NBA Combine 2023: Prospects Who Boosted Their Stock After Thursday's Drills
NBA draft season is in full swing.
After teams learned their draft fates at Tuesday night's lottery, a batch of prospects had the chance to determine their own at the combine.
With draft stocks still very much fluid, players hit the combine to get measured, chat with prospective employers, work out on the court and go toe-to-toe with their fellow prospects in scrimmages.
Ace enough of these tests, and players can dramatically improve their draft outlook.
Let's look at three players who could be climbing up the board after Thursday's performances.
Amari Bailey, PG/SG, UCLA
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Amari Bailey needed a solid week in his hometown of Chicago to cement himself as a first-round pick.
He might have done that.
He'd had spotlight shine before as a 2022 top-10 recruit with a flashy game in the open court, but he needed to prove his impact in the scrimmages. In his first outing, he tallied 17 points and eight assists. In his second, he had 19 and six, respectively, shooting 6-of-9 overall and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line.
It's hard to set his ceiling without knowing how his outside shooting (21 makes in 30 games at UCLA) and decision-making (65 assists against 73 turnovers) will develop, but clearly there's enough here to interest NBA teams. He can make plays off the dribble, finish around the rim, run pick-and-rolls and is a disruptive defender on and off the ball.
Seth Lundy, SG/SF, Penn State
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In the modern NBA, one surefire way for a prospect to get noticed is by flashing an ignitable three-ball. Seth Lundy's shooting display at the combine could be his ticket into the second round.
During two scrimmages at the combine, Lundy launched 11 threes. He connected on eight of them for an absurd 72.7 percent splash rate. He piled up 30 points in just 42 minutes of action.
Obviously, he won't bring that level of efficiency to the Association, but his stroke has climbed several tiers over the past year. He attempted an almost identical amount of shots as a senior (10.2) than he did as a junior (10.1), yet his scoring average jumped more than two points per game (11.9 to 14.2). That's because he significantly upped his connection rates from the field (39.5 to 45.0) and from range (34.8 to 40.0).
There are flashier, more athletic players in this draft, but Lundy looks projectable into a complementary role at this level. He competes on the glass and the defensive end, makes good decisions and consistently converts his catch-and-shoot chances. His three-and-D appeal is easily noticed.
Ben Sheppard, SG, Belmont
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After spending the past four seasons at Belmont, Ben Sheppard might need a formal introduction to the hoops world.
The combine will apparently provide exactly that.
The 6'6" shot-maker shredded nets to the tune of a game-high 25 points in Thursday's first scrimmage. He buried three triples in the contest while also standing out with his effort, passing and off-ball activity.
"Everything we saw from Ben Sheppard at Belmont is showing up in Chicago," B/R's Jonathan Wasserman observed. "With some burst, shooting versatility and IQ, he's a threat to score or pass in every situation."
Sheppard averaged a career-high 18.8 points this past season and shot a scorching 41.5 percent from range. He's a good enough shooter for that skill alone to attract suitors, but the other layers of his game could be key in his ascension up draft boards.
Recruit rankings via 247Sports' composite list.
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