like much of an athlete but after watching game highlights he is very quick for his size. Also his ball handling is severely underrated. Guess we forgot about this ...Five things to know about the NBA Draft Combine's Friday session
By Sam Vecenie | Staff Writer
May 15, 2015 11:05 pm ET
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2. Devin Booker looked very good in athletic tests
Booker put up a ridiculous 10.22-second lane agility score that was the best for an off-guard since 2001, and the third-best overall of the last decade. That score was the best in this camp by a very healthy margin, beating Keifer Sykes by .28 seconds. He then followed that up with a 2.75-second shuttle run time, which also led the combine. And really, if you think about it, that makes sense. Sure, he might not have expected to do that well. But if you watch his tape, he's extremely quick coming off of screens, and also is very slippery against defenders. This type of score also points to some potential defensive upside, the side of the ball where Booker showed quite a bit of weakness this season.
Overall, between the agility tests, his solid (if unspectacular) 34.5-inch vertical leap, and coming in a bit longer than expected with a 6-8.25 wingspan, Booker had a good week here in Chicago, combatting some of the athleticism concerns about him.
Yep. Athleticism manifests itself in more than one way. That incredible agility speed is very useful for his game. It allows him to create little bits of space to quickly get off his shot. It makes him incredibly hard to guard. It has the potential to make him a good defender.
BTW, he can add inches to his vertical jump. Gerald Green had a 39 inch vertical at the combine, yet there are photos of Green with his head at least 8 inches above the rim which, if not faked and I don't think they are, would mean his vertical is then closer to 49 inches. Its simple math. Green is 79.25 inches tall with shoes. His head gets no less than 128 inches off the ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9XlaccQh6g
