2016 NBA Draft Combine, much like the case has been in years past, might have lacked some star power, there still was some intrigue surrounding it. News came out a couple weeks ago about Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis and Dejounte Murray not attending the 2016 NBA Draft combine while guys like Buddy Hield and Wayne Selden Jr didn’t participate in anything but did attend. We did get to see some guys play and impress when given a chance. The new wrinkle added to the NBA Draft process might have some prospects backout if they didn’t perform well at the combine or allow them to stay in until the final decision has to be made.
Guys like Chieck Diallo and Perry Ellis out of the University of Kansas, Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson from North Carolina University, Malachi Richardson from Syracuse, Tyler Ulis from the University of Kentucky and University of Maryland stars Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone also participated along with international prospects like Zhou Qi from China, High School star Thon Maker out of Canada by way of the Sudan all were involved in the combine by performing drills, playing in scrimmages and even talking to the media and teams in an attempt to impress the NBA representatives in attendance.
Overall the four day event was a success for some players and for others, they missed the mark.
2016 NBA Draft Combine Results
Max Vertical Jump
1. Kay Felder – 44.0 inches
2. Demetrius Jackson – 43.5
T-3. Dorian Finney-Smith – 41.5
T-3. Sheldon McClellan – 41.5
4. Jaron Blossomgame – 41.0
5. Joel Bolomboy – 40.5
Standing Vertical Jump
1. Dorian Finney-Smith – 38.5
T-2. Joel Bolomboy – 37.5
T-2. Demetrius Jackson – 37.5
3. Damian Jones – 36.0
4. Kay Felder – 35.5
T-5. Sheldon McClellan – 35.0
T-5 Jaron Blossomgame – 35.0
Lane Agility
1. Joel Bolomboy – 10.26 seconds
T-2. Sheldon McClellan – 10.45
T-2. Wade Baldwin IV – 10.45
3. Denzel Valentine – 10.51
4. Malachi Richardson 10.56
5. Melo Trimble 10.57
Shuttle Run
1. Malcolm Brogdon – 2.64
2. Marcus Paige – 2.69
3. Melo Trimble – 2.77
4. Taurean Prine – 2.80
5. Jake Layman – 2.82
3/4 Court Sprint
1. Michael Gbinije – 3.12
2. Perry Ellis – 3.13
T-3. Marcus Paige – 3.15
T-3. Kay Felder – 3.15
T-4. DeAndre Bembry – 3.17
T-4. Joel Bolomboy – 3.17
5. Wade Baldwin IV – 3.19
Winners
Jake Layman
Maryland senior forward Jake Layman helped his cause at the 2016 NBA combine in a big way. At Maryland the last two seasons, Layman has played both the 4 and the 3, which should help him adjust to the NBA level if a team wants him to come off the bench as a versatile forward who can play multiple spots. Layman’s perimeter shooting and assertiveness had been questionable at times in the past, but if he shoots the ball like he did in Chicago, he could find a spot in the late second-round.
Kay Felder
The smallest player at the 2016 NBA Draft Combine lived up to some big expectations. Felder, out of Oakland University, might not have registered as well as Paige in the major combine drills but he did show off his speed and jumping ability. He was fourth, right behind Paige, in the 3/4 court sprint and also registered the top overall max vertical leap, tying Pat Connaughton’s leap from the 2015 NBA Draft combine at 44 inches. While Felder didn’t compete in any of the scrimmages, he certainly still managed to put some eyes on his potential as a late second round pick.
Gary Payton II
Going into any event related to basketball must be hard for Oregon State product Gary Payton II. Being the son of a Hall of Fame NBA point guard, GP2 has a lot of eyes on him since his grade school days. Payton might not play much like his dad but the wingman certainly did show off his athletic abilities in the draft combine. Payton also registered the lowest body fat percentage of any player at the combine, so he’s in peak physical condition as he’s one of the most NBA-ready potential second-round picks. At 6’3″ with a 6’8″ wingspan, Payton has good measurables, he’s a plus athlete and a plus defender, so he should get plenty of attention for a spot in round two.
Deandre Bembry
The Saint Joseph’s product was very good at times during the combine and he also had solid measurements and combine games. With a 6’9.25″ wingspan, Bembry might be able to guard a few spots on the floor from the wing as he was better as a defender at the combine than he showed during his recent college season. Bembry shined as a versatile wing on the offensive end, one who can score a little bit and also create for others. He has good vision, can operate some high ball screens and also knows how to stay active and move well without the ball. If Bembry knocks down perimeter jumpers consistently during team workouts, he could be the type of player who sneaks into the late first round because he just has so many unique things to offer to teams looking for a versatile wingman in today’s pace and space NBA. In the right situation, he could blossom.
Joel Bolomboy
The Weber State product wasn’t himself after the first day but he had an outstanding second game with a near double-double as he rebounded well in his zone. In order for Bolomboy to play against the top competition in the world he’s going to need to adjust some minor things to his game, but he his raw skills as a rebounder will allow him to contribute as a role guy off the bench. Offensively, Bolomboy was better than expected as he showed some intriguing touch as a shooter but an odd hitch in his jumper and also had some finishes off of pick-and-rolls. Bolomboy is raw and played in a small league, but he has a calling card skill and could attract second-round attention as an energy big. Plus, we all remember what happened last time a guy was selected in the NBA Draft out of Weber State.
Honorable mention: Marcus Paige, Chieck Diallo, Michael Gbinije, Malcolm Brogdon, Ben Bentil
Losers
Daniel Hamilton
It wasn’t a great combine for Hamilton, who was better on the second day after a horrible first day. The UConn product measured very poorly in athletic testing in particular with the vertical leap, and he looked lost on the first day of the combine. Hamilton had some stretches of stronger play in the second day, as he pulled down a double-double and also had some unrecorded hockey assists while drive to the rim and attacking the paint but with his poor athletic testing and inconsistent jumper, it’s hard to see Hamilton getting drafted much earlier than the end of the 2nd round at this point, if he gets drafted at all.
Marcus Lee
Quite possibly the most disappointing player at the 2016 NBA Draft combine was the Kentucky junior big man, Marcus Lee. He barely made his presence felt in game action as he had minimal stat lines and just didn’t seem like he belonged on the floor with some of the players on a handful of occasions. Not only did Lee have disappointing athletic testing and a low playing weight for his position, he looks like he’s miles away from competing at the NBA level, in particular on the offensive end. Lee is stuck in an odd situation though because returning to Lexington might not be best for his stock. If he goes back for another year at Kentucky, he might ride the pine since both Wenyen Gabriel and Bam Adebayo and are coming in to play his position. He might be best served to spend some time developing in the D League instead so he can start adjusting to the pro game and hopefully get a chance from some team.
Jarrod Uthoff
Jarros Uthoff had a fantastic career with the University of Iowa but in the 2016 NBA Draft combine he struggled against top flight length and athleticism. He went 6-for-18 from the field and 1-for-7 from three during his two combine games and if Uthoff can’t knock down three-pointers as a floor-spacing forward then his value is low, at best. He can’t create much of his own offense and he’s not a particularly good athlete despite the fact he blocked a lot of shots at Iowa during his senior season, it’ll be interesting to see if that translates to the pro level. It’s doubtful that Uthoff would be drafted even if he did perform well at the combine and he may be better suited to try his game in the NBA D-League or Europe.
Melo Trimble
It was not a very good combine for the star point guard. Trimble measured poorly with a 6-foot-2 wingspan and also didn’t perform very well in combine games shooting poorly from the perimeter and not defending very well. His bad performance puts Trimble in the tough position of potentially returning to a Maryland team in which he would be the only returning starter. Trimble would be best served returning to school, as he can show that he’s an improved floor leader with a steady jumper and hopefully improve his stock. Does Trimble has the athleticism to be a good defender? It’s hard to say at this point but he has to get in better physical shape if he hopes to have a chance to compete with some of the best in the NBA.
Dishonorable mention: Wayne Selden Jr (injury), Malik Beasley (Didn’t participate in games), Nigel Hayes (passive play), Josh Hart (bad game performances), Kyle Wiltjer (bad measurables, slow, highest body fat percentage)
(Player profiles courtesy NBAdraft.net, NBA Draft projections from Tankathon.com and combine stats courtesy NBA.com.)
