I was lucky enough to be at the NBA Draft Combine this past week, acting as Brew Hoop’s boots on the ground, and it was an incredible experience. Now, I’m (unfortunately) back home, and I return with plenty of thoughts. In this article, I’m gonna dig into some winners and losers from the event, with some extra notes about other notable performers.
I also wrote an article for Brew Hoop with some takeaways through a Bucks lens, so check that out to read what I have to say about some of the bigger names in the class who are projected to be available when Milwaukee is on the clock at 10 on draft night.
Let’s dive in!
Winners
Morez Johnson Jr.
For my money, only Cameron Carr did more to boost his stock this week than Morez Johnson. Johnson was already very deserving of lottery rankings, but he just firmly established himself in that tier. His athletic testing was ridiculous— how a 6’10”, 250lb guy can move as quickly and fluidly as him is beyond me. The only blip in his Combine performance was the spot-up shooting drill, but after throwing up some bricks in that, he turned right around and aced the movement drills.
Matt Able
There’s a chance Able goes back to college for another year, but it would be totally justifiable for him to be all in on the draft after the week he had. The freshman showcased a real NBA skillset, shooting the deep ball really well and making quick decisions off the dribble. He had some minor lapses in the scrimmages, but nothing abnormal for a kid his age, and he overall looked good in that setting. For Able, the choice to stay in school shouldn’t be about the money anymore, because he’d be sure to get a guaranteed deal in the league off the bat. The question is, does he want to continue his development in the NBA or at North Carolina?
Tyler Bilodeau
Bilodeau’s jumper flew as pure as anyone’s in the shooting drills on Tuesday. The UCLA veteran is a tried-and-true floor spacer with legit size. His NBA value proposition is clear and that should have him on radars for a two-way contract. Bilodeau was placed in groups with a lot of first round locks for testing and media availability. Does that mean anything? Probably not, but I still found it interesting.
Baba Miller
The first things that jump out with Miller are how giant he is (nearly 6’11” barefoot) and how well he moves at his size. The Cincinnati product had a strong scrimmage showing on Wednesday specifically, looking a step above the competition as a functional athlete. He had some moments of questionable decision making and over-dribbling, but he also made sharp passing reads and knocked down a couple triples. This is a certified second-round-caliber guy.
Jeremy Fears Jr.
Fears was phenomenal in the scrimmages. In what’s inherently a disorganized setting, he controlled the chaos and took over the game as a floor general, dictating every offensive possession and making all of his teammates look better. The jumper is a real concern, as is the fact that he’s just 6’0” barefoot. I had it in my mind all week that he’d be going back to Michigan State no matter what, but walking away, I’d draft him in the second round this year. Guys as smart as him don’t grow on trees.
Felix Okpara
This is a deep center class, and Okpara has generally moved in the shadows as a result. His value came to light this week, though, as he impacted the scrimmages with his activity and enthusiasm for the dirty work. Okpara is a traditional big and has all of the tools to excel in that lane. His mobility and IQ put him a tier ahead of some of his more cumbersome peers.
Dillon Mitchell
Mitchell was awesome in almost every facet of the game during the scrimmages. He’s an all-world athlete who hustles hard and plays within the flow of an offense. There’s one major problem though. He basically can’t score. He can get a bucket in transition, sure, but in the halfcourt, it can get rough. That’s a serious red flag, but he let teams know at the Combine that he can overcome that (to some degree) and still contribute.
Nick Boyd
Boyd showed at the Combine what Badger fans saw all season: he’s an NBA player, period. His speed, dexterity, and coordination are all elite, and he pairs those physical traits with unquantifiable feel for the game and unmatched competitive spirit to make his presence felt on every court he steps on. Wisconsin’s finest had two solid scrimmage outings that woke more people up to what he brings to the table.
Noam Yaacov
Yaacov to the G League Combine was equivalent to what Jeremy Fears was to the NBA Combine. The Danish guard is quick as a wink and he has his handle on a string. He was a leader on the floor, communicating constantly and organizing his allies to arrange the offensive attack. If he leaves his name in the draft, a guaranteed contract could have his name on it.
DJ Armstrong
A relatively unknown name before the Combine, Armstrong earned some new fans (well, at least one new fan: me) with how he played in the G League scrimmages. The UMBC guard is a sniper. He can get hot in a jiffy and hit a variety of treys. Shooting can get a guy’s foot in the door, and it’s going to do so for Armstrong.
Fletcher Loyer
Speaking of shooters, it’s become impossible to ignore Fletcher Loyer. Is it likely that he’s going to have anything more than a cup of coffee in the league? Nah, probably not. But, the chance he sticks is higher than it’s ever been. He has one cemented NBA skill, and it happens to be one of the most important ones. Plus, he’s smart and he’s a winner.
Losers
Tyler Tanner
Tanner’s skeptics got some fresh fuel early in the week when he measured in just short of 5’11” barefoot. The big driver of his falling stock was his Combine scrimmages, though. It was admirable that he chose to suit up when most guys of his status don’t (in fact, another guy is on here because he didn’t play enough), but it kind of came back to bite him. He was largely invisible out there amongst competition he’s supposed to be better than. Ultimately, Tanner should return to Vanderbilt and continue to hone his craft. A first round slot would almost certainly be his in 2027.
Allen Graves
It’s been tough for me to fully buy the Graves hype, and this week didn’t help. His athletic testing was underwhelming, as were his shooting drills. Perhaps playing in the scrimmages could have flipped the narrative for the Santa Clara forward. Look, he’s going to be some kind of useful role player, but at this point in time, anything higher than a pick in the 30s would feel rich for Graves.
Joshua Jefferson
The title of worst performer in drills may belong to Jefferson, whose athletic and shooting numbers were very far from ideal. Now, if you’re a Jefferson believer, it’s not because of his bounce or agility, it’s because of his smarts and toughness. The All-American didn’t do anything that dampened those strengths, but his weaknesses were on full blast.
Reuben Chinyelu
Chinyelu’s motor and activity were great in the scrimmages, so much so that I almost left him off this section. However, his ball skills looked, frankly, terrible, and that’s really rough, man. The necessary floor for big men in the NBA today when it comes to IQ and feel are higher than ever. Most guys of Chinyelu’s size can make effective short roll reads, or at least just catch and dunk the rock with ease. Meanwhile, Chinyelu fumbled like half of the passes that came his way this week. That’s something for him to work on if he goes back to Florida.
Peter Suder
There was no issue with Suder’s general process. The problem is that he just couldn’t buy a basket in the drills or the scrimmages. His senior year at Miami (OH) was his only collegiate season where he shot the three efficiently, and even that was on low volume, so there are questions about the legitimacy of his shooting that he didn’t answer this week. For a guy with a pretty low athletic cap, that’s worrisome.
John Blackwell
If there’s one thing Blackwell made clear in his three years at Wisconsin, it’s that he can score. We keep waiting to see what else he can do, but he hasn’t shown us that yet and the clock is ticking. If/when he drops out of the draft to play at Duke, he’ll need to develop as a point guard offensively and a defender to make a tangible leap in draft rankings. Unfortunately, that might be a tough ask at this point in his career.
Dailyn Swain
Swain played in the scrimmage on Wednesday, which he didn’t have to do, given he’s undoubtedly a first round pick. But, he was mediocre in that game, and after that, he opted to sit out on Thursday, leaving scouts with a more sour taste in their mouths. He had nothing to lose, he should’ve gone out there on Thursday. Also, his jumper looked quite clunky in drills.
Jaxon Kohler
Kohler is not an NBA player. It sounds harsh, but it really isn’t, coming from a guy like me who appreciates the G League (and every other league in the world, even if I don’t keep up with EuroLeague and NBL stuff). He’s a big dude who can shoot, he’s gonna be valuable somewhere, it’s just not going to be the NBA. He’s not athletic enough and that was obvious at the G League Combine.
Lamar Wilkerson
Wilkerson wasn’t filling up the scoring column in the G League Combine scrimmages like he did at Indiana, which is fine, because he’ll be a role player in the NBA anyway. However, his inability to contribute in other aspects caused him to go ghost out there. He’s gotta work on the ancillary stuff to stick.
Other Players of Note
Christian Anderson
Anderson measured smaller than most of his small guard peers, but he outdid them athletically, so make of that what you will. Also, in the least surprising news ever, he scorched nets in drills.
Tarris Reed Jr.
Reed played in both scrimmages, easily one of the top players to do so. His Wednesday game left me wanting more, and he gave more to me on Thursday. He looked considerably steadier and more skilled than the Chinyelus and Flory Bidungas of the world.
Isaiah Evans
Evans inexplicably struggled in shooting drills, and his athletic stuff was poor too. The larger sample is correct in saying he’s still a marksman, but it wasn’t his week.
Braden Smith
Smith’s scrimmages were similar to Fears’ in the sense that he was just so in control out there, shaping and molding every play with the rock in his hands. He measured in at a mere 5’10” barefoot, but it might just not matter with him because he’s a genius.
Trey Kaufman-Renn
How ‘bout all three Purdue guys having positive outings? TKR earned himself a call-up from the G League Combine to the big stage, making his play-finishing utility look as intriguing as ever.
Jacob Cofie
Cofie was on track to be a party crasher like Matt Able, but his momentum waned a bit as the week went on. He finished on a high note with a good scrimmage on Thursday, but he’ll still likely end up back at USC, where he should be a beast as a junior.
Tobi Lawal
Lawal wowed the whole gym when he soared for a 45.5 inch maximum vertical on Tuesday. The rest of his game is a bit iffy, but you can’t say he’s not athletic enough to be in the league.
Aaron Nkrumah
Another guy who got the promotion from the G League Combine to the NBA Combine, Nkrumah delivered some sharp 3&D play in scrimmages. The Tennessee State product is one of the true sleepers in the class.
Tre Donaldson
Donaldson was one of the best players on the floor in the G League Combine scrimmages. He has an uphill battle to the NBA ahead of him, but he’s a fun pace-pushing guard who is going to succeed as a pro somewhere.
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