NBA Draft 2021: 6 big observations from the NBA Combine

Josh Christopher shows he’s a competitor

The highest-ranked player on my board who did play in both five-on-five games this week was Arizona State freshman guard Josh Christopher.

Christopher has a reputation as a selfish player, who doesn’t always play within a team context. But, it’s hard to fault the former five-star guards’ wiring. He clearly enjoyed being out there and has a love for the game. His stock is somewhere between the chaotic 20-40 range, so it’s not like he necessarily needed to play.

The on-court stuff from Christopher was, more or less, the prospect we saw all year. His jumper was way off, going 1-10 from deep. Christopher continued his tendency to settle for bad shots and failed isolation possessions. When he attacks downhill and uses his speed and leaping ability, Christopher is hard to stop. Channeling that version of him and not the guy who jabs a few times before hoisting a contested jumper, will be the key to his success.

Defensively, I was impressed with his communication and effort. He was engaged off the ball, and was disruptive in the helpside.

According to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Christopher didn’t do a ton to improve his stock in the eyes of NBA teams. The flashes of awesomeness get bundled in with these “why are you taking that shot?” moments. I love the fact that he was willing to play in the scrimmage and compete and his mental make-up is a huge reason I’m a believer in his game at the next level.