A recent trend has seen top NBA Draft prospects sit out of the draft combine. Those guaranteed to be drafted with the top 3-5 picks usually sit out of most events at the annual exhibition featuring future NBA players showcasing their athletic abilities.
Kevin Durant is on board with that trend. Known for his skinny frame, Durant was not a combine superstar though he managed to be drafted with the second overall pick and forge a pretty respectable career for himself.
As the 2017 NBA Draft Combine gets underway, the Golden State Warriors forward spoke with ESPN’s Chris Haynes about his combine experience and why he thinks it’s a waste of time:
“Stay your ass home, work out and get better on your own time,” Durant suggested of potential top prospects.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Durant said, as he readjusted his body to get comfortable in his seat. “All the strength coaches were laughing at me and s–t. They were giggling with each other that I couldn’t lift 185 pounds and I was like, ‘Alright, keep laughing. Keep laughing.’ It was a funny thing because I was the only [o]ne that couldn’t lift it and I was struggling to lift it. I was embarrassed at that point but I’m like, ‘Give me a basketball, please. Give me a ball.’ ”
“I knew nobody in that draft could guard me one-on-one,” he said with the utmost confidence. “I knew that for sure. I knew that. And I knew that you don’t need to [bench press] to lift a basketball up. And I knew that this wasn’t football where that stuff matters. I knew as a basketball player, I had a lot of skill, more skill than anybody in the draft. And I knew that if I worked as hard as hard as I could, then that s–t wouldn’t matter at the end of the day. It still doesn’t matter. I was ranked the last person in camp, drills-wise. I was the worst player, and the first player didn’t get drafted. That tells you a lot about the significance of that s–t.”
Durant certainly has a point. During a long offseason, we toil around with numbers from the draft combine thinking they will change our opinions on who should be drafted number one.
I don’t think this extreme level of apathy that Durant has for the combine is fair but I do agree that it’s not a great indicator of basketball aptitude. That said, it can and should factor into teams’decisions in the draft. It’s just that every so often, a transcendent basketball player can show up and not be able to lift 185 pounds.
