Standout Performers In NBA Draft Combine
The NBA Draft Combine typically has a player or two that gets a major stock boost after the combine. This year we had more than usual that solidified themselves to get drafted in June. Let’s dive into the five prospects that really performed well this past week.
Brandin Podziemski | Guard
Podziemski didn’t measure all that well, but his performance in the first scrimmage was awesome. The guard is one of the most skilled players in this draft as he’s a good shooter from the outside, can finish at the rim, has creativity with the ball and just really knows how to play the game. The Santa Clara product is one of the best rebounding guards in the entire draft as he consistently plays with a high motor and toughness.
In his first scrimmage, he was forcing absolutely nothing as he finished with zero turnovers while adding eight assists. The versatile guard nearly dropped a triple-double with ten points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. It’s highly expected that Podziemski ends up as a first-round pick come June.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper | Forward
Prosper was arguably the biggest winner at the combine as he measured very well, did well in the athletic drills and showed some things in his one scrimmage game played. The lengthy forward has a 7-foot-1 wingspan and that showed on the defensive end at the combine. The Marquette prospect was very disruptive defensively as he got a couple of deflections and hands on the ball, had some nice shot contests at the rim, and was rebounding well.
Prosper systematically wasn’t allowed to show much offensively at Marquette and had a very limited role but at the combine he showed some real flashes on that end that left scouts and general managers intrigued. He has the tools and upside to be a very successful forward in the NBA and I wouldn’t be shocked to see a team bet on that in the first round.
Ben Sheppard | Wing
Sheppard has been one of the most underrated players throughout the draft process as he had a very successful season at Belmont. The 3-and-D wing showed he has a projectable role at the next level while also being able to do more than just shoot and defend. The Belmont product can handle it a bit, has some secondary passing chops, and underrated burst.
The skilled wing was making shots off the catch and off the dribble while looking extremely fluid and comfortable doing so. The wing was switching up and down the lineup showcasing he has some defensive versatility. The big thing that stood out was his passing chops as that’s an extremely underrated skill for high level shooters to have. Sheppard at this point has solidified himself in the second round of the NBA draft.
Tristan Vukcevic | Big
Vukcevic was one of the most underrated international prospects heading into the combine but now that everyone has finally been able to see him play live, he should be skyrocketing up teams' draft boards. The skilled big only played in one game he showed so much on the offensive end in that one game he played in. He went three-for-three from the outside, showing off his stretch big ability.
The shooting big man has an unblockable jumper and has a good amount of arc on his shot with strong shot mechanics. The near 7-footer flashed shot-making ability off the dribble and was a mismatch problem for opposing bigs. I anticipate Vukcevic to be a lock to be drafted at this point with some potential to end up as a first-round pick.
Seth Lundy | Wing
Lundy is the prototypical 3-and-D wing and he showed that he has a clear role in the NBA as he really excels at both shooting and defending. The Penn State wing was the best shooter in the scrimmages as he shot eight-for-eleven from the outside in a total of two games played. Lundy is coming off a season shooting 40% from three and he showed he’s extremely comfortable from NBA range. He’s a big threat off the catch but also has some shot versatility as a movement and off the dribble shooter.
It’s clear that Lundy is one of the best shooters in the draft but his defense is very strong as well. The defensive wing was defending up and down the lineups in his games played and showed great versatility on that end due to his length and defensive anticipation. Teams tend to fall in love with these veteran 3-and-D wings and I strongly believe a team will draft him in the second round come June.
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