Weighing the Pros and Cons of the NBA Draft Combine 5-on-5 Format Change

Finally, a reason to watch the NBA Draft Combine. 

According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, the NBA will be bringing back five-on-five competition to next year's combine, which should come as good news to evaluators who've been stuck watching three-man weaves and layup lines. 

That's what the combine has consisted of since 2009—basic drills you'd see during any standard high school practice. 

However, while there are significant pros to adding five-on-five competition, there are also a couple of cons. 

All in all, it's still a positive for an event that has seemingly begun to lose its allure over the past few seasons. 

Pro: Better Scouting Experience for Teams

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Since 2008—the last time five-on-five at the combine went down—there really hasn't been much of a reason for scouts, coaches and general managers to watch the basketball portion of the event. 

It's been basic drilling—three-man weaves, stop-and-pop jumpers, floaters, shooting over brooms. Occasionally, you'd see a three-on-two, two-on-one fast-break drill, but never consistent, fluid action. 

There's just not much scouts can take away from two days of fundamental drilling that includes mostly uncontested shots. 

This past year in Chicago, it seemed more like a social event for NBA executives than a scouting one. Few general managers appeared to be locked into what was happening on the floor. Many even left the gym early. 

There's a lot more for scouts to take away from live game action, especially from the mid-major prospects who've played mostly against inferior competition. 

The top guys have been choosing to sit out anyway. By adding five-on-five, the NBA has improved the scouting experience for those drafting in the late lottery to second round. 

Con: Participation Among Top Prospects Could Fall Even More

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Participation over the past few years has stunk at the NBA combine. And if agents felt their clients were in jeopardy of getting exposed during shooting drills and three-man weaves, there's no way they'll let them play in a five-on-five setting. 

They don't need to. 

Nine of the guys picked in the 2012 lottery sat out the combine a month earlier. Seven lottery picks sat out in 2013. Zach LaVine was the only prospect taken in the lottery last year that had actually participated in basketball-related activity at the 2014 combine. 

The top prospects ultimately have a lot more to lose than gain by participating. 

"To be honest, I'm surprised more guys don't do this. It's the only thing they can really control," one general manager told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, referring to more guys dropping out. 

This came before the change to five-on-five. 

Now there are even more uncontrollable variables. What if Prospect X gets a bad matchup or the fit with his team is poor?

Agents won't let their clients chance it. 

Projected lottery picks after the season will remain projected lottery picks after the combine—unless they give scouts a reason to think otherwise. 

Don't expect any top prospect to give scouts that chance.

Pro: Better Platform for Prospects to Stand Out, Turn Heads

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The only way to really stand out during drills is by turning heads with athleticism. And not everyone has the springs of Zach LaVine. 

Five-on-five will give that projected late-first or second-round pick the opportunity to prove his projection is too low. 

Maybe had Chandler Parsons had the chance to erupt in five-on-five play at the combine, he could have shown he belonged in the first-round conversation. 

Some of the prospects are stuck playing against mid-major competition for 25-plus games. These guys never get to prove themselves against other NBA prospects. 

Five-on-five should be especially appealing to point guards who aren't able to show off their vision or passing instincts during drills. It gives rim protectors the chance to showcase their defensive tools and scorers the opportunity to flash their arsenals.

While five-on-five definitely helps scouting departments, it makes it easier for the prospect to separate and ultimately attract more attention. 

Con: Injury Risk

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The most obvious con of adding five-on-five to the combine is the spike in injury risk. There's clearly a much greater chance of a prospect getting hurt in a full-court scrimmage than he is jogging down layup lines and cruising through shooting drills. 

With dozens of coaches and executives on hand, you'd also imagine the prospects going all out. 

Just before the draft, an injury could be killer toward one's stock. We've seen what it could do even months before. Just ask Nerlens Noel. 

If a serious injury ultimately occurred during five-on-five, it would probably hurt the combine participation even more than it's already hurting. 

Pro: Good Preparation for Summer League, Training Camp

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The group that gets invited to the NBA combine is supposed to be made up of the top 60 (give or take) prospects in the world eligible for that year's draft. 

What better way to prepare these kids than to let them play against each other?  

If you're a believer in the philosophy that says playing against the best is the best way to improve, then you have to be on board with five-on-five from a developmental standpoint. 

Some of these mid-major players rarely ever get to go head-to-head with another future pro. But regardless of conference, every prospect could use five-on-five as an indicator for how he stacks up among those he'll be competing with for draft position and roster spots. 

Five-on-five will also be a nice tune-up for July's summer league, which normally would be the first time prospects get to play against each other, current and former NBA players.