The Winners & Losers Of The NBA Draft Combine
Each year, the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago showcases top NBA prospects being put through various drills to test their individual athletic ability. Now these numbers don’t always translate into NBA success, but they give us a good indication. As ESPN’s Chad Ford put it, “Every year the quote “best athlete in the draft” does NOT turn into the best player in the draft. Teams do take these reports seriously. This is the first objective testing that we have on these guys and sometimes our eyes do deceive us.” With that being said, let’s take a look at which three prospects helped their Draft stock, and which three prospects hurt it.
NBA DRAFT COMBINE MEASUREMENTS
Format is as follows: No step vert – Max vert – Bench press (185 pounds) – Lane agility – 3/4 court sprint
Helped Stock
Derrick Favors: 31.5 – 35.5 – 14 – 11.74 – 3.25
Favors’ stock has skyrocketed since the combine. Going in, Favors was looked at as the default No. 3 pick, but his numbers resemble that of Dwight Howard when he came out in 2004. Favors has a higher no step vertical and is much stronger than Dwight (14 vs. Dwight’s 7 in the bench press) at this stage of his career. His numbers were so impressive, that rumors have begun to circulate that the Sixers might even take him at No. 2 over Evan Turner.
Luke Babbitt: 29.5 – 37.5 – 15 – 10.98 – 3.4
Babbitt is a guy whose athleticism has been questioned, but after recording a 37.5-inch max vertical leap, we found out that Luke has some bounce. Babbitt is not the greatest athlete by any means, but if you watch some game footage on him, you can see he definitely is a decent athlete.
Wesley Johnson: 32.0 – 37.0 – 16 – 11.43 – 3.14
Johnson raised a ton of eyebrows when he did 16 reps (of 185 pounds) on the bench press. With size, strength and athleticism, scouts are now moving Johnson up in the elite class – even comparing his numbers to Turner.
Hurt Stock
Cole Aldrich: 23.0 – 28.0 – 10 – 11.48 – 3.35
Aldrich was doomed once he measured in at 6-9 without shoes. His size was supposed to be a plus for him, and now for that to flip and become a negative is devastating. We knew that Aldrich wasn’t the most athletic big guy, but he seemed glued to the court as his max vertical was only 28 inches and he only did 10 reps on the bench.
DeMarcus Cousins: 23.5 – 27.5 – N/A – 11.4 – 3.55
Cousins started off on the wrong foot as he measured in with 16 percent body fat. His vertical was worse then Aldrich, as his max vertical was 27.5 inches. Also, Cousins declined to do the bench press because “he doesn’t lift weights.” But with all that being said, Cousins is not a raw athlete. What he is, is a very skilled big man that could make an immediate impact next year. Nonetheless, questions will continue to circulate about his work ethic and maturity.
Devin Ebanks: 23.5 – 32.- 0 6 – 11.69 – 3.44
Ebanks showed his size is legit as he measure in at 6-7 without shoes, but what most believed was Ebanks greatest strength – his athleticism – may not be the case. He measured in relatively slow or average at most of the speed drills, showing that he may not be as athletic as originally thought.
What do you think?
Follow Rey on Twitter at @reyrey33.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DIMEMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
-->
May 28th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
LB says:
Hahahaha wow, a big man that “dosent lift weights.”
May 28th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
hahns says:
holy crap….wes johnson! guy looked like a string bean to me
May 28th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
jawjack says:
Cousins may be very skilled but he has 2 strikes against him that I believe will do him in professionally. First is his immaturity and second is his lack of conditioning. I would roll the dice on one or the other but not two. His agents explanation on how he is addressing these issues are cardio boxing and salads!? He may well be a Beas/Dinner Bell Mel (Turpin) hybrid waiting to happen.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
This is nice and all but where’s the measurement for things like basketball iq, winning attitude and determination? That’s what really matters.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
jawjack says:
Yo Spliff, I think the interviews that were done is supposed to provide that, lol.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Concerning Babbit, that’s a surprise to say the least.
Concerning Cousins, what a tool.
Concerning Ebanks, I’m not sure speed and athleticism are one in the same.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
Cal says:
I’ve been waiting for this story. The team that drafts Cousins will be very disappointed. The guys not one of those natural athlete types. He doesn’t lift weights, well thats nice. Man screw that guy.
http://diaryofamiseducatedblackman.com/2010/05/28/queensbridge-in-the-building/
May 28th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
JH says:
As Mr. Ford stated…this gives us an idea of their “ability” but doesn’t translate to performance on the court. I think the best measure of future success is their past accomplishments. If they stood out in college, they’ll have a decent shot of making it in the league.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
@jawjack
Maybe but I think the interviews are more about gauging maturity, poise, and intelligence. Words are just that. Words. They can be deceiving. Besides how do you measure things like basketball iq, determination, and winning attitude by simply talking to somebody?
May 28th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Tbeezy says:
Demarcus cousins “doesn’t lift weights”? Well then you “doesn’t get drafted” by my team if I’m a GM/president.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Joe's Momma says:
Cousins, this guy is a moron. He just lost some money as he was a consensus top 4 pick. Now someone will draft him because he is a legit big man. But we are looking at Eddy Curry 2.0.
Derrick Favors, I knew I liked that guy. But comparing him to Dwight? Im not sure that is an accurate comparison, but either way, I really like this guy. But he is not going #2, Turner has that locked, unless he goes #1.
If philly passes on Turner, its because someone wowed them in individual workouts. A big guard with pg skills, that is a great asset to have. Plus, Collins already said he wants Iggy at the 3, not at the 2, that leaves an opening for Turner. They have a boatload of money invested in a 4 already, and no one is touching that contract.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Arkange08 says:
Dwight Howard lifted only 7??!!!
Eric Bledsoe did 9, Babbitt 15, and even Gordon Hayward did more with 10! Wtf?
May 28th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Bruce says:
It is not THEN but THAN!
May 28th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
@Arkange08
Right. It doesn’t make sense does it. I can bench press 165 14 times and I only weigh 165. I know it’s not the same but I’ve read that a person in good shape should be able to lift at least 75-85% of their body weight at least 15-20 times.
May 28th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Sho-Nuff says:
What?!?! No mention of Born Read today Dime? Ya slippin’!!
May 28th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Arkange08 says:
@Spliff 2 My Lou
Moreover,at the time, Dwight Howard wasn’t the athlete he is now, but still! I can’t believe Eric Bledsoe is stronger!
May 28th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
isotope says:
Athletic results:
http://www.nbadraft.net/nba-draft-combine-athleticism-test-results
Shooting drill results:
http://www.nbadraft.net/nba-draft-combine-shooting-drill-results
May 28th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
mang says:
Bench presses aren’t the ultimate standard of strength. When you’re on the court dribbling, passing, driving, whatever, how is bench pressing going to help you? And don’t say you need strength to finish, that uses different muscles.
Another thing people forget is that arm length affects bench pressing. Someone with arms 6-8 inches longer than their body is going to have a much tougher time than a person with a “normal” wingspan. When’s the last time you seen a bodybuilder with Oliver Miller or Sam Perkins arms?
May 28th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Captain Awesome says:
What basketball skill does bench pressing translate into? Kevin Durant put up historically bad bench press numbers but is a top 5 NBA player.
May 28th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Chicagorilla says:
@Spliff,
I agree that it is hard to measure Determination and IQ, but as a basketball coach who hold several try outs each year for all ages of school kids. Trust me, during certain drills you can tell who has the IQ and who has the drive and determination. Do they finish the drill all the way thru? Are they already in a good physical condition? Are they willing to go extra when everyone else has already thrown in the towel?
As far as IQ,
How well do they learn each drill? When doing 2on2, 3on3 drills, can they adjust to what the opponent is doing without instruction from a coach?
Trust me on this one, there are ways of picking up on IQ and determination. Those kids ALWAYS stand out.
May 28th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
s.bucketz says:
@ #8
Adam Morrison
May 28th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Lucas Shapiro says:
I love how people stereotyped Babbitt before the draft as the “non-athletic” white guy. Looking at him on the court, he seemed to move quite fine.. Great list Rey, you are right about each and every one of them.
May 28th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
danocasa says:
@ captain awesome
its not that durant only did 185 once, it was that cousins refused to lift at all. Yeah that work ethic and determination of cousins is a huge plus, want that guy on my team so he can poison the locker room and undermine the coaches as soon as possible. What a douche.
May 28th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
3ple2ble (aka solomon) says:
demarcus cousins… where lack of effort happens… sayonara to lottery money, dumbass…
May 29th, 2010 at 2:56 am
siree says:
combines are bogus, watch dudes play and you’ll know whose strong, athletic, and quick in a meaningful way. all the combine does is make dudes who were nobodies become lottery picks and also become the next name on the long list of draft busts
May 29th, 2010 at 10:50 am
mrparker says:
where do i even start with this crap
The combine is almost completely useless in football. It has got to be more useless in basketball. We got long limbed dudes bench pressing to test their strength??? Bball is about leverage. Bench press doesn’t test that kind of strength.
Demarcus Cousins is kinda lazy I get it. Then you watch him play and out hustle everyone on the court. Maybe the guy is a gamer. I’m not going to make excuses for his efforts off the court but I’m also not going to draft someone who is half the player he is to prove a point either. This isn’t football where most draftees never make it off their rookie contract. This is paying nothing for something and then hoping you can resign the more polished player to his next contract.
May 29th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
jawjack says:
Hey Spliff, no disagree on how high of an IQ could be measured by a short talk but low IQs can often be detected.
May 31st, 2010 at 2:38 pm
BC says:
A couple of others who did well in the combine:
Joey Graham
Joe Alexander
definitely not a guarantee of NBA success
June 1st, 2010 at 2:11 pm
ray jones says:
D. COUSINS WILL B A MINI BUST IN THE LEAGUE. hIS ATTITUDE AND WORK ETHIC WILL B HIS DOWN FALL.
HE HAS PLUSES WITH HIS REBOUNDING, SHOT BLOCKING, PASSING AND A DECENT SCORER.
HIS NEGATIVES, HE’S LAZY, SLOW (HE TAKES 2 LONG 2 GATHER HIMSELF AND LACKS EXSPLOSIVNESS), A HORRIBLE FREE-THROW SHOOTER AND HE’S BIG BUT NOT OVER POWERING.
HE STILL HAS LOTS OF UPSIDE, BUT HE’S A GAMBLE THAT I HOPE PANS OUT 4 WHOEVER DRAFTS HIM!
IF DERRICK FAVORS HAD A LITTLE OF HIS ATTITUDE, THEN HE COULD B THE CONSENSOUS NUMBER 1 OR 2 DRAFT PICK.
??????HOW COULD U NOT LIFT WEIGHTS, AT 6″10-6″11 260LBS?????? I KNOW KU HAS A WEIGHT ROOM AND TRAINER, HOW DID HE GET AWAY WITH NOT LIFTING WEIGHTS???????????????
HOW COULD 6″9 W/O SHOES B BAD FOR A BIG MAN, ESPECIALLY ONE WHO’S LISTED AT 6″11 BY THE COLLEGIATE PROGRAM. M. BEASELY WAS LISTED AS 6″10 AND MEASURED IN AT 6″7.
ALL THAT MEANS IS THAT HE’S ANYWHERE FROM 6″10-6″10.5 WITH SHOES, THATS NOT THAT FAR OFF.
June 1st, 2010 at 7:42 pm
bucks fan says:
dhoward lifted 7 but thats coming from a fresh high scul grad. favors probly lifted everyday that wt. in GTech.