2014 NBA Draft Combine Measurement AnalysisBy: David Ray

Despite the top 3 prospects (Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins) skipping the combine altogether this year, and a fair share of lotto talent opting to bypass the drill segment Thursday, there were still a number of players that both helped themselves, and those who didn’t.

Link: 2014 NBA Draft Combine Measurements

Winners

James Young – Kentucky’s freshman swingman measured out very well Thursday. Young stands 6‘6.75’’ in shoes, which is good enough for a 6’7’’ listing on an NBA roster. James also proved to have great length for a wing, as he measured a 7’ wingspan and a 8’8’’ standing reach, which is greater than some PFs (Jarnell Stokes for instance). Wings are at a premium, and he measured out with obscene size for a 2 guard. With such a premium put on length, a late lottery pick is looking more and more promising for Kentucky’s "other" freshman.

Aaron Gordon – With a still developing offensive game, and a bit of a tweener label, Aaron Gordon had a some stock in the measurements portion of the combine. Standing 6‘7.5’’ in socks and with a wingspan of 6‘11.75’’ gives some GM’s a little more assurance he can play the power forward spot. He weighed in at only 220 lbs, but at 18 years old he still has time to add weight/strength to his frame.

Noah Vonleh – With a massive 7‘4.25’’ wingspan, a 9’ standing reach, and the widest hands (11.75’’) of anyone measured Thursday, Vonleh sure looked the part of an NBA power forward. Noah supports a lean 247 lbs extremely easily and standing 6’8’’ in socks, he projects to be slightly over 6’9’’ in shoes.

Isaiah Austin – Austin looks extremely long, and he backed it up on paper at the combine. Standing 6‘11.75’’ barefoot, he’ll be a solid 7’1’’ in shoes, and he measured both the longest wingspan (7‘4.5’’) and the highest standing reach ( 9‘4.5’’) of anyone in the field. Austin also weighed in at a promising 219 lbs, which is 13 lbs heavier than Nerlens Noel last year.

Adreian Payne – Despite a bout with Mono, Adreian Payne still showed up and showcased his great NBA measurements. At just .25’’ under 6’10’’ in shoes, and sporting a 7’4’’ wingspan and a 9’1’’ standing reach, Payne confirms excellent position size which goes great with his already known athleticism, and great outside shot.

Alex Kirk – For a guy without a lot of buzz, and someone who often looked overweight during the NCAA season, Alex Kirk posted some pretty decent measurements on Thursday. 6‘10.75’’ in shoes, 252 lbs, 7‘3.5’’ wingspan, and a 9‘1.5’’ standing reach look really nice for a 4/5 combo. I still wonder if it’s enough to get him in the top 60, but he certainly helped his cause.

Elfrid Payton – Elfrid Payton passed the eye test for a big point guard, but he backed it up Thursday in Chicago. At 6‘3.75’’ in shoes, and a 6’8’’ wingspan, Payton still maintains his status of a big point guard. His 185 lbs could stand to fill out a little more, but that is something he can continue to work on.

DeAndre Daniels – An 8‘10.5’’ standing reach and a 7’2’’ wingspan for a small forward are two very good measurements. Throw in his 10.5’’ hand length and DeAndre Daniels measured out very comparatively to another 3 and D prospect a few years ago, Kawhi Lenoard. Leonard’s reach was 8’10’’, wingspan 7’3’’ and hand length 11.25’’, the main difference being DeAndre’s slight 196 lb frame. Still, DeAndre’s confirmed length certainly help his cause.

Losers

Gary Harris – Gary Harris plays a lot like a shooting guard, but he didn’t really measure out like one. Standing only 6‘2.5’’ tall, without shoes, and with a underwhelming 8’ standing reach, he even looked a tad undersized when compared to Ben McLemore last year who left some to be desired as far as position size for an NBA shooting guard. The silver lining was a 6‘6.75’’ wingspan, which will help his perimeter defense at the next level.

Johnny O'Bryant – O’Bryant is a guy fighting for a spot in the 2nd round, and part of his appeal was that he could possibly be big enough to play some center. At just 6’8’’ and change in shoes, and a sub 9’ standing reach, he loses some appeal, but still has okay size for a power forward when you consider his sturdy 256 lb frame.

Jahii Carson – I don’t think that anyone was really expecting Jahii to measure all the well today, but at just 5‘9.75’’ barefoot, he’ll stands as a small 5’11" in shoes. Although his 6’2’’ wingspan is longer than his height, paired with his 7’9’’ standing reach, he still leaves a lot to be desired. Isaiah Thomas and Flip Pressey are the most recent NBA players to enter the league at a similar size, but their draft spots were #60 and undrafted.

Shabazz Napier – Shabazz is quite possibly the most decorated collegiate in the draft, not named McDermott, but a 5’11’’ barefoot measurement and his 7’9’’ standing reach didn’t do him any favors as the draft process gets kicked off. His 175 lbs is also something that must be improved on to take the daily beating of an NBA season; however, with an NBA payday, there’ll be no more "hungry nights" for Mr. Napier.

Other Notables

Nik Stauskas measured out well, but sported an unimpressive 12.1 body fat percentage.

Jerami Grant’s 8’11’’ standing reach and 7‘2.75’’ gives him two nice readings for someone who projects as a defender at the next level. His size is better than many power forwards giving his tweener status a boost.

Spencer Dinwiddie was 6’6’’ in shoes.

Julius Randle measured out 6’9’’ in shoes, and has an 8‘9.5’’ standing reach. The same as he was measured in high school. His 7-foot wingspan put many size concerns to bed.