NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2019 NBA Draft combine
By Trevor Marks
Guards, Part 2
Tremont Waters, LSU
Measuring in dead-last in height with (5-10 ¾) and without shoes (5-9 ½), LSU’s pint-sized point guard was easily the smallest player in attendance, but he sure didn’t let his size hurt him. Waters knocked down 4-of-9 three-point attempts, stole the ball four times and snaked his way to the paint on multiple drives, really letting his dribble-drive skills pop. He died on a few ball screens, a normal outcome due to his size, but his IQ and awareness popped on defense by calling timely traps and getting his hands (career 4.3 STL%) on opponents’ dribbles and passes with regularity.
Earning a second-round selection, even at his size, isn’t out of the question, as he seriously impressed onlookers for how he played against superior size and athleticism. The 2019 draft class isn’t full of attractive point guard options, which certainly helps Waters’ case.
Cody Martin, Nevada
Wise with old age (this is a joke, I promise), the 23-year-old Martin was clearly one fo the only prospects capable of orchestrating offensive production in such a disorganized setting. Martin was effective at probing the defense and setting up teammates out of post-ups, drive-and-kicks, and pick-and-rolls, showing great patience and touch on his passes (11 assists to three turnovers) throughout the event. Overall, his production made quite the impact both on the court and in the minds of NBA personnel in attendance, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in 44 minutes across two scrimmages.
The Nevada star isn’t viewed as much of an athlete (although he did have a nice lob-finish in transition) or shooter (32.5 career 3P% on limited attempts, 68.9 career FT%), but his IQ and skill level make him an ideal candidate to be picked up on a two-way deal if he somehow goes undrafted. As is the case with Waters, being a member of a rough point guard class boosts the odds that Martin gets himself drafted, especially if a team believes that he’s a backup guard in the NBA.
Zach Norvell Jr., Gonzaga
Norvell’s decision to firmly stay put in the 2019 NBA Draft was met with confusion, as he was widely expected to return to a larger on-ball role at Gonzaga, where he would receive legit equity as a ball-handler and de facto lead guard for Mark Few’s offense. Instead, he chose to declare with the intention of staying put, and his participation in 5-on-5 action at the combine was surely an attempt to prove that his decision was the right one to make. If his first game was any indication, it may have been better for him to have treated his participation in Chicago as a test and not a concrete decision, as the 6-6 guard only converted on 3-of-9 shot attempts and turned the ball over five times in what was a disastrous showing.
He shot the ball better on Friday, however, hitting 7-of-11 attempts from the field to finish with 18 points, but he still struggled as a ball-handler and playmaker, recording more turnovers (four) than assists (two). Overall, Norvell shot 10-of-20 from the field and 5-of-15 from the perimeter, doing what he could to not absolutely tarnish his value after his rough first day. Inconsistency and athleticism (his tests were notably poor) have always been present as questions over his game, and they didn’t go away in Chicago.
His performance didn’t really affect his perception as a second-round talent with upside as a bench-shooter. Some teams may have been alarmed by his atrocious game on Thursday, while some may have been pleased with a bounce-back game on Friday — it’s tough to say for sure.
Quinndary Weatherspoon, Mississippi State
After parlaying a strong senior season at Mississippi State (18.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.7 SPG on 62.2 TS%) into an invite to the Portsmouth Invitational, the 6-4 guard proved himself worthy of an invite to the NBA combine after a strong showing, and he continued his string of successful showings with a pretty good two-day stretch in Chicago. He couldn’t find the bottom of the net (17 points on 8-of-23 shooting) with any consistency and had a difficult time defending without fouling, but otherwise contributed in a myriad of ways everywhere else, totalling 14 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 steals in 50 minutes.
Weatherspoon was physical on defense and did his best to force opposing ball-handlers into tough spots, did a good job at getting his hands on anything he could, and was effective as a passer in transition and out of ball-screens. His skill level and IQ as an experienced guard makes him a decent bet to get his name called on draft night, and if that’s not the case, he’d be a fine option as a two-way pickup.
Jaylen Hands, UCLA
How Jaylen Hands parlayed a lackluster sophomore season at UCLA into another invite to the NBA Draft combine is one of the biggest wonders of the world. Going 5-of-19 from the floor and looking like a total non-scorer at the position (an unsurprising result considering his subpart TS% and horrendous at-rim finishing this year) only made his invited more questionable considering what he’s shown the world thus far. He made a few tough passes (10 assists to four turnovers) here and there, but he was otherwise tough to watch. He’s just not an NBA prospect.
Ky Bowman, Boston College
Boston College’s high-usage star looked pretty good out on the floor in Chicago, ending the week with 20 points (7-of-13 FG, 3-of-7 3PT, 3-of-3 FT), five rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and four turnovers. The 21-year-old point guard flashed his dynamic ball skills in a series of blow-bys against guards and bigs, maneuvered ball-screens extremely well, and played within his comfort zone in 42 total minutes. Strong play and surprising measurements (6-1 height with a 6-7 wingspan) helped Bowman’s case for a second round selection in June.