The NBA Combine is in full swing, and the part that most people look forward to has already taken place. The last few days are devoted to scrimmages that feature guys further down on draft boards. While they’re entertaining and can help some guys move up into the back half of the first round, they’re not the main attraction of the event. Everyone really wants to see the accurate, unbiased measurements of the top prospects. Now that they’re all required to participate, it gives us even more fodder to overanalyze.
The players also go through shooting drills, but I don’t really find those relevant at all. We always see non-shooting bigs put up good numbers in those and then continue to not shoot jumpers in games. James Bouknight put on a notoriously jaw dropping shooting display during pre-draft drills, and that never translated to meaningful game reps. So with that in mind, we’re going to focus on the anthropomorphic and athletic testing results with a bias towards the top of the draft.
Edgecombe was listed at 6’5″ at Baylor, but he always _looked_ smaller than that for whatever reason. I think a lot of people expected him to measure in with point guard size. However, he came in at 6’4″ in bare feet (so the 6’5″ height in shoes is perfectly legit) with a 6’7.5″ wingspan and 8’5.5″ standing reach. They’re not jaw dropping numbers, but that is enough size to play a traditional 2 guard role and the 3 in certain lineup configurations. His athleticism was always a plus, and he reaffirmed that with one of the best verticals in the class at 38.5″. Even his competition [was impressed.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbMBgruzNgM)
Lanier follows in the footsteps of Dalton Knecht as a sharpshooting super senior out of Tennessee. Also like Knecht, Lanier dazzled in the athletic testing at the combine with a 39″ vertical to go with a 6’9″ wingspan. He was a 40% 3-point shooter in college and was one of the best shooters in the shooting drills. He’s currently projected to go in the second round and would be an interesting bet with one of the Hornets’ two second round picks.
Fears, like Edgecombe, was probably expected to measure in at smaller than his listed dimensions. But, like Edgecombe, they turned out to be pretty accurate. He’s 6’2.5″ barefoot with a 6’5.25″ wingspan. He’s still on the smaller side, but he tested as an above average athlete and is at least big enough that there’s a decent precedent for players making an impact at his size.
Johnson is consistently regarded as a top five pick due to his scoring instincts. He bolstered his profile with an above average wingspan (6’10”) and max vertical (37.5″). Adding above average physical tools to his shooting touch and scoring prowess make him feel like a safer pick near the top of the draft.
I’m admittedly already not very high on Bailey because I’m not a fan of guys whose primary skill is making tough jumpers. Now he has to contend with underwhelming measurements as well. He was listed at 6’10”, making him a jumbo shot maker that every team covets. He actually measured at 6’7.5″ in bare feet, which is a non insignificant difference. He does make up for that a bit with a 7’0.5″ wingspan and 8’11” standing reach, but he’s still not quite the size he was advertised. This might be a bit of an overreaction given that the rest of his measurements came out solid, but someone has to go here.
Queen has generated a lot of buzz with his skill set at the center position, drawing lofty comparisons to some of the league’s best play making bigs. However, [he performed badly](https://x.com/kalidrafts/status/1922337622136934633) in pretty much all of the athletic testing. His max vertical was just 28.5″ and he’s not particularly tall or long to make up for any athletic disadvantages. The skills are enticing, but it’s fair to wonder if he can defend well enough to get time on the floor to show off those skills.
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