NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2019 NBA Draft combine

Big Men, Part 2

Tacko Fall, UCF

Perhaps the most entertaining aspect of Chicago’s affairs was the appearance of UCF’s mountain of a man, Tacko Fall, who shattered combine records for height (7-7), wingspan (8-2), and standing reach (10-2.5), while also posting some of the largest hand measurements ever. The results from his participation in the several athletic drills were understandably poor, finishing bottom-three in all agility and vertical tests, and he was hilariously god-awful in the shooting drills, but his appearance at the combine was nonetheless entertaining for onlookers, and his stock somehow wasn’t negatively affected because of it.

In 38 minutes of action, Fall recorded nine points (4-of-6 shooting), eight rebounds, five blocks and eight fouls, making his size apparent (per usual, of course) and not getting completely picked on by quicker players. His shot at getting drafted is slim, and his shot of becoming a legit NBA rotation piece is even slimmer (he’s not Boban Marjanovic, who can actually shoot the ball), but some team could still convince themselves to use a late pick on him as a “Why not” type of move.

Isaiah Roby, Nebraska 

If the 21-year-old forward is hoping to become the first Cornhusker to be drafted since Ty Lue in 1998, then Isaiah Roby has damn sure made a strong impression on combine attendees with his plus-measurements (6-9 height, 7-1 wingspan, massive hands) and impressive athletic testing where he was first among listed power forwards in the lane agility and three-quarter sprint drills, and third among power forwards in the shuttle run. Better yet, Roby was everywhere in the scrimmages, flying around the court defending multiple positions and pushing the ball with aggression in transition, looking both to get buckets for himself and others. A second-round selection seems pretty fair for Roby.

Dedric Lawson, Kansas

Lawson’s lack of athleticism was put on full display with his abysmal athletic tests, posting bottom-tier agility times and the worst max vert at the combine (which sounds even worse once factoring in that 7-7 Tacko Fall out-leaped him). His 41 minutes on the court did little to suggest that he could out-play his lack of athleticism, struggling to defend on the perimeter and bang with larger bodies in the paint. Eight of his 16 shot attempts were from beyond the arc, and he regularly settled for jump shots instead of attacking the rim.

He did make a few nice passes out of the short-roll thanks to his great basketball IQ and also hit half of his three-point attempts, showing the same skills that made him such a productive player at Kansas, but he didn’t do enough to impress those in attendance. Drafting an unathletic power forward with questionable (albeit improving) shooting touch and subpar defense is a tough proposition for any NBA team, although his IQ could be enough for someone to take a flier on him late in the second round.

Nic Claxton, Georgia 

A fringe first-rounder heading into the combine because of a wild mix of length and fluidity at the center position, Georgia’s Nic Claxton gave scouts and executives more of what they’d already seen up to this point but in even more concentrated doses. Standing just a hair under 7-feet with a gaudy 7-3 wingspan and 9-2 standing reach, Claxton used his length, lateral agility, unique coordination and quick second jump to serve as an absolute menace on the defensive end, racking up 11 blocks and four steals in 42 minutes while switching onto the perimeter with ease. His ability to mirror shooters for contests/blocks is super, super appealing for NBA teams, since it’s hard to find players with preternatural defensive instincts and timing, especially at his age.

His limited offensive arsenal was on full display, however, going 3-of-8 from the field and accruing a meager seven points. He did manage to knock down a three, which is promising for his potential to shoot it in the future, but his lack of talent and feel on offense was apparent (outside of a few strong pushes in transition thanks to decent passing and ball handling), as was his significant lack of strength and girth (217 pounds) down in the paint. His defensive versatility and ability to move the ball on offense makes him worthy of a late-first or early-second selection, but his offensive shortcomings and complete lack of strength right now render him as a true project to whoever drafts him in June.

Returning to Georgia for a junior season could still be in play if he believes that another collegiate season would improve his stock even more, especially with next year’s center class not looking great, but if a team tells him that they’re interested in him, then staying put in the draft seems to be the best decision he can make. It’s hard to say whether his performance at the combine separated him from the likes of Mfiondu Kabengele, Bruno Fernando, and Daniel Gafford to stand out as the draft’s fourth-best center prospect, but he certainly helped his case.

Luka Samanic, Petrol Olimpija (Slovenia) 

Only a year ago the 6-11 Croatian forward was viewed as a potential 2019 lottery selection due to his mobility and skill at his size. As the year wore on, however, his stock sank, with an up-and-down season not helping his perception among league circles. Participating at the combine was a risk, but Samanic proved to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of showing up. Initially having concerns over his toughness and strength because of his frame, he did what he could to squash those worries in just 19 minutes of action, efficiently scoring 13 points (5-of-7 shooting) and grabbing seven rebounds, clearly standing out as one of the better players to take the floor on Thursday.

His creation ability was perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his performance, flashing some ball skill on a blow-by against Kyle Guy and on a few other finishes around the basket. He battled on the boards and defensively, too, managing to keep up with quicker guards out of the pick-and-roll when forced to switch. Samanic’s performance on Thursday was so positive that he didn’t feel the need to play on Friday, since it was unlikely that he’d be able to top such a great opening day at the combine.

One game isn’t enough to launch him up into first-round territory again, since that would be an overreaction, but he’s unquestionably piqued the intrigue of teams in attendance and will like garner more interest as focus shifts toward private workouts. Depending on how those go, a team could certainly feel more comfortable selecting him in the 20s or 30s if everything goes well. Not to overreact, but it’s fair to say that he’s pretty much locked in as a fringe first rounder at this point.

The remaining four participants who received an invite to the NBA Draft combine after doing well at the G League Elite Camp — 5-11 guard Jared Harper, 6-6 wing Marial Shayok, 6-9 big Reggie Perry and 6-9 big Tyler Cook — did little to stand out in Chicago, apart from Shayok’s rebounding (13 boards) and shotmaking (3-of-5 from three) in his second scrimmage. Perry (4-of-15 shooting, five turnovers) and Cook (10 points, seven rebounds, six turnovers) didn’t look like NBA players while on the floor, and the speedy Harper struggled mightily (1-of-10 from the field, four turnovers) against the size and athleticism that he faced in his 41 minutes of action. While it was laudable that they worked their way to receiving invites to the NBA combine, nothing they did in Chicago improved their chances of getting drafted in June.