Technically this was the first ever NBA Combine and it just concluded yesterday and the ability tests have been released. Nothing all too shocking, except Hasheem Thabeet didn’t test, which was strange.
I think the two that did the most for themselves were Stephen Curry and James Harden. I’m beginning to turn and find my way to the Curry bandwagon. He’s a much better athlete than I anticipated and he’s polished in every way. A 35.5-inch vertical, good agility numbers and nice speed results. Plus he’s smart, can shoot and… can shoot. I like him more and more.
And I think Harden put to bed some of those “subpar athlete” criticisms. Maybe it was the baggy t-shirt he wore in college that tagged him with that stereotype. He had an excellent vertical and tested well in everything else, especially the strength numbers (he benched 185 17 times – one of the top numbers at the camp).
On the flip side, I really don’t know why Hasheem Thabeet would turn down athletic testing. I feel like someone just knocked on my door and handed me a red flag. And I just took it to my Thabeet closet and tossed it in there with my other 50 red flags. Only one other player refused testing and that was Demarre Carroll. Even Blake Griffin, who doesn’t have to do anything and is still going No. 1, tested. I don’t know if Thabeet is trying to hide a 7-inch vertical or maybe mask the fact Jim Traber in high heels is faster than him. I have no clue. But the whole thing stinks.
How about Jonny Flynn and his 40-inch vertical? And Wayne Ellington wasn’t bad with his 38-inch one either. DeMar DeRozen who is evidently able to jump and touch the moon, checked in with a 38.5-inch vert. Blake Griffin had a 35.5-inch vertical, but his no-step vert was 32 inches, good for third of all the people at the combine. That really shows you his explosion. He gets up faster than anybody. That’s what makes him such a monster on the boards.
My mind hasn’t been totally changed on anything just based on some numbers, but I do think you can put a lot more stock into the NBA Combine than the NFL Combine. In the NBA, you actually use the skills you’re tested on during actual gameplay. You actually run, jump and move side-to-side. In the NFL, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a player broad jump his way into the endzone. So these numbers have weight and help to clear the picture a bit.
Just 22 more days…
I watched Harden maybe 6 times this year. I thought he was plenty quick; and he has his dribble on a string. He's got pretty impressive handles.
I watch Harden against WSU live... his quickness was not good
I see this as a problem
Curry interests me must more for His outside shooting, Leadership with His quickness
it was pretty impressive. same with how much howard improved his leap since 04, dude could not have done that dunk when he was drafted. not even close
That really was a great observation. That makes me appreciate that dunk 100 times more.
Yea, im not necessarily casting an aspersions on this years draft class (although to be honest i expected a little more jump out of Blake Griffin) instead i think it speaks more to what kind of physical being howard is. Although, in looking back, this draft class does seem a little bit weak in terms of athleticism. Just using the parameter of max reach: in 08, 5 players could touch at or above 12'. In 07, 5 guys. In 06, 7 guys. While i know that this does not determine overall athleticism (more reasonably is indicates a players combination of jumping and length which are both important in the NBA) and also that athleticism isnt everything, it is still not a good sign for this years crop. @Royce
Ransom :ok, so while its not really thunder related, does anyone else find it odd/funny/disturbing that dwight howard dunked a basketball easily on a 12 foot rim, yet no one in this years draft combine could even touch a 12 foot rim if they tried?
Wow, I did not ever think of this. That's a really good point.
ok, so while its not really thunder related, does anyone else find it odd/funny/disturbing that dwight howard dunked a basketball easily on a 12 foot rim, yet no one in this years draft combine could even touch a 12 foot rim if they tried?
Crow :It is a bit odd to call it the first Combine in my opinion but I guess they mean it is the first not to be called a pre-draft camp and just be a combine style event with no games.
Exactly. This is the first official "Combine" in the NFL mold. Not the first pre-draft camp by any means though.
It is a bit odd to call it the first Combine in my opinion but I guess they mean it is the first not to be called a pre-draft camp and just be a combine style event with no games.
This was the first combine?
http://www.nbadraft.net/2008_nbapredraftcamp_combine.html
I don't mean this to attack upset Sonic fans, I'm talking about here in OK talking about how great it would be to have had Lewis, Allen and Durant. It's like these people had never heard of this basketball thing that others were talking about until we got a team, then started looking around and thought they had valid opinions. In other words, shut your yap Al, Jim and Craig! No! We are not drafting Thabeet or trading it away! You ever heard of James Harden?! Sorry, sorry. I know we talk about the lousy radio coverage a lot here but it's not enough IMO.
Vega :
I think there is very good chance that Thabust falls past them and out of the lotto.
No. Absolutely not. Not only is he 7'3", but he's the starting center of a final four team. I'm with you on Thabust (although, honestly, I wouldn't be too upset if the Thunder took him), but out of the lotto? Not only is there not a "very good" chance of that happening, the chance is more like 0.0001%.
@Chas
I can tell you exactly what the Sonics would have been with Ray-Ray and Shard. They would have been a thirty-five win team that would miss the playoffs by a few games every single year.
Joe :
I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I’ve decided that the best player for the Thunder in the draft (other than Griffin of course) is non other than Stephon Harden. He is the best of both worlds.
I see what you did there.
This is completely off subject, but people on the local radio and some guest writer for Bill Simmons keep talking about what life could have been like w/ Rashard Lewis (and Ray Allen but only kind of for him b/c everyone thought he was far into his twilight years). R. Lewis got offered 118 million dollars after opting out of his contract, correct? Did anyone really feel like Presti was selling the farm when he didn't compete for Rashard at the time? Do I have this all wrong b/c I remember Lewis signing the deal but wasn't sure about what the Sonics could have done to compete at the time.
I've thought long and hard about this, and I've decided that the best player for the Thunder in the draft (other than Griffin of course) is non other than Stephon Harden. He is the best of both worlds.
The Wiz already have Brendan Haywood, Etan Thomas, Andray Blatche, and Javale McGee. Even if Etan Thomas's expiring contract gets traded, they are still pretty much set at the center spot. I think there is very good chance that Thabust falls past them and out of the lotto.
@Clark Matthews
I wondered the same thing about Carroll. Doesn't make sense for anyone to skip really.
And I was impressed with Blake's strength. 22 reps is good. And again, James Harden had just five fewer with 17. That's darn impressive.
@Nix
This made me laugh. But in all seriousness, if we don't take Thabeet and he makes it past Washington, he could potentially fall out of the lottery. So many teams in there are set big man wise and are looking for other things.
I know Thabeet's agent is smart - his drawing card is his height - so why should his agent do any more "negative advertising"??
Some GM will be foolish enough to waste a pick on him based on the fact that he's 7-3. Big deal. I haven't heard one person (scout or whoever) say that they think he's going to be any better than Shawn Bradley . . .
Good call on the red flag for Thabeet. I have a feeling he looked more athletic because his hand got so far above the rim. But at 7'3" and a 7'6" wingspan and vertical reach of 9'5", you don't have to be able to jump much to get above the rim. With his reputation being that of someone both super tall and super athletic, I think his stock would have been killed when he tested like an ordinary stiff.
Why would DeMare Carroll skip the testing? That's even stranger than Thabeet, because Carroll is trying to get drafted.
One more thing to note, Griffin had the second most bench reps. Only Luke Harangody beat him.
He will drop like a rock in this draft. Just wait. I guess we could go for him at the #25 and feel okay with it. HAHA
Thabeet doesn't test - Thabeet doesn't like contact . . .
LOL he's got bust written all over him . . .