The 2015 NBA Draft Thread: Draft Day Is Here

[ValarMorghulis]

2011:
Kyrie
Kawhi
Jimmy
Mirotic
Klay

2012:
AD
Drummond
Beal
Dame
Draymond

 

[wavycrocket]

'09 redraft is interesting. Top 3, I'd go
1. Blake
2. Steph
3. Harden

 

[jpzx]

Curry
Griffin
Harden

 

[Quincy McCall]

 

[pmatic]

David Locke prospect breakdowns back this year:

 

[bigpat630]

I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm a Sac Kings fan living in LA, maybe they get lucky tomorrow.

It's hilarious listening to LA sports radio. Thy are so nervous dropping out of the top 5. Lol.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

This Pat Connaughton dude is a freak athelte, 44 inch vert, drafted by the Baltimore Oriels with a 95 mph fastball.


That has to be the highest vertical leap ever recoded from a white dude.

 

[victor page]

2015 NBA Combine Athletic Testing Analysisby: DraftExpressMay 15, 2015The NBA released the athletic testing results from the 2015 NBA Combine in Chicago. We take a look at who stood out and who struggled on paper.

See how all players stack up in DraftExpress' sortable historical measurements and athletic testing database

Though the conclusions that we can draw from the vast majority of the athletic testing data is extremely limited, we'll nonetheless try to take something away from the information we've been presented with.

Trying to pinpoint a player's athleticism based on their combine testing is akin to trying to get a feel for their basketball IQ by watching them play one-on-zero –it simply doesn't make all that much sense. It does help us get a very general idea of where a player is at in terms of physical conditioning and strength, which often speaks to their work ethic, but rarely sheds much light on what it really aims to portray.

Unlike the NFL combine, all parties involved realize that few people put much stock in these results. Players aren't trained in running 40-yard dashes from their days in high school like most gridiron stars and simply aren't well versed in many of these tests. Raw athletic data can be useful in a football setting where certain properties manifest themselves more completely on the field, but for the NBA's purposes, a player's lane agility time ultimately and has repeatedly proven to mean very little.

In basketball, where anticipation and coordination play major roles in how players perform on the court, combine numbers will always take a back seat to how a player uses the tools it aims to measure in actual games. Additionally, it's well accepted that there's a learning curve involved: prospects that conduct these tests multiple times will test better than those who are encountering this process for the very first time. Scouts have done their homework, they have a good feel for who the fastest players in the draft are, and know which athletes are the most explosive as it related to what they offer in game-settings. The combine only provides them with a standardized metric for particular athletic traits that often fail to live up to and remain consistent with what they already know.

Despite our reservations about the data, it still exposes some players who land at the extremes of each test, and gives us the chance to draw from some historical perspective on certain marks. At the end of the day though, the numbers these players posted at the combine are only as valuable as their ability to use them on the floor, and no matter how many times a player runs or jumps beyond his perceived means on test day, if he doesn't “play to his numbers” in games, he's not going to magically change his ways at the next level.

---

Athletic Testing Composite Rankings
Out of curiosity more than anything else, we've compiled our own Athletic Testing composite rankings. These were made by assigning players points depending on where they graded out compared with the other prospects in each of the tests done in Chicago. In a perfect world, this composite ranking would tell us who the best and worst athletes are in this draft class. Unfortunately, it's far from perfect for the reasons we described above.
 
[table][tr][th=""]PLAYER[/th][th=""]TESTS[/th][th=""]COMP RANK[/th][/tr][tr][td]Marcus Thornton[/td][td]5[/td][td]1[/td][/tr][tr][td]Chasson Randle[/td][td]5[/td][td]2[/td][/tr][tr][td]Pat Connaughton[/td][td]5[/td][td]3[/td][/tr][tr][td]Justin Anderson[/td][td]5[/td][td]4[/td][/tr][tr][td]Keifer Sykes[/td][td]5[/td][td]5[/td][/tr][tr][td]Terry Rozier[/td][td]5[/td][td]6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Joseph Young[/td][td]5[/td][td]7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Dez Wells[/td][td]5[/td][td]8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Ryan Boatright[/td][td]5[/td][td]9[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rondae Hollis-Jefferson[/td][td]5[/td][td]10[/td][/tr][tr][td]Norman Powell[/td][td]5[/td][td]11[/td][/tr][tr][td]Larry Nance[/td][td]5[/td][td]12[/td][/tr][tr][td]Devin Booker[/td][td]5[/td][td]13[/td][/tr][tr][td]Cameron Payne[/td][td]5[/td][td]14[/td][/tr][tr][td]J.P. Tokoto[/td][td]5[/td][td]15[/td][/tr][tr][td]Vince Hunter[/td][td]5[/td][td]16[/td][/tr][tr][td]Michael Qualls[/td][td]3[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Kelly Oubre[/td][td]5[/td][td]18[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jarell Martin[/td][td]5[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sam Dekker[/td][td]5[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]R.J. Hunter[/td][td]5[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jordan Mickey[/td][td]5[/td][td]22[/td][/tr][tr][td]Aaron Harrison[/td][td]3[/td][td]23[/td][/tr][tr][td]Anthony Brown[/td][td]5[/td][td]24[/td][/tr][tr][td]Michael FrazierII[/td][td]5[/td][td]25[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rashad Vaughn[/td][td]5[/td][td]26[/td][/tr][tr][td]Tyler Harvey[/td][td]5[/td][td]27[/td][/tr][tr][td]T.J. McConnell[/td][td]5[/td][td]28[/td][/tr][tr][td]Olivier Hanlan[/td][td]5[/td][td]29[/td][/tr][tr][td]Richaun Holmes[/td][td]5[/td][td]30[/td][/tr][tr][td]Chris Walker[/td][td]5[/td][td]31[/td][/tr][tr][td]Aaron White[/td][td]5[/td][td]32[/td][/tr][tr][td]Branden Dawson[/td][td]5[/td][td]33[/td][/tr][tr][td]Corey Hawkins[/td][td]4[/td][td]34[/td][/tr][tr][td]Brandon Ashley[/td][td]5[/td][td]35[/td][/tr][tr][td]Tyus Jones[/td][td]5[/td][td]36[/td][/tr][tr][td]Terran Petteway[/td][td]5[/td][td]37[/td][/tr][tr][td]Delon Wright[/td][td]5[/td][td]38[/td][/tr][tr][td]Treveon Graham[/td][td]5[/td][td]39[/td][/tr][tr][td]Andrew Harrison[/td][td]4[/td][td]40[/td][/tr][tr][td]George de Paula[/td][td]5[/td][td]41[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jonathan Holmes[/td][td]5[/td][td]42[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rakeem Christmas[/td][td]4[/td][td]43[/td][/tr][tr][td]Mouhammadou Jaiteh[/td][td]5[/td][td]44[/td][/tr][tr][td]Dakari Johnson[/td][td]5[/td][td]45[/td][/tr][tr][td]Quinn Cook[/td][td]5[/td][td]46[/td][/tr][tr][td]TaShawn Thomas[/td][td]5[/td][td]47[/td][/tr][tr][td]Bobby Portis[/td][td]5[/td][td]48[/td][/tr][tr][td]Alan Williams[/td][td]5[/td][td]49[/td][/tr][/table]
-Rondae Hollis-Jeffersonperformed up to expectations posting a solid maximum vertical leap of 38 inches while posting the 2nd best time in the ¾ court sprint and the 3rd fastest time in the lane agility drill. Often lauded for his potential to guard multiple positions at the next level, the Arizona-product proved that the attributes that give him that potential translate nicely to this setting.

-Kelly Oubre  wasn't able to keep up with Hollis-Jefferson in the speed and agility drills ranking right around the middle of the pack. He did however post a terrific 34.5 no step vertical leap, the 6th highest mark of any player in attendance here. 

-Justin Anderson  was the most impressive performer among the three highly touted college wing prospects. His no step vertical jump of 38 inches is the 5th highest in the history of our database while his 43 inch vertical places him in the top-10. Anderson tips the scales at 231 pounds, the next highest maximum vertical leap for a player weighing over 230 was a 41.5 jump by Alex Poythress  at Kentucky's combine earlier this season, a much more unofficial setting. Anderson was also terrific in the shuttle run posting the 5th fastest time and showcased his tremendous combination of strength and explosiveness in this setting.

-Devin Booker  posted the fastest lane agility time and shuttle run. Both of his vertical jump marks were below average relative to this year's group standard, but for a player maligned at times for his lack of elite quickness, the 18-year old tested out exceptionally well. Interestingly, his standing vertical leap of 27.5 inches is 4.5 inches short of the mark he set at the UK Pro Day last fall. As we noted, there can be a huge variance in how players perform in many of these tests. 

-Like Booker, Wisconsin'sSam Dekker  performed well in the quickness drills, but wasn't particularly impressive in the vertical jump testing. He turned in his best finish in the lane agility drill finishing 6th with a time of 11.12 seconds.

-Much like Dekker, R.J. Hunter  excelled in one drill, the shuttle run where he finished 6th, but unsurprisingly struggled in the vertical leap testing. 

-Terry Rozier  was one of the top overall performers finishing 3rd in the shuttle run and 4th in the ¾ court sprint. He finished no worse than 14th in any of the tests posting solid marks across the board. 

-Like Rozier, Norman Powellwas terrific across the board, except in the shuttle run. His 40.5 inch maximum vertical leap is a reminder that he's one of the most powerful athletes among guards in this draft.

-Cameron Payne  wasn't quite as good as Powell or Rozier, finishing above average, but not elite, in any one category. That matches the scouting report on the shifty scoring guard.

-Chasson Randle  andMarcus Thornton  deserve mention as the top two athletes in this group in terms of our composite ranking. Thornton's ¾ court sprint time of 3.02 is one of the 10 fastest marks posted at any event in the history of our database. The William & Mary product also posted a fantastic 43 inch maximum vertical leap which would rank in the top 25. Randle didn't take the top spot in a single event, but also didn't finish any worse than 10th.

---

Maximum Vertical Jump

Five Best
Pat Connaughton  44
Keifer Sykes  43
Marcus Thornton  43
Justin Anderson  43
Ryan Boatright  41

Five Worst
Terran Petteway 31
Jonathan Holmes 31
Delon Wright 31
Quinn Cook  31
TaShawn Thomas  30.5
Tyler Harvey  28.5
Alan Williams  28.5
Dakari Johnson  25

Pat Connaughton  posted the highest vertical leap of any player in attendance. However, at 6'4 with a 6'8.75 wingspan, Connaughton's maximum vertical reach, or the highest mark he was able to touch during the test, was only 11'8, a full half inch less than that ofMarcus Thornton  who stands just 6'1.75 with a 6'7.75 wingspan and posted a lower vertical. The sounds suspicious. 

Digging deeper, the math behind Connaughton's big maximum vertical leap mark stems from his tiny 8 foot standing reach, which is unrealistically low for a player his height. A player's maximum vertical is calculated at the combine by taking the players maximum vertical reach and subtracting their standing reach. For reference, Thornton, who is much shorter in terms of both height and wingspan, posted a standing reach of 8'1.5. There's no question that Connaughton is a tremendous athlete, but his standing reach was either measured improperly or he followed in the footsteps of a number of players we've seen at the combine in the past and sand-bagged the reach test to pad his vertical. Considering Connaughton posted a standing reach of 8'3.5, which sounds a lot more reasonable, at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, his mark has to be taken with a grain of salt. Even if we used his Portsmouth standing reach, he'd still have finished in the top-5, an impressive mark either way, just simply not as eye-popping a figure. 

The diminutive Keifer Sykes  showcased his incredible explosiveness taking the 2nd spot here. Like Jahii Carson  last year, Sykes is a sub-6 foot guard who nonetheless can make explosive plays above the rim. Marcus Thornton  andJustin Anderson, both of whom we mentioned about, round out the top-4. All three players rank among the top-15 performers in this test in our database all-time.

Ryan Boatrightunsurprisingly takes the final spot in the top-5 just ahead of Norman Powelland Joseph Young. Boatright's made his fair share of spectacular plays in transition over the course of his career at UConn and his explosive leaping ability a first step are a key part of his value proposition at the next level.

The heaviest players in this group, Alan Williams  andDakari Johnsonunsurprisingly take the bottom-2 spots here. Tyler Harvey  is the only guard to jump under 28.5 inches. Known for his prolific jump shooting ability at Eastern Washington, Harvey wasn't expected to post big numbers here, but teams likely hoped to see him post a higher mark. 

Johnson's leap of 25 inches was one of the 20 worst marks in our database all-time, ranking below even that  of DraftExpress founder Jonathan Givony.

Larry Nance  had the highest maximum vertical reach touching a mark 12'1.5 off the ground. That places him in the same conversation as players likeMarcin Gortat  and Derrick Favors  in terms of elevation. While few discuss max-vert reach as a figure of importance in the Combine setting, it may actually be more important than most others in terms of basketball importance.Chris Walker  was just half an inch behind, while Justin Anderson, Richaun Holmesand Michael Qualls  came in an inch and a half below. It is especially impressive to see wings like Anderson and Qualls get up that high.

Standing Vertical Jump
Five Best
Justin Anderson  38
Pat Connaughton  37.5
Marcus Thornton  34.5
Joseph Young  34.5
J.P. Tokoto  34.5
Kelly Oubre 34.5

Five Worst
Bobby Portis 25
Terran Petteway  25
Mouhammadou Jaiteh  24.5
Quinn Cook  24.5
Michael Frazier  II 24
Dakari Johnson  22.5

Justin Anderson  takes the top spot here with, as we mentioned above, one of the top 5 marks all-time. The Virginia product has always been a physically mature, explosive player, but this season saw him emerged as a prolific shooter before his season was derailed by a finger injury. Pat Connaughtontakes the 2nd spot, but this test would also be impacted by his suspect standing reach measurement.

Marcus Thornton  joinedJoseph Young  and J.P. Tokoto, both of whom finished just outside of the top-5 in the maximum vertical reach test in the 2nd tier of players. Tokoto is one of the most explosive wings in this draft. Potential top-10 pick Kelly Oubremakes his only top-5 appearance here.

Though Johnson is the low man once again, he doesn't rank historically low. The young big man has some room to improve his frame, and it will be interesting to see what additional lower body strength does for his explosiveness down the road. Michael Frazier  andQuinn Cook  take the bottom spots among guards. Frazier jumped 11 inches higher in the maximum vertical test than he did in the no-step tests. Cook was among the least explosive guards in both and his excellent efficiency from the shooting guard spot this season didn't have much to do with his ability to play above the rim. 

Bobby Portis  didn't test particularly well across the board, and makes his first bottom-5 appearance here. 

Richaun Holmes  had the highest no step vertical reach touching a mark 11'8.5 off the ground, tying him with a young Amare' Stoudemire for one of the 50 or so best marks all-time. He actually posted a slightly better mark at the PIT (11'10) last month.Rakeem Christmas  was second here with 11'7.5.

Lane Agility Drill
Five Best
Devin Booker  10.22
Keifer Sykes  10.5
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson10.51
Tyler Harvey  10.52
Chasson Randle  10.61

Five Worst
Michael Qualls  11.88
Tyus Jones  11.89
Mouhammadou Jaiteh12.05
Alan Williams  12.07
Branden Dawson  12.37

The lane agility drill has players running, shuffling, and backpedaling around the perimeter of the key until they reach the corner they started in and then follow their path back around the same path in the opposite direction.Devin Booker  posts a fantastic time here, ranking among the better marks in the last 10 years. Booker isn't known for his quickness, but he stayed low while running this test extremely hard and intelligently, and it paid off placing him in a tier by himself.

Sykes, Hollis-Jefferson, and Randle all ranked among the top overall performers in the athletic testing portion of this year's combine. While Sykes and Randle are no lock to be drafted, they seized this opportunity to showcase their athleticism. Tyler Harvey  is a bit of a surprise here considering his poor marks in the vertical jump testing, but the talented guard showed the ability to create separation from the perimeter this season, and that appears to have translated here.

This test tends to get the best of a few excellent athletes this year andMichael Qualls  and Branden Dawson  are the players in the bottom-5 that may not have kept their balance well enough or taken one bad step en route to surprisingly poor performances. Williams and Jaiteh are two of the more bruising big men in this draft, so it follows that they'd have a hard time changing directions over short distances. 

Tyus Jones  has often been maligned for his athletic ability, and his below average overall testing seems to corroborate that part of his scouting report. The question is just how far Jones's outstanding skill level will offset his less than stellar physical attributes.

Shuttle Run
Five Best
Devin Booker  2.75
Chasson Randle  2.81
Terry Rozier  2.84
Marcus Thornton  2.88
Justin Anderson  2.88

Five Worst
Quinn Cook  3.41
Chris Walker  3.41
Delon Wright  3.5
Branden Dawson  3.53
Alan Williams  3.54

Devin Booker  takes the top spot here, along with the usual suspects. Anderson is the outlier in that group as easily the heaviest of the 5.

Branden Dawson's surprising string of poor testing continues here, as does Quinn Cook. Both players had terrific moments scoring in transition this season despite their less than stellar athletic testing. Alan Williams  is the logical low-man here. Delon Wright  is the surprise as he graded out right around average in almost every other test.Chris Walker  rounds out the bottom-5. His best mark came in the maximum vertical jump test where he registered a leap of 37 inches. 

3/4 Court Sprint
Five Best
Marcus Thornton  3.02
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson3.12
Keifer Sykes  3.13
Terry Rozier  3.15
Anthony Brown  3.18

Five Worst
Jonathan Holmes  3.51
Corey Hawkins  3.51
Bobby Portis  3.56
Brandon Ashley  3.58
Dakari Johnson  3.62

Marcus Thornton, perhaps the least well-known player in attendance at this year's combine, takes the top spot here. He was tremendous across the board, but his 3.02 dash is one of the top-10 all-time placing him ahead of Derrick Rose  andSpeedy Claxton. Hollis-Jefferson and Anthony Brown  weren't quite as outrageously fast, but for wings, both players posted terrific times. Keifer Sykesand Terry Rozier  were two of the more shifty guards in the college game last year, so it comes as no surprise to see them round out the top-5.

Dakari Johnson  and Bobby Portis  are both in the 6'10/250 ballpark, so it makes sense that they both struggled in this test. Neither player's time is even close to being historically bad. Hawkins is the only guard in the bottom-5.

From DraftExpress.comhttp://www.draftexpress.com/#ixzz3aWQJI0Zl
http://www.draftexpress.com

 

[pmatic]

If he wasn't white and attended ND...

 

[victor page]

DraftExpress calling foul play on Connaughton

 

[osh kosh bosh]

DraftExpress calling foul play on Connaughton

Yeah I saw that. but if he tanked his standing reach its probabaly by only an inch or 2.

Still 40+ vert.

I honestly paid no attention to him at ND I assumed he was like 25 years old or something but a career 38% 3 point shooter, elite athlete, solid size, why can't he be a 3 and D guy in the league?

 

[Sonny Corinthos]

Dakari Johnson can't jump over a phone book. No hops Mofo

 

[nick.]

man i'm so scressed for the lottery tomorrow

the future of the franchise is determined by ping pong balls

 

[rck3sactown]

I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm a Sac Kings fan living in LA, maybe they get lucky tomorrow.

join us in the Sacramento Kings team thread bruh

http://niketalk.com/t/608524/sacramento-kings-off-season-thread/0_20

 

[johnnyredstorm]

man i'm so scressed for the lottery tomorrow

the future of the franchise is determined by ping pong balls

my body is so ready.

 

[nick.]

View media item 1539421
Okafor looks like he's in pretty good shape

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Wish they had the lottery show today since there's no games 

Feel like this is an exciting draft that will yield a ton of long term rotation players

 

[buc em]

If the Lakers pop up at the #6 spot tomorrow I swear I will jump in joy like a damn child

Sixers need to get a top 2 or 3 pick to guarantee D-Russell.

 

[awwsome]

Wish they had the lottery show today since there's no games 

Feel like this is an exciting draft that will yield a ton of long term rotation players

Yep, seems a lot deeper than I expected.




My man Jahlil looking like he dropped a good % of fat.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

David Locke prospect breakdowns back this year:

Im telling you only the spurs and the hawks know what good shooters do. Locke's in this video talking about shoulder coming out, that's wrong, good shooters body naturally turn when they shoot.


Shooting mechanics has become my new obsession... I'm convinced 90% of teams are teaching it wrong.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Osh you intrigued me back in the day when you were big on pitching mechanics, now you've intrigued me with shooting mechanics. May you elaborate kind sir? Or have reading material/links so I can look into this more?

 

[awwsome]

Spurs definitely have the best shooting coach.


http://grantland.com/features/the-shot-doctor/

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Osh you intrigued me back in the day when you were big on pitching mechanics, now you've intrigued me with shooting mechanics. May you elaborate kind sir? Or have reading material/links so I can look into this more?

I've always been kinda into shooting, before I hurt my knees I would shoot i guessing like 500 makes a day untill winter hit, and I was constantly tinkering with my mechanics. Trying to emulate players in the league, I always found when I tried to shoot, elbow in, straight up straight down, feet square I would get worse results then when I would just kind of "feel it" out. I just thought it meant I was a "rhythm shooter."

I now realize it's because, feet shoulders square, jumping straight up straight down, are just flat out wrong.

When you watch elite shooters closely NO ONE does this.

and there youtube channels that have codified what exactly they do.

Let put it like this

Myth 1.
Jump straight up straight down.

Good shooters don't do this, really wrong, especially if you want to have three point range. good shooters jump, sweep feet forward and shoulders lean back. Jumping forward gives you greater power from your base, while leaning back allows you to maintain a consistent release point and trajectory.


Myth 2.
Feet shoulders/square

This doesn't makes sense when you realize you can't actually align your elbow to that hoop properly without strain your neck and shoulders. Good shooters have there feet at and angle with the ball side foot first and they urn as they shoot to generate power.

It's not complicated I just hear to many coaches and analysts and players teaching it wrong.


Youll even hear players say that they jump straight up and shoot square to the basket when they don't, I heard steph curry say this and I just laughed. He does basically the opposite.

check the youtube

Shot Science Basketball, pro shooting system.

 

[pmatic]

If the Lakers pop up at the #6 spot tomorrow I swear I will jump in joy like a damn child

Sixers need to get a top 2 or 3 pick to guarantee D-Russell.

Chad Ford Big Board 10.0

The NBA draft combine finished up over the weekend in Chicago.

While only one player in our previous Top 30 (Louisville's Terry Rozier) actually played in the 5-on-5 portion of the event, most of the prospects participated in team interviews, medical tests, measurements and, for about half our Big Board, athletic testing.

The results of the most important part of the combine, the medical testing, have yet to come in. The second-most important part, the player interviews, yielded a lot of interesting feedback from NBA teams.

The event also afforded me a lot of time to talk with numerous NBA front offices to get their latest thinking on where they had various players ranked on their team boards.

The combination of measurements, feedback from player interviews and conversations with NBA front offices has yielded some notable changes to both our Big Board and Top 100, as well as an updated Lottery Mock Draft in preparation for Tuesday night's draft lottery, where we'll finally find out who gets the No. 1 pick.

Until then, here are our latest player rankings, based on the latest feedback from NBA teams.

1. Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns didn't show up to the combine. No interviews, no medical, no measurements, nothing. And his absence won't do anything to hurt his draft stock. In fact, of the roughly 100 NBA front-office people and scouts I spoke with over the past week in Chicago, all but a small handful of them had Towns as the No. 1 pick. Barring a late injury (see Joel Embiid last year) he's looking more and more like a lock to be the No. 1 pick.

2. Jahlil Okafor

Okafor also skipped the combine completely. It was a small surprise given feedback from his camp that he's in the best shape of his life (an ongoing concern for scouts) and that he could've at least shown off a slimmed-down physique in testing. The scouts who still had Okafor No. 1 felt there was one team that might lean Okafor over Towns -- the Minnesota Timberwolves. Given that they have the best shot (25 percent) of landing the No. 1 pick on Tuesday, there's a chance that Okafor could still end up No. 1. Okafor will hold a workout for NBA teams in Santa Barbara, California, on Thursday. If he's really in great shape and shows more explosiveness, he'll help himself. I'll be in Santa Barbara to give a full report.

3. D'Angelo Russell

Russell was the highest-ranked player on our Big Board to show up in Chicago. He did interviews with a couple of teams, went through the medical testing and did the measurements portion, where he measured an impressive 6-foot-5 with a 6-9.75 wingspan. Those are very good numbers for a point guard. And despite all the hand- wringing about his position, virtually every team I spoke with has him ranked as a point guard. "He's the most creative passer in the draft," one GM said. "The way he sees the floor is special. I have no doubt he'll be a point guard in our league." Russell is also one of the more impressive people you'll meet in the pre-draft setting. He's going to nail the interview portion. The Russell-Emmanuel Mudiay debate is still raging, by the way, but based on dozens of conversations I had with NBA front offices, it sounds like the majority (roughly a 60-40 split) have Russell ranked ahead of Mudiay. Thus, he's moved up one spot on our Big Board and depending on how the draft order falls Tuesday night, could go as high as No. 2.

4. Emmanuel Mudiay

Mudiay was actually the first player to announce he'd be completely skipping the draft combine. While GMs generally shrugged off the decision from Okafor and Towns, they were much more agitated about Mudiay. Why? Most of the key decision-makers in the NBA haven't seen him live. While he never was going to do 5-on-5, having the medical testing, measurements and interviews would've been really helpful. His decision clearly is affecting his draft stock as more than one GM asked how they could have him higher than Russell when Russell has done and proved so much more. There are still a handful of trusted, high-profile scouts who argue Mudiay is the second-best player in this draft. Said one, "Mudiay was regarded by everyone as a much better prospect than Russell this time last year. Russell went to Ohio State, was put into a lead role on a high-profile team, and wowed us. He's improved and we all saw it. But I suspect Mudiay improved too and we just didn't see it. We're judging Russell now versus Mudiay one year ago. This is such a huge developmental time for everyone; I suspect he's gotten better. When teams in the top five see him in workouts, their decision will get much harder."

5. Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis continues to be the wild card in this draft. Some teams have him ranked as high as No. 2 and No. 3 on their boards, while others have him in the eight to 10 range. The teams that have him high point to his unique combination of size, athleticism and skill. It's rare to find a 7-footer who can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and make high-IQ basketball plays. Teams that have him ranked lower worry about his thin frame and lack of rebounding in Spain. Porzingis will be coming to the U.S. in early June and will hold an NBA workout in Las Vegas on June 12. Once teams get to see him up close, in both this workout and in individual ones, I expect his draft status to firm up in the top five.

6. Justise Winslow

Winslow drew rave reviews from NBA scouts for his interviews in Chicago. "He's one of the most impressive young men you'll meet in any draft," one GM said. His measurements, however, left a lot to be desired. Winslow measured just 6-foot-4.5 in socks (translates to 6-5.75 in shoes) -- that's a bit undersized for the position he's most well-suited for, small forward -- and could make him vulnerable to a late surge by Mario Hezonja. "You're drafting Winslow based more on what kind of kid and player he is and less on a particular basketball skill," one NBA GM told me. "And you're hoping the skill part comes based on his work ethic. It reminds me of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist a few years ago. The intangibles are outweighing some red flags on his game. The only difference is that Winslow is a better spot-up shooter than MKG. But the similarities are there."

7. Mario Hezonja

After speaking with NBA scouts and GMs it's still very possible that Hezonja could end up being taken ahead of both Porzingis and Winslow. But will they draft him without the ability to work him out and interview him? Hezonja probably is stuck in Spain through the rest of the draft process because of his commitments to FC Barcelona. It's going to take a GM who is willing to take a risk to draft him above those two. But he has elite size and athleticism for his position, is a terrific shooter and plays with an intensity that few can match in this draft. "He's crazy," one GM said. "But I think it's a good crazy. The type of crazy confidence that elite players need. If he can keep that competitiveness under control and be patient, he's got a good shot to be one of the two or three best players in this draft in five years. He has that 'it' factor that several guys ahead of him don't."

8. Willie Cauley-Stein

"He's different, man," one NBA GM said. "And I don't know we know what to do with that." That statement was repeated over and over again this weekend by NBA scouts and GMs after sitting with Cauley-Stein in interviews. That talent? NBA teams, almost universally, believe he has the chance to be a transcendent defender in the NBA. "He could be the best defender the league someday. He has abilities, both physically and the way he reads the defense, that I've never seen in a prospect." But his personality isn't that of your typical jock and NBA teams are trying to come to grips with it. He was grilled on why he dyed his hair blonde, why he legally changed his name to TRILL, whether he loved art more than he loved the game. Cauley-Stein was passionate in interviews that he loves the game and it's the most important thing to him. But virtually all the teams I spoke with had reservations. Sometimes serious ones. "The potential's there for him to be one of the two or three best players in the draft. The potential's also there for him to be Larry Sanders. From day to day, we keep going back and forth between the two." It will be fascinating to see where he lands. I could see him going as high as No. 6 to the Kings or as low as No. 11 to the Pacers.

9. Myles Turner

Turner showed up at the combine and nailed his interviews. "He's a highly intelligent, thoughtful guy," said one GM, and spent much of his time, along with his camp, quieting concerns about his biomechanical issues. NBA doctors got a look at him this weekend and if they say the same thing that Turner's doctors are saying (that his knees are fine, and that his running issues are pretty easily corrected), he's going to rise. I think he's the last player on the board who could end up cracking the top five. "He's a long 7-footer who can stretch the floor and really protect the rim," one GM said. "He was up-and-down as a freshman. He's not ready, etc. But the upside? It's big. People forget he was ranked No. 2 [in high school] for a reason. He has time to get better. But what Turner has you can't teach. I think there's some risk there, but the upside is tremendous." Turner will work out alongside Porzingis in Vegas on the June 12. A clean bill of health and a new, improved running gait should do wonders for his stock, according to multiple NBA GMs. "If that's all clean, he's a top-five guy for us."

10. Stanley Johnson

Johnson is the highest player on the board to hit the "safe" category. He has an NBA body and toughness, plays with aggressiveness and possesses an adequate jump shot. His lack of explosive athleticism and his struggles finishing at the rim this year are points of concern, but nothing that suggests he'll fail in the NBA. "He's not as good as we thought he'd be coming into things," one GM said. "But he's not as bad as I think we've made him out to be either." He'll work hard and if he improves, he'll be a very good value pick here.

11. Cameron Payne

Payne continues to draw serious interest to the point that he's getting several looks in the lottery according to multiple team sources. He was the highest-ranked player on our Big Board to go through athletic testing and shooting drills at the combine and tested well on both accounts. His length, solid athleticism and craftiness with the ball, combined with terrific interviews have him ranked as the third-best point guard in the draft by about 80 percent of the NBA folks I spoke with. Two teams I've heard are especially high on him in the lottery -- the Hornets and Pacers. The Jazz (if they decide to move Trey Burke) and Thunder also are possibilities in the lottery.

12. Trey Lyles

I was surprised by how consistently teams had Lyles ranked in the lottery (many in the top 10) this week. Especially when you ask them why and their answers sound a lot like this: "I'm not sure how good he can be," one NBA scout said. "But at his size and abilities, I think you have to seriously think about gambling on him earlier rather than later. He comes with more risks, but he's a sexier pick than Bobby Portis, I think." I get the feeling that teams aren't exactly sure what they have in Lyles, but as they look over the rest of the board, his upside is more appealing than anything that's left.

13. Devin Booker

With the Splash Brothers continuing to shoot their way through the Western Conference playoffs, the need for shooting was a major point of emphasis from scouts this week. The NBA is a trendy league and right now the ability to stretch the floor is trending in NBA scout circles. Booker is widely seen as the safest bet to to do that, so much that a few teams told me he was in their top 10. Teams aren't necessarily sure that he'll be more than a terrific spot-up shooter, but his high basketball IQ and solid defense give them hope that he can be more -- especially after posting the best scores at the combine in both the lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run tests (2.75 seconds). But even if he isn't more than just a shooter, Booker's shot is so picture perfect that he should find his way into the lottery. Several teams -- including the Pistons, Hornets, Pacers, Jazz, Suns and Thunder -- are all looking for shooting. That gives Booker a lot of bites at the lottery apple.

14. Frank Kaminsky

Kaminsky didn't play at the combine, but he drew a lot of attention anyway for two reasons. One, he's a great interview. Everyone he spoke with came away impressed with his intelligence and personality. Second, he was the only player in the combine to measure with a shorter wingspan than height. His T-Rex status (big stature, little arms) is one of the reasons teams worry about him defensively in the NBA. While he was the tallest player (height-wise) of the players measured, a number of big men were taller when standing reach was measured. Some significantly. Nevertheless, if Kaminsky went to Miami, Indiana or Utah in the lottery it would surprise no one. If he slid down to the Bucks, I don't think that would be a strange outcome either. No. 10 to 17 seems like a very clear range for him.

15. Sam Dekker

Dekker's athleticism shined in the lateral quickness drills at the combine. He ended up with the sixth-fastest time among the participants there. His vertical jump was a little disappointing (and no one was more disappointed than Dekker, who was begging to do it again), but I don't think it matters. It takes 10 minutes in the gym with him to know he's an elite athlete. The big question marks center on his shooting (see my scouting report on it from a workout I attended in Chicago here) and confidence. Was his lack of assertiveness a Bo Ryan issue or does Dekker think too much? The psych tests teams will give him over the next few weeks will get to the bottom of it.

16. Bobby Portis

Portis' draft stock remains as steady as anyone not in the top four or five. He measured well, interviewed well and while his athletic numbers were disappointing (he topped out at 31 inches max vertical), I couldn't find a scout who didn't like him. Not one. "He's going to be in our league a long time," one GM said. "He plays hard, he rebounds, and he has a shot that is ugly, but it goes in and will be very hard to block. If you're looking for a solid rotation guy with an upside as a potential starter, he's your guy. And honestly, that's all you can really expect from this portion of the draft." Portis could go as high as Indiana at 11. Utah at 12, Atlanta at 15, Boston at 16, Milwaukee at 17 are all possibilities. I think Washington at 19 is his floor from the scuttle I heard in Chicago.

17. Jerian Grant

Grant is one of two guys at this portion in the draft who appears to be universally liked by teams. While some people quibble a bit with his jumper ("I'm surprised at his 3-point shooting percentage," one GM said. "Just based on what I saw on tape, I thought the percentage would be higher"), the only real issue is his age. If he were 19, he'd be a lock for the top 10. Instead he'll turn 23 before the season, a red flag for some. But for others, it won't be a major one. "Given the offense they ran at Notre Dame, you know he can play the pick-and-roll as well as anyone and that translates," one GM said. "I love the leadership he showed as well. Maybe his ceiling isn't as high as some, but he's another guy that I just don't see failing." His range is very similar to Cameron Payne's. He could go as high as Indiana at 11, Utah at 12, OKC at 14 or the Rockets at 18.

18. Kelly Oubre

Oubre measured with a massive 7-2 wingspan at the combine and was the tallest of the wings. He also showed off above-average athleticism in the athletic testing. However, his interviews played to mixed reviews from scouts and whoever drafts him sees a project with major upside -- pushing him a little further down our board past a few mid-first round sure things. "I think he has a chance to be a 3-and-D guy in the league and his best NBA skill will probably be on the defensive end," one GM said. "I think he'll be able to lock down guys if he wants to. And I think he'll be a good shooter. It's the in-between stuff that I'm not sure he'll ever get. I don't think he can really dribble the basketball. But the biggest issue is his head. Is he ready to put in the work?" If he does, he could be a steal this late.

19. Kevon Looney

Looney's draft stock might be the most fluid of anyone in our top 30. Teams are either hot or cold on him. There doesn't seem to be much in between. I had a couple of teams tell me he was a lock for the top 10 (one had him at No. 5 on their board) and I had several tell me that he was a late first-rounder (one had him as low as 30). He measured with a crazy long 7-foot-3 wingspan and was great in interviews, but some teams (based on his body fat measurement and his tendency to get winded in UCLA games) question his conditioning and whether he might have asthma. Looney is putting on a team workout in L.A. on Friday. I expect that if he's able to show off the versatility that he has, he'll jump right back up on the board.

20. Tyus Jones

Jones walks away with the award for most impressive interviews at the combine. Every team that spoke with him came away with a crush. "He's such a confident leader," one GM said. "He's all about winning and accountability. It's hard not to love guys like that. Especially when they see the floor as well as he does and win like he does." His measurements turned out to be OK -- 6 feet, 0.75 inches in socks (so roughly 6-2 in shoes) with a 6-5 wingspan -- nothing to get excited about, but not detrimental either (he's roughly the same size as Mike Conley). But his athletic testing numbers are the things that gave pause. His 32.5-inch vertical jump and his subpar 3/4 sprint and lane agility drill numbers weren't very good. In fact, Jones' lane agility score of 11.89 was the fourth worst in the entire combine. None of this, by the way, is very new. Scouts would've predicted all of it. The Rockets, I'm told, are really big fans and could grab him at 18.

21. R.J. Hunter

Hunter looked great in a pre-combine workout I saw him in -- hitting 19-for-25 from NBA 3. His interviews were also strong. He has a great, confident personality. Those who question whether he can shoot are asking the wrong question. He can really, really shoot. The bigger issue is whether he can do anything else. Can he defend? He has the long arms to do so, and his lane agility scores were among the top at the combine which suggest yes. Is he a good enough athlete? He lacks strength and doesn't possess explosive leaping ability (he measured with a 33.5-inch max vert), but it really depends on what you're asking him to do. If it's spot-up duty, he's going to be a stud. If it's create your own shot off the dribble, there's evidence he might struggle. But at this point in the draft teams aren't looking for the next Kobe. They're looking for the next Wesley Matthews and Hunter could be that. The Thunder are a real possibility for him at 14. And while a few teams have him rated as a second-rounder, I'd be surprised if he lasted past the teens or early 20s.

22. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Hollis-Jefferson tested as, quite possibly, the best athlete at the combine. He scored a very good 38-inch maximum vertical and ranked in the top two on both lane agility and 3/4 court sprint scores. Combine that with terrific length, a great motor and all the intangible stuff and at the very worst, he looks like the sort of lockdown defender who could shut guys down at three positions on the floor. His shot is broken -- some teams believe it is beyond repair and that's why he's this low. But I heard a growing chorus of teams that said he deserves to be this high, or even higher (just like Willie Cauley-Stein) despite his offensive woes. His defense has the potential to be so special that he'll be worth it.

23. Rashad Vaughn

Vaughn surprised everyone here by not participating in the 5-on-5. Apparently his agent had better info than we had. Of all the players on the proverbial first-round bubble, it's Vaughn who has appeared to have made the most strides since declaring for the draft. "I think a lot of times with those bubble freshmen, you think you have another year to evaluate, so you focus on what they need to work on," one GM said. "But once it was a reality that he was in the draft, the question becomes, 'Can he play?' and I think the more we watch him, especially in the second half of the season, the answer is yes. He's got a chance. He's young, but he can really score in just about every way." The range right now seems to be 20 to 40, but a lot of teams had him in the 20s.

24. Montrezl Harrell

Harrell showed up with some freaky measurements at the combine. He stands just 6-foot-7 in socks. But he has an incredible 7-4.25 wingspan. That plus-9.25 inches between his height and wingspan are the biggest in the combine and give teams hope that he might be able to play some 5. "He has the game of a center," one NBA GM said. "But you write him off because of his size. But when you factor in his 9-1 standing reach he's on par with Kaminsky. And you know he has the strength and engine to compete in the middle. I think he could surprise some people and be a Ben Wallace-type big in our league."

25. Christian Wood

Everyone likes Wood's talent, but he was another player who raised more questions than answers in interviews with teams. Why wasn't he playing? Why wasn't he in better shape? What's he been doing the past month? Lots of questions about maturity are surrounding him right now and as a result, you're seeing him slide just a bit on draft boards.

26. Delon Wright

Wright is the third senior on our Big Board and the one who draws pretty varied opinions depending on whom you speak with. His poise and size for position are major positives. Teams love his steady decision-making as well. But he's not a great shooter and his athletic testing at the combine (31-inch max vertical and an 11.20-second lateral agility score) left a lot to be desired as well. "He's going to be a nice backup in our league," one GM said. "And as long as your expectations are set, he could be a really nice piece in the 20s."

27. Terry Rozier

Rozier was the only player on our Big Board to participate in the combine in its entirety. He played 5-on-5, did the measurements, athletic testing, interviews and medical, and I think it paid off. While his play wasn't necessarily extraordinary, he helped himself in a couple of ways. "I've always thought he was a fearless kid," one GM said. "And I think he proved that by coming out here and playing his *** off. I don't think he's got special floor vision and his jump shot could get better, but he plays at a great pace, is really tough and is so quick with the ball. He impressed me."

28. Justin Anderson

Anderson nailed the interview portion of the combine. "He's really an exceptional guy," one GM said. "I thought he was one of the most impressive people I interviewed." However, his shooting woes that began after he returned from injury at the ACC tournament continued when he shot 9-for-25 in the NBA 3-point drills. "I think he's going to be closer to the Anderson we saw as a sophomore than the one we saw as a junior," when it comes to NBA 3-point shooting, the GM added.

29. Chris McCullough

McCullough, despite the ACL tear, appears to be sneaking back into the first round. Whereas guys such as Harrell, Wright and Anderson are considered "safe" picks, McCullough is a swing-for-the-fences type of player. "He won't be ready all season," one GM said. "I'd take the same approach with him that Philly did with Nerlens Noel. He's not that type of talent, but a year working on his body and learning the nuances of the game could be good for him. If he had stayed in school, I think he would've been a lottery pick next year. So he has good value here."

30. Dakari Johnson

Johnson is another "safe" late first-round pick. No one thinks he'll be an NBA All-Star but his combination of size and strength make him an ideal NBA backup big man. With so many teams needing help off the bench in the middle, the likelihood he hears his name called somewhere in the late first round is high.

Next five in: Jarell Martin, PF, So., LSU; Cliff Alexander, PF, Fr., Kansas; Cedi Osman, G/F, Turkey; Mouhammadou Jaiteh, PF, France; Vince Hunter, F, UTEP

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/mock/?season=2015&version=10&source=Chad-Ford-Big-Board

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Osh you intrigued me back in the day when you were big on pitching mechanics, now you've intrigued me with shooting mechanics. May you elaborate kind sir? Or have reading material/links so I can look into this more?

I've always been kinda into shooting, before I hurt my knees I would shoot i guessing like 500 makes a day untill winter hit, and I was constantly tinkering with my mechanics. Trying to emulate players in the league, I always found when I tried to shoot, elbow in, straight up straight down, feet square I would get worse results then when I would just kind of "feel it" out. I just thought it meant I was a "rhythm shooter."

I now realize it's because, feet shoulders square, jumping straight up straight down, are just flat out wrong.

When you watch elite shooters closely NO ONE does this.

and there youtube channels that have codified what exactly they do.

Let put it like this

Myth 1.
Jump straight up straight down.

Good shooters don't do this, really wrong, especially if you want to have three point range. good shooters jump, sweep feet forward and shoulders lean back. Jumping forward gives you greater power from your base, while leaning back allows you to maintain a consistent release point and trajectory.


Myth 2.
Feet shoulders/square

This doesn't makes sense when you realize you can't actually align your elbow to that hoop properly without strain your neck and shoulders. Good shooters have there feet at and angle with the ball side foot first and they urn as they shoot to generate power.

It's not complicated I just hear to many coaches and analysts and players teaching it wrong.


Youll even hear players say that they jump straight up and shoot square to the basket when they don't, I heard steph curry say this and I just laughed. He does basically the opposite.

check the youtube

Shot Science Basketball, pro shooting system.

thanks fam. will do.