NBA Combine Results 2023: Thursday Measurements, Highlights and Top Prospects
The 2023 NBA Draft Combine continued on Thursday in Chicago, and some of the league's top prospects showed out in five-on-five scrimmages.
While the likes of Brandon Miller, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson and Scoot Henderson declined to participate in the scrimmage portion of the combine, there was still plenty of talent on display in the Windy City at Wintrust Arena.
With the combine having wrapped up, here's a look at Thursday's measurements and some of the top performers across the board.
Measurements
Full combine results are available at NBA.com
Recap
Former UCLA guard Amari Bailey was one of the standouts from the first scrimmage of Thursday's action with his ball-handling ability, shiftiness and ability to pass off a live dribble on full display.
Bailey finished with 19 points, two rebounds and six assists, making 6-of-9 shots from the floor and 1-of-4 shots from deep.
During his freshman season at UCLA, Bailey averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30 games while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from deep.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed Bailey as the 31st-best prospect on his 2023 pre-combine big board, noting that he needed to "stand out among the pack during combine scrimmages to crack enough first-round boards."
Bailey told reporters after Thursday's scrimmage that his mentality coming into the combine was to show off his playmaking ability and his improved shooting.
Although Bailey is viewed as a second-round pick, the former Bruin drew a good amount of praise following Thursday's scrimmage:
Former Belmont guard Ben Sheppard also turned heads with his performance in the first scrimmage of Thursday's action, showing off his ability to get buckets from just about anywhere on the floor.
Sheppard notched 25 points—which led all players—four rebounds, three assists and two steals. He made eight of 10 shots from the floor and three of five shots from beyond the arc.
Sheppard spent four seasons at Belmont and is coming off a solid 2022-23 campaign in which he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 32 games while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from deep.
Wasserman ranked Sheppard as the 34th-best prospect in this year's class on his pre-combine big board, writing, "With long strides, runner touch and passing IQ, there is driving and ball-screen playmaking ability worth betting on in the early second round."
Following the first scrimmage, Sheppard drew quite a bit of praise on social media:
Former Gonzaga center Drew Timme also had a solid performance during the first scrimmage on Thursday, displaying some improvement from the 2022 draft combine.
Timme finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. He made eight of 14 shots from the floor and missed both of his three-point attempts.
Timme was considered a second-round pick during last year's combine and ultimately decided to return to Gonzaga for his senior season after speaking with teams during the pre-draft process.
The three-time Consensus All-American averaged 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 block in 37 games with the Bulldogs last season and shot 61.6 percent from the floor.
While Wasserman did not have Timme on his pre-combine big board, he'll still likely be picked up by a team this summer, whether it be through the draft or in free agency.
Former Eastern Michigan forward Emoni Bates was a player who stood out among the rest in the second scrimmage of Thursday's action, showing off his shooting versatility and finishing with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Bates began his college career at Memphis before transferring to Eastern Michigan for the 2022-23 season, and he put together a solid sophomore campaign averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 30 games while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor and 33.0 percent from deep.
Wasserman had Bates listed as the 49th-best prospect in the 2023 class on his pre-combine big board, noting that he will "need the right role that values his shooting versatility, doesn't ask for playmaking and can mask his defensive limitations."
Although Bates isn't viewed as a first-round pick, his performance on Thursday had everyone talking about his potential:
Bates also confirmed with reporters after Thursday's scrimmage that he intends to work out with the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets ahead of the draft.
With the on-court portion of the combine now largely complete, fans can look forward to the 2023 draft coming up on June 22
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