The 2024 NBA Draft Combine wrapped up over the weekend and all the American prospects were measured and tested athletically, with verticals and lane agility and sprints. the following is a look at the players that enhanced or diminished their draft stock over the one week NBA Combine, in Chicago, IL.
Combine Winners
Kel’el Ware Indiana C
6′ 11.75” barefoot, 7′ 4.50” wingspan, 9′ 4.50” standing reach, 32.5 standing vert, 36 max vert, 230 lbs
Ware recently turned 20 and while some expected more from him in his two year college career at Oregon and Indiana having come into college as a top 10 recruit, sometimes centers take longer to develop. Ware has a motor that runs hot and cold and doesn’t always appear to have a great feel for the game, some may even criticize his competitiveness. But it’s apparent that he’s a talented bigman that put in the right situation has a chance to excel. he’s got ideal measurements for an NBA big with a 7-4.5 wingspan and a massive 9’4.5 standing reach. His mobility and athleticism checked out as he recorded one of the best max vert for a player his size with a 36 inch vert, an inch below top pick candidate Alex Sarr and a 2.5 inch edge in standing reach. In fact, his measurement and ATH testing numbers across the board were eerily similr to Sarr, and arguably a little better.
Alexandre Sarr Perth (Australia) C
6′ 11.75” barefoot, 7′ 4.25” wingspan, 9′ 2.00” standing reach, 30.5 standing vert, 37 max vert, 224 lbs
Sarr, like Ware proved that he not only has tremendous length for the center position, but also above average athleticism. He’s just 224 lbs, so his strength remains a question mark. But at just 19 years of age, he has time to add some bulk to his frame. Among the top draft prospects getting consideration to go first, Sarr seems to offer the safest combination of maturity, consistency and athleticism. He may not have the upside of wings like Risacher or Cody Williams (in our view), but the fact that he’s such a physical freak gives a team like Atlanta, drafting at one, an added sense of security about him.
Reed Sheppard Kentucky G
6′ 1.75” barefoot, 6′ 3.25” wingspan, 7′ 9.50” standing reach 32.5 standing vert, 42 maxi vert, 181.6 lbs
The 42 inch vert is what really stands out. And despite the fact that it may be enhanced by 2-3 inches, similar to Pat Connaughton’s a few years ago, the fact that it’s in the vicinity of 40 inches shows that he’s an underrated athlete. The assumption is that his standing reach may have been measured or recorded incorrectly and therefore his vertical is a few inches greater than it would have been. The standing reach of 7’9.50 is almost impossible considering he’s 6’1.75 barefoot and has a 6’3.25 wingspan. The standing reach is that of a player below 6 foot (Mark Sears at 7’8 for instance). Regardless, Sheppard, like a few of the other players with 42 inch listed verticals, probably benefited from their standing reaches being logged low, but have impressive verticals, even if a few inches off.
Adem Bona UCLA C
6′ 8.25” barefoot, 7′ 3.75” wingspan, 9′ 0.00” standing reach, 35 standing vert, 40 max vert, 243.2 lbs
Despite giving up three and a half inches in height to Sarr, his standing reach is just two inches lower, giving him near center size, despite being just 6-9 in shoes. His leaping ability is also jaw dropping for a bigman. A 35 inch standing vert is almost unheard of for a bigman. and his 40 inch max vert is also increible when you consider his standing reach is above 9 feet. Bone certainly fits the category of physical freak.
Carlton Carrington Pittsburgh G
6′ 3.75” barefoot, 6′ 8.00” wingspan 8′ 3.00” standing reach, 28.5 standing vert, 36.5 max vert, 194.8 lbs
Carrington not only measured well. he shot extremely well. He proved to be the best shooter in the shooting drills. He will turn 19 later this year maing him one of the younger prospects available. he struggled some with his shot this season going through a real cold spell in the middle part of the year shooting from three. However, his shot passing the look test and also proved to be extremely accurate in drills. Could playing the point guard position as a freshman in the ACC be partially to blame for disappointing consistency shooting? A 36 inch max vert is very solid. Carrington’s 6-8 wingspan and 6-5 size in shoes, plus 8’3 standing reach make him an very intriguing prospect as a lead guard, and he should receive looks in the late lottery. Carrington’s 194.8 lbs is also an impressive number consdering he looked very thin during the season.
DaRon Holmes II Dayton C
6′ 8.75” barefoot, 7′ 1.00” wingspan, 9′ 0.00” standing reach, 27.5 standing vert, 34 max vert, 234 lbs
Homes will turn 22 in a few months, but reinforced an excellent season by impressing with his combine numbers. he measured in last year’s combine as well and the numbers were similar. But Holmes 7-1 wingspan and 9-foot standing reach give him the size to be a small ball big or a 4, and also rim protect with his great ability to jump off two feet. His 34 inch vert actually seems low considering how bouncy he is in games and how well he uses his length to convert ally oops and put back dunks.
Michael Ajayi Pepperdine F
6′ 5.75” barefoot, 7′ 0.75” wingspan, 8′ 10.50” standing reach, 27 standing vert, 34.5 max vert, 227.8 lbs
the recently turned 20 year old Ajayi was one of the standouts from the combine after impressing in the G League combine. His 7 foot wingspan makes him one of the biggest wingspan to height players. A sweet shooting wing with essentially power forward size, considering his 6’10.50 standing reach. His 34.5 inch vertical is also solid. Ajaya has put himself onto the map as a potential pick, if he keeps his name in the draft, instead of returning to play at Gonzaga next season.
N’Faly Dante Oregon C
6′ 10.00” barefoot, 7′ 6.00” wingspan, 9′ 3.00” standing reach, 27 standing vert, 33 max vert, 260.2 lbs
Dante has a plus 8 inch ape index, with a 6’10 barefoot height and 7’6 wingspan. He’s a bit of a late bloomer having struggled with nagging injuries throughout his college career after coming in with a lot of excitement and hype out of high school. His core and leg strength appear to be improved and he importantly stayed healthy and played well this season. His 33 inch max vert is impressive considering his size. If his medicals are good, look for him to get drafted and find a spot on an NBA team with the size speed, and athleticism to be disruptive on the defensive end of the floor.
Tyler Smith G League Ignite F
6′ 9.00” barefoot, 7′ 1.00” wingspan, 8′ 9.00” standing reach, 32 standing vert, 38 max vert,
Smith, who is 19 and a half had a very good combine from a measurement and athleticism testing standpoint. While his athleticism is best described as smooth, and he rarely appears to be overly explosive, his testing numbers support the idea that he is an underrated athlete. His 9’9 barefoot number is decent, but his 7’1 wingspan is a real positive. He could be another candidate for a questionable standing reach log, as his size suggests he would be a little bigger, and his vertical (38 inches) appears to be a bit bigger than the tape. So just going off ballpark, his size and vert being somewhere in the 2-3 inch range off still suggest a positive combine for him.
Yves Missi Baylor C
6′ 10.75” barefoot, 7′ 2.00” wingspan, 9′ 1.50” standing reach, 31 standing vert, 38.5 max vert,
Missi, who recently turned 20, is one of the more intriguing bigmen available for this year’s draft. His combine numbers verified the athleticism that he showed in games with a 38.5 inch max vert. he also measured very well with a 7’2 wingspan and 9’1.5 standing reach on a 7-foot frame.
Bronny James USC G
6′ 1.50” barefoot, 6′ 7.25”wingspan, 8′ 2.50” standing reach, 32 standing vert, 40.5 max vert, 210.4 lbs
James may not have proved that he has point guard skills in the combine games, but he deserves recognition for testing well in the athleticism and anthro portion. His 40 inch vert was one of the best, and his 6’7 wingspan and 8’2.5 standing reach are both not so far off for a 2-guard at the NBA level. His 6’1.5 height makes him 6’3 in shoes by our 1.5 at most add on to barefoot formula. James does not really have NBA credentials at this point and could certainly help his cause from a readiness standpoint by returning to college. However, getting drafted and making an NBA team while LeBron is still in the league may be the priority.
Combine Losers
Donovan Clingan Connecticut C
7′ 1.75” barefoot, 7′ 6.75” wingspan, 9′ 7.00” standing reach, 25.5 standing vert, 29 max vert, 282 lbs
Clingan is a two time champion and just 20 years of age. He’s been hyped up as a player getting consideration to go at the very top of the draft. While we are not nearly as bullish on Clingan as the consensus, it’s understandable why some would see a future defensive standout in the young, aggressive big. He measured incredibly well at 7’1.75″ barefoot, making him 7’3 in shoes and has a massive 7’6.75 wingspan and the same massive standing reach at 9’7 as Zach Edey. Where he really disappointed and the main reason he is featured in the combine losers section is his speed and athleticism testing. He was among the very lowest in both categories with just a 29 inch max vert and 3.46 3/4 quarter court sprint and 12.06 lane agility drill. Those times were among the worst overall, and surprisingly all below Zach Edey.
Jaylen Wells Washington State F
6′ 6.50” barefoot, 6′ 7.25”wingspan, 8′ 7.50” standing reach, 27.5 standing vert, 36 max vert, 206.2 lbs
Wells had solid height and standing reach for a wing. But his swingspan is disappointing at barely bigger than his height. On the positive side, he did measure a 36 inch max vert. he weighs 206 lbs, so adding weight will be of importance as well.
Payton Sandfort Iowa F
6′ 6.25” barefoot, 6′ 8.00” wingspan, 8′ 8.00” standing reach, 22 standing vert, 28 max vert, 212 lbs
Sandfort has obviously grabbed some draft buzz based on his elite shooting ability. His 8’8 inch standing reach and solid height and size for a wing give him the ability to get off shots, along with a very quick release. The concerns regarding his athleticism were reinforced by his very disappointing vertical numbers with a 22 inch standing vert and 28 inch max vert. Baylor Schierman, another sharpshooter, surprisingly registered a max vert 4 inches better (32′) than Sandfort.
Mark Sears Alabama G
5′ 10.25” barefoot, 6′ 2.00” wingspan, 7′ 8.00” standing reach, 32 standing vert, 39 max vert, 192.4 lbs
The 22 year old Sears’ 5’10.25 barefoot number is a real concern considering he’s seen as more of a combo or 2 guard than a true point guard. His 39 inch vert is impressive and could also suggest that his standing reach might be slightly better than listed. Regardless, the lack of size for Sears is glaring for a player tha doesn;t really facilitate or “play athletic”.
