The NBA draft combine began Wednesday and kicks into high gear today. The players have been measured, with the the NBA releasing the results on its website, and drills and five-on-five action will take place for willing participants. The general rule is this: The more highly regarded the prospect, the fewer combine events in which he takes part. Cameron Payne was the only eventual 2015 lottery pick who did any basketball activity at last year’s combine, notes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link). Top-pick contender Ben Simmons is among those who are skipping the combine altogether, while lottery prospects Kris Dunn and Deyonta Davis will be limited participants, Givony and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com report (Twitter links). Interviews with teams are a key part of the combine, as The Vertical’s Bobby Marks details, but teams don’t directly select the players they interview, as Marks explains.
Here’s more news on the draft:
- Givony, writing for The Vertical, said the private workout Skal Labissiere had Wednesday was one of the best he’s ever seen. The big man from Kentucky also interviewed with the Sixers on Wednesday, a source told Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly (Twitter link).
- Top-10 prospects Brandon Ingram, Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray are among those interviewing with the Celtics, reports Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
- First-round prospect DeAndre’ Bembry will work out for the Sixers on Monday, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The small forward from St. Joseph’s met with the Nets on Wednesday, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link), and Bembry also interviewed with the Thunder, Wizards, Spurs, Pelicans and Knicks, Pompey adds (via Twitter).
- St. Joseph’s power forward Isaiah Miles worked out for the Celtics this week and will do so for the Nets on May 19th, Pompey also reports. The Mavericks, Spurs, Rockets, Bucks and Knicks will also work him out, according to Pompey, who adds that he’ll interview with the Pacers and Wizards at the combine and previously interviewed with the Mavs, Spurs, Magic and Grizzlies at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a showcase for seniors.
- The Nets are among the teams working out Kentucky combo guard Isaiah Briscoe, sources tell Evan Daniels of Scout.com (Twitter link), who also echoes previous reports of his workouts with three other teams.
- Oklahoma senior shooting guard Isaiah Cousins will work out Tuesday for the Pacers, Zagoria tweets.
- Oakland University point guard Kay Felder met Wednesday with the Suns, Pelicans, Jazz, Nuggets, Cavaliers, Celtics and Nets, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
- Evansville center Egidijus Mockevicius will work out for the Nets, Bulls and Pacers, reports Daniel Allar of the Courier & Press (Twitter links). The Nuggets, Cavaliers and Magic are also interested in scheduling workouts with him, Allar adds.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Labissiere turns out to be a lot better pro than he looked in one ho-hum college season, a la Andre Drummond.
Where’s Phil Jackson that great evaluator of talent? Oh I forgot as he tending to his sheep at his farm in Montana. I know the Knicks don’t have a pick but is it too much to ask to evaluate talent just on the off chance lightening strikes and you can trade up or find first round talent in the 2nd round. How in the world did Guitar Jimmy Dolan hire this guy in the first place, paying him $25 million a year, without an ounce of managerial experience? The man is rarely at MSG and doesn’t travel with the team. He has assembled a team of losers and has forced them to play his outdated losing triangle. He resigned the ball stopper Melo who wants to pick the coach, that old coach killer himself, and wants to be consulted on free agents. You know why? Here is how the conversation goes. Kevin Durant do you want to play for the Knicks? If so here’s the rule. You get the ball you pass it to me to hoist it up from behind the blue line. Yup Melo want the Rangers blue line painted on the court. Missing from behind the arc is too easy for him. How much more misery do Knicks fans have to endure? We have point guards who are so old and slow, rumor has it that they were on the arc with Noah. Is there any truth to the rumors that Phil Jackson signs them at the Social Security office? All I have left is my sick sense of humor and even that is fading. When I sleep I see Phil Jackson as Moses tending to his flock of sheep on his Montana ranch. Pretty baaaad.