2008 NBA Predraft Camp: Tale of the TapeBy:

By Borko Popic
6/4/08

Tale of the Tape: What we can really take from the Pre-Draft Measurements and Combine Results

With the measurements and combine results being released recently, many fans took to their computers to find out: how many pounds Kevin Love is trudging, what is Jerryd Bayless’ actual wingspan, or maybe the most popular of all… could Michael Beasley really only be 6’ 7”, amongst many others. While the numbers undoubtedly produce answers to all of these questions, they don’t reveal the entire picture.

Just like with the recently completed Pre-Draft Camp, the upcoming team workouts, or the player’s entire amateur career; the measurements are only one small fraction of the bigger puzzle that is known as the draft process. They may cause people’s stock to rise or drop to some extent, but they cannot be used to predict a steal or a bust. A player that was listed at 6’ 5” in college, yet measures in at 6’ 3”, is still the same player. It’s not like his skill level has decreased or his jump shot has gone away.

Players rise and fall on the draft board based on the progress of their entire package; as a result, their measurements and combine results are mere pieces that fit into the whole.

However, just because these newly released numbers don’t have the significance that we would like to think they do, doesn’t mean that we can’t indulge and still have fun examining the results. And so we shall…

2008 NBA Predraft Camp: Player Measurements
2008 NBA Predraft Camp: Combine Results

Big 2

Michael Beasley

The big question came with a small answer, (well at least smaller than initially thought) as Beasley measured in at 6’ 8.25” with shoes. This may not seem too bad, but consider the fact that he was listed at 6’ 10”, yet is only 6’ 7” barefoot. It definitely raises some red flags as it puts him into the “undersized post player” category, along with the “not yet ready to play on the wing full time” that he has already been tagged with. He has a great build at 239 lbs and was able to pump 19 reps on the bench press. His 7’ 0.25” wingspan, 8’ 11” standing reach and 35” vertical are impressive, but still not exceptional to the point where they cancel out the height shortage completely.

Derrick Rose

Measured in at 6’ 2.5” and a solid 196 lbs, his wingspan is 6’ 8” with a 40” vertical. While he may be a little shorter than first thought, he still has good height for a point guard and the rest of his numbers are exceptional. One concern (it may just be an anomaly) is his somewhat slow 11.69s in the lane agility drill, he seems to have great quickness and lateral foot speed and such a high number doesn’t seem to fit him.

Combos

OJ Mayo
He is a bit undersized for a shooting guard at 6’ 4.25” and his wingspan is only decent at 6’ 6”, but with a 41” vertical leap and great tools he should have no problem playing any position in the backcourt. His lane agility was clocked at 11.04s and 3/4 sprint was 3.14s, both numbers that put him immediately under the quick point guards.

Jerryd Bayless

6’ 3” and a nice 204 lbs look like respectable numbers, unfortunately his wingspan at 6’ 3.5” is nothing to write home about and it may play a significant role in his ability to match up with taller players on the wing. 11.26s in the lane agility and 3.07 in 3/4 court sprint are point guard numbers and the 38” vertical never hurts, but the jury is still out on Bayless’ ability to defend and run the show at the next level.

Eric Gordon

After his stock took a hit because of inconsistent play down the stretch, the measurements are sure to return some zest to his potential. His height is a decent 6’ 3.25” but at 222 lbs and pumping out 15 reps on the bench press he may easily be mistaken for a runningback. Add in a 6’ 9” wingspan, 40” vertical, 10.81s lane agility and 3.01s 3/4 sprint, and the results are among the most impressive of this years draft class. Now, if he can regain his consistency and confidence, it may not matter what position he plays on the perimeter because he will be a threat at either.

Russell Westbrook

Usually the least mentioned of the combo group, Westbrook had a very solid day at the scales; nothing astounding and nothing of concern. His height is 6’ 3.5” and he weighs 192 lbs to go along with a 6’ 7.75” wingspan and 36.5” vertical. His lane agility and 3/4 sprint times were in the top echelon with 10.98s and 3.08s respectively.

Wings

Joe Alexander

If there is a time to use the term “beast” in relation to someone’s measurements, then this is surely it. He is 6’ 8.25” tall, weighs 220 lbs and has a respectable 6’ 11.5” wingspan. Nothing out of the ordinary right? But then you look at his 38.5” vertical leap, 24 reps on the bench press, 2nd best time of 2.99s in the 3/4 sprint and you can’t help but think that with some more polish to his game, Alexander may end up being a player that dazzles for many years to come.

Anthony Randolph

Measured in at an impressive 6’ 10.25” and a 7’ 3” wingspan, although a bit underweight at 197 lbs, but with a 9’ 1” standing reach, the comparisons to a young Chris Bosh may not be farfetched (at least from a physical standpoint). For a player who definitely needs to add weight and muscle, the 7 reps on the bench press were a very pleasant surprise and show that the potential to grow is there.

Donte Greene

Was a bit of a disappointment, standing 6’ 9” and 221 lbs, his wingspan is a bit condensed at 6’ 10”. His vertical is among the lowest at 31.5” and his bench press performance is almost inconsequential with a measly 2 reps. A decent 11.21s in the lane agility is a positive, but it is no secret that both Greene’s body and game need to improve before he can make an impact in the NBA.

Bigs

Kevin Love

His height with shoes is 6’ 9.5” and 6’ 7.75” without. This 1.75” disparity could mean that he either has serious orthotics or that he accidently wore his mother’s high-heels to the gym. His 6’ 11.25” wingspan is respectable but a standing reach of 8’ 10” has him in the same range with the wing players. The much talked about diet he was put through since leaving campus may have helped build muscle (seen by the 18 reps on the bench press), but it has not gotten rid of excess pounds, as he weighted in at 255 lbs, which is only 5 lbs less than what he was listed at during his time at UCLA. He did impress with a 35” vertical showing that he is more athletic that previously thought.

Brook Lopez

Watching him run the floor during the skills workout, his speed and mobility looked concerning. Seeing him post pedestrian like times with 12.77s in the lane agility and 3.57s in the 3/4 court sprint (putting him last in both categories at the camp), those concerns were raised again. He is 7’ 0.5” tall and a solid 258 lbs to go along with a 7’ 5.5” wingspan and impressive 9’ 5” standing reach. 7 reps on the bench press and a 30.5” vertical are subpar, but pale in comparison to his foot speed issues.

JaVale McGee

Standing 7’ 0” tall, thanks to a 7’ 6” wingspan, his standing reach is an incredible 9’ 6.5” which is good enough for top spot this week. At 241 lbs, it is easy to see his body has began filling out, and 7 reps on the bench press is not bad considering his long arms. 12.75s in the lane agility and 3.25s in the 3/4 court sprint are below standard, but as he is still growing into his body there is a good chance they will get better.

Darrell Arthur

Looking at a player that is 6’ 8.5” tall, weighs 216 lbs and has a 30” vertical, one wouldn’t be wrong to think that a wing player with subpar athleticism is in his presence. Unfortunately, these are the results and measurements Arthur put up and as of now he is strictly a post player. A wingspan of 6’ 10.75” and 12 reps on the bench press are adequate, but 12.18s in lane agility and 3.14s in the sprint will not win him any foot races any time soon.

DeAndre Jordan

At 6’ 11” and 250 lbs with a 9’ 5.5” standing reach, the similarities to Dwight Howard are evident. Unfortunately a 30.5” vertical and 12.3s in the agility test could be enough to dispel the comparisons for good. Jordan showed good speed with s 3.27s 3/4 sprint but to be a serious threat in the post he will need to improve on the 8 rep bench press.

Rating the Lotto Guys

	Category #1			Category #2			Category #3
Name	No Step Vert	Rank		Max Vert	Rank		Bench Press	Rank
Eric Gordon	32	3		40	2		15	4
Joe Alexander	32.5	2		38.5	4		24	1
Derrick Rose	34.5	1		40	2		10	7
Russell Westbrook	30	6		36.5	6		12	5
Jerryd Bayless	31	4		38	5		10	7
O.J. Mayo	30.5	5		41	1		7	10
Michael Beasley	30	6		35	7		19	2
Kevin Love	29.5	8		35	7		18	3
DJ Augustin	28.5	10		35	7		2	13
Darrell Arthur	28.5	10		30	13		12	5
Anthony Randolph	29	9		35	7		7	10
DeAndre Jordan	26	13		30.5	11		8	9
Brook Lopez	27.5	12		30.5	11		7	10

Category #4				Category #5
Name	Lane Agility	Rank		3/4 Court Sprint	Rank		Average Rank	Overall Rank
Eric Gordon	10.81	1		3.01	2		2.4	#1
Joe Alexander	11.33	8		2.99	1		3.2	#2
Derrick Rose	11.69	9		3.05	3		4.4	#3
Russell Westbrook	10.98	2		3.08	6		5	#4
Jerryd Bayless	11.26	6		3.07	4		5.2	#5
O.J. Mayo	11.04	3		3.14	7		5.2	#5
Michael Beasley	11.06	4		3.24	10		5.8	#7
Kevin Love	11.17	5		3.22	9		6.4	#8
DJ Augustin	11.27	7		3.07	4		8.2	#9
Darrell Arthur	12.18	11		3.14	7		9.2	#10
Anthony Randolph	11.86	10		3.26	11		9.4	#11
DeAndre Jordan	12.3	12		3.27	12		11.4	#12
Brook Lopez	12.77	13		3.57	13		11.8	#13

The Notable Rest

Naturally, the projected lottery picks draw the most attention and consequentially their results and measurements undergo the most examination and scrutiny. However, that is not to say that there weren’t others who had numbers that aren’t worthwhile looking at.

Bryce Taylor was impressive with a 41” vertical, 6’ 9” wingspan and 16 reps on the bench press. He laso measured a legit 6′ 4" which while on the small side, is adequate when you consider his wingspan and athleticism.

Patrick Ewing Jr. had the top vertical this year with an incredible 42”, combine that with a 7’ 0.25” wingspan and he looks like a serious prospect, unfortunately neither his game nor his 6’ 7.25” are good enough for the next level.

Josh Duncan has followed up a nice week with notable measurements; best of all is his bench press where he put up a week high of 26 reps.

Wayne Ellington has to be pleased with his 6’ 4.75” measurement, as all year people have talked about him being an undersized two guard, but he has proven to have good height for the position. Combine that with a 6′ 7" wingspan and he really has no size concerns.

Joey Dorsey’s 7’ 1.75” wingspan more than makes up for his 6’ 7.25” height and the same can be said for Richard Hendrix who is 6’ 8.75” but has a lengthy wingspan of 7’ 3”.

DJ Augustin is undersized at 5’ 10” (barefoot) and was only able to get 2 reps on the bench press, but the rest of his measurement look decent, including his 35 inch vertical.

Ty Lawson has a similar size issue, coming in at 5’ 11” (barefoot) but he has nearly a full inch on DJ and was able to pump out a respectable 14 reps.

So there you have it, a large number of players have been left out, but that is not to say that their results were not impressive or significant, they just may not be as noteworthy as some of the ones mentioned simply because they aren’t projected to go as high in the draft. Take these figures into consideration as they are important, but don’t take them for more then they are worth. Just because a player’s vertical jump isn’t the highest, or his wingspan the longest, doesn’t mean that he can’t shoot or dribble the ball. Just because he was advertised 2 two inches taller than he actually measured, doesn’t mean that his height has decreased and that he can’t play the game anymore. All it means is that a small fraction of his entire package has downgraded some and as a result that player may have lost a bit of the luster that he had prior to the Pre-Draft Measurements.