NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2019 NBA Draft combine

Guards, Part 1

Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s 

Ponds did little to drastically impact his draft stock in his two showings in Chicago, posting consecutive games of so-so offense and defense and not really moving the needle in terms of breaking into the first round. The 6-1 St. John’s point guard definitely had his draft positioning on the line, and a strong outing in Chicago likely would’ve pushed him cleanly in as a first-round lock, but it seems like he’s still firmly situated as a fringe first-round candidate. Ponds’ handle looked great (per usual), as he was able to string together crafty dribble moves in order to break down his defenders and create some nice pull-ups and drives for himself.

His shot selection wasn’t ideal, however, as he went 5-of-14 from the field, settling far too often — much like he did in college — for jumpers on the perimeter (3-0f-10 from three) instead of probing for better looks. When he wasn’t looking to score for himself, he would hit his teammates for looks in the paint and on the perimeter (including some darts to the corner), which was certainly good to see, but he struggled to take care of the ball (eight assists to five turnovers) in both games.

Defensively, he ripped opposing ball-handlers (four steals) when tasked with defending the point of attack, but wandered around far too often when defending off-ball. Ponds’ potential as a backup scoring guard is intriguing enough to be picked earlier in the second round, but a strong performance here could’ve given him just enough momentum to squeak into the first round and earn himself a guaranteed deal.

He could still hear his name called in the first 30 picks on draft night, but his appearance at the combine likely wasn’t enough to give him the edge on Ty Jerome and Carsen Edwards, two other point guards projected to go somewhere late in the first round.

Devon Dotson, Kansas 

Of all the point guards attending the combine and participating in the scrimmages, Dotson was the biggest surprise and did the most to increase the odds that he could end up staying in the draft despite not being perceived as a one-and-done option when enrolling at Kansas. The 6-2 point guard’s effort in both games was great, playing with toughness and passion on both ends of the floor. He finished the combine with 18 points on subpar shooting (8-of-19 FG, 0-of-5 3PT, 2-of-5 FT) but contributed everywhere else, grabbing 10 boards and dishing out 10 assists (to only three turnovers), particularly excelling in the pick-and-roll due to advanced patience and awareness as a passer.

Dotson was seen more as a 2020 draftee instead of a 2019 draftee, but a strong performance here may convince him to keep his name in the pool and make the jump a year sooner. Given how well he played here against high-level talent (relative to the average competition he faced with Kansas), a return to school would likely lead to a very, very promising sophomore season that could boost Dotson up into the first round.

Jordan Bone, Tennessee

Besides his otherworldly results in the testing portion of the combine, his on-court production was simply bad. The 6-3 guard went 5-of-17 from the field and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc, failing to score against NBA-caliber players. His athleticism is incredible and tantalizing, but it rarely manifests itself on the court in a meaningful way outside of a few blocks and steals here and there. Bone was great for Tennessee as a sophomore, but he doesn’t project to be a rotation piece in the NBA and will likely go undrafted as a result. He wasn’t viewed as much of a prospect heading into the draft process, and that likely didn’t change with his appearance in Chicago, although his athleticism may warrant consideration as a two-way pickup.

Jaylen Nowell, Washington

Washington’s Jaylen Nowell really stood out as a passer despite his low assist numbers (five assists to four turnovers) in both scrimmages, throwing flashy one-handed passes (some behind his back, some over his head, etc.) that few players have the confidence to even attempt when so much is on the line. Nowell shot 40 percent from the field in each scrimmage, totalling 22 points.

His defense was painful, both when defending point-of-attack and as a helper (his effort level and awareness was very poor, whether it was getting blown by on-ball or losing his man off of it), which doesn’t help his shaky rep on that end, but his offense may have been enough for teams to believe in his viability as a bench scorer and second-round pick. The Pac-12 Player of the Year is known for his offense (16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 59.2 TS%) and his talents on that end certainly popped at the combine. Nowell helped himself by participating in the 5-on-5 process, by the looks of it. With some teams late in the second round needing to add talent at either guard spots, he may have positioned himself well for draft night.

Jalen Lecque, Brewster Academy (High School)

Regularly featured on YouTube highlight reels and mixtapes, the 18-year-old once again let his athleticism shine brightest both in the athletic tests (35-inch standing vert and 43-inch max vert, ranked second and first, respectively) and 16 minutes of gametime that he saw on Thursday. His speed popped in transition and he showed interesting flashes of defensive upside due to high activity on that end (one steal, two blocks) and solid length (6-4 height, 6-8 wingspan), but his half-court playmaking was generally lacking (four assists, five turnovers) and his effort waned throughout the game.

Learning how to play as a lead guard and improving his skill level (including shooting) is a must for a player who’s been able to dominate the high school ranks thanks to elite athleticism. Lecque didn’t play on Friday after receiving feedback on his so-so performance on Thursday, and it’s hard not to wonder what NBA teams think of him as an NBA prospect.

Do they think the Brewster Academy guard should enroll at NC State and play a year of collegiate basketball before making the leap? It’s possible — he needs to make significant strides as a shooter, decision-maker, defender (i.e., effort and consistency), and point guard. His 99th percentile athleticism alone is enough to warrant a draft spot in the second round, and it’s a decent bet that someone will grab him with the hopes of patiently developing his skills. He could attend college and join the 2020 NBA Draft class, but that may not be necessary after how well his athleticism popped in Chicago. If the feedback is positive, then he should go ahead and make the leap.

Kyle Guy, Virginia 

Considered a UDFA and two-way target and not a legit candidate to get drafted in June, Kyle Guy didn’t do too much to truly affect his stock in a meaningful way through his 55 minutes of playing time. He made 3-of-7 three-point attempts, showing scouts his patented shotmaking from the perimeter, including a few heavily-contested pull-ups, and managed to do a decent job making plays for others, but ultimately his small size quite noticeable while he was on the court.

At 6-2 with a 6-5 wingspan and tiny 169-pound frame, it’s really, really hard to envision Guy making the NBA as such a small shooting guard unless he transforms into a capable playmaker and proves himself able to defend quick guards. He showed some toughness on defense and on a few drives to the basket (which is valuable since he needs to be able to have a counter if he’s ran off the line), but he was also overpowered at times and even blown by on some plays, not having the requisite length, strength, or speed to stop 6-11 Luka Samanic from driving right past him from the perimeter.

Guy wasn’t bad out there, as his toughness was meaningful and probably admired by teams in attendance, but he didn’t flash anything special, either. He did improve his chances of snagging a two-way or Exhibit-10 contract, though, since he was one of the more productive players in Chicago despite his noted limitations. Generally, it was good to see how Guy would play outside of Tony Bennett’s system, and I’m sure NBA teams felt the same.