Combine Workout Results

DeJuan Blair- Blair had a fairly mundane performance. 18 reps are respectable, but not great for a player who bases his game on his strength and physicality. Speed was a little better than anticipated, but he didn’t show much leaping ability.

Derrick Brown- Brown put up a fantastic showing; he may have been the best overall athlete at the combine. He jumped over 35 inches (over 30 flat-footed), lifted 185 pounds 20 times, and put up very impressive speed and agility numbers as well.

Omri Casspi- Casspi is the second-best international prospect in this draft class, after Ricky Rubio (I don’t consider Brandon Jennings an international prospect.), and I was glad to see that he worked out at the combine. Unfortunately for Casspi, he didn’t wow in any particular area. He only managed a 32.5-inch vertical and 2 reps at 185-pounds, while recording respectable, but unremarkable times in speed and agility.

Chase Buddinger- Buddinger was solid, performing pretty much as expected. He showed good lateral quickness, but not blazing speed from A to B. He also displayed the athleticism that makes him a potential lottery pick, but only put up 10 reps, which may drop him into the mid teens.

Earl Clark- Clark’s huge wingspan combined with solid athleticism will guarantee him a spot in the lottery. His max vertical put him at nearly 12 feet, which puts him in Mr. (Dwight) Howard’s neighborhood. His speed and agility numbers were solid, impressive actually for a forward like Clark. He did only put up 5 reps at 185, which is definitely disturbing, but overall, it was a solid performance for Clark.

Darren Collison- Collison should have assured himself a spot in the first round with his performance at the combine. Collison displayed impressive athleticism, leaping over 33 inches (over 30 flat-footed). He also put up one of the quickest Lane Agility times and a very respectable 3.1-second ¾ court sprint.

Stephen Curry- Curry displayed solid numbers across the board at the combine, but the most important aspect of his workout was the 185-pound bench press. Questions about Curry’s lack of size and strength have been the major critique about his game. However, Curry put up 10 reps, which is more than Earl Clark, DeMar DeRozan, Tyreke Evans, Gerald Henderson, Jrue Holiday, Eric Maynor, Patty Mills, and Terrence Williams.

Austin Daye- There is no question that Daye has lottery potential, but many scouts believe he still needs some seasoning before he’s ready for the NBA grind. Unfortunately for Daye, his workout at the combine only worked to confirm these fears. Daye put up a decent vertical jump, but struggled with the agility and speed drills and couldn’t lift the 185-pound bench press at all. The real question is why did he even attempt the bench press drill? At this point, I’d be shocked if Daye stays in the draft.

DeMar DeRozan- DeRozan is without question the most explosive athlete in the draft. He put up a 38.5-inch vertical and showed decent speed and agility, but was only able to lift 185 pounds 5 times, which was a little disappointing.

Wayne Ellington- Ellington had a very solid performance across the board at the combine. He put up a surprising 38-inch vertical, lifted 185 pounds 13 times, and showed speed and agility comparable to many of the point guards in this class. With his performance, Ellington may well have lifted himself into the lottery.

Tyreke Evans- Evans measured out very nicely at the combine, but his athleticism test results were fairly unimpressive. He ran a respectable ¾ court sprint and recorded a 34-inch vertical, but only lifted 185 pounds seven times and struggled in the Lane Agility drill.

Jonny Flynn- Flynn showed great athleticism at the combine. He leaped a full 40-inches (33-inches flat-footed) and recorded a sub-11-second Lane Agility drill. With his performance, Flynn secured his place in the lottery and may have moved solidly into the top 10.

Blake Griffin- Griffin secured his place at #1 when he measured out to a full 6’10” in shoes, but he added an exclamation point during the athletic drills. He put up a huge 22 reps in the bench press and leaped over 35-inches (32-inches flat-footed). Griffin also ran near the Lane Agility and ¾ court sprint in nearly identical times to Jonny Flynn.

James Harden- Harden showed good speed and leaping ability, but really impressed with his bench press total of 17 reps. There’s no question Harden will be able to score at the next level, but he displayed the strength that will also make him a shut down defender in the NBA.

Gerald Henderson- Henderson failed to show the athleticism that makes him a potential lottery pick. He only leaped 35 inches, ran an 11.17-second Lane Agility drill and only managed 8 reps at 185 pounds. Henderson’s emergence during the season will keep him in the top 20, but I would be surprised to see him land in the top 12.

Jordan Hill- Hill showed solid numbers across the board, but was sluggish at best in the Agility drill, putting up a quicksand-slow 12.23 seconds. This is especially surprising because Hill’s agility and ability to run the floor are among his best assets.

Jrue Holiday- Holiday didn’t display great leaping ability or strength, but showed good speed and great agility. He clearly still has some work to do, but has tons of potential. Holiday is without question the hardest player to place in a mock (I’ve seen him go anywhere between #4 to Sacramento and #24 to Portland.) and his fate will probably depend on his individual workouts.

Brandon Jennings- Jennings did not work out at the pre-draft combine.

James Johnson- Johnson showed surprising athleticism (35-inch vertical) in addition to his expected strong showing in the bench press (18 reps). His speed and agility were also fairly respectable. In a guard-heavy class, Johnson should expect to land in the late lottery or just outside (#16 to Chicago in the worst case).

Ty Lawson- Lawson performed well at the combine, displaying the quickness that will undoubtedly be an asset at the next level. He ran a 3.12-second ¾ court sprint and managed a sub-11-second Lane Agility drill. He also impressed with a 36.5-inch vertical leap and 14 reps at 185-pounds.

Eric Maynor- Maynor’s jump shot is what separates him from the likes of Lawson, Mills and Teague, but he showed good quickness at the combine as well. His ¾ court sprint was slightly slower than Lawson’s, but his agility drill was better by two tenths of a second. Maynor only jumped 31.5-inches and managed 8 reps on the bench press, but his strength and athleticism have never been his strongest areas.

Patty Mills- Mills’ workout was steady but unspectacular. He put up a 33-inch vertical, which is admirable for a player of his size, and 8 reps on the bench press to tie Eric Maynor. He landed between Lawson and Maynor on the agility drill, while posting the quickest ¾ court sprint of the group at 3.10-seconds.

BJ Mullens- Mullens showed good leaping ability and had a respectable showing in the speed and agility drills, but only managed 10 reps on the 185-pound bench press. This is extremely disappointing for a player with such a big body. Mullens clearly needs some seasoning before he’s ready to contribute to an NBA roster, and will find it hard to crack the top 20 after his performance.

Ricky Rubio- Rubio did not work out at the pre-draft combine.

Jermaine Taylor- Taylor is one of the sleepers of the late first round in my opinion and I think he could have a Courtney Lee-like impact on a playoff team next year. He was impressive with a 37.5-inch vertical leap (34-inches flat-footed) and 16 reps at 185-pounds, but was sluggish in the speed and agility drills.

Jeff Teague- Teague has a lot of competition at his skill level and position from Lawson, Maynor and Mills, and therefore needed a good performance at the combine. He had a strong showing across the board, with a 36.5-inch vertical, 13 reps at 185-pounds, an 11.05-second agility drill, and a 3.18-second sprint. He didn’t display the quickness of a Mills or a Lawson, but Teague showed the strength and athleticism that will make him a much better NBA defender than the other three.

Hasheem Thabeet- Thabeet did not work out at the pre-draft combine.

Marcus Thornton- Thornton had a steady but unspectacular workout. He recorded a 33-inch vertical jump, 14 reps and a 3.28-second ¾ court sprint. He did post a very impressive 10.73-second Lane Agility drill, which surpassed many of the point guards in the class.

Terrence Williams- Williams’ game is based on his athleticism, and it was once again on display at the combine, as he posted a 37-inch vertical jump. Williams only managed 9 reps at 185-pounds, but did record solid speed and agility times.