NBA Combine 2015: Biggest Standouts from Day 2 in Chicago
As competitive action at the NBA Draft Combine closed on Friday, the day didn't end without a few prospects leaving a strong impression. No prospect had a better showing than the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Pat Connaughton.
After registering the highest max-vertical leap at the combine this year at 44", Connaughton went out and lit it up in five-on-five scrimmage. The 6'5" shooting guard scored 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He made four of his eight three-point attempts and grabbed two rebounds.
Connaughton didn't look like a legitimate candidate to be drafted a week ago, but his performance at the combine might have changed that. Connaughton was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, but the 22-year-old wants to prove he's all in on his NBA career. Per Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports, Connaughton said:
"I'm trying to get the word out that I'm two feet in, 100 percent in. That's the goal for me, to come to these things to show them that if I was one foot in, I wouldn't be here because I'd be trying to make millions and millions of dollars playing baseball right now. I'd be wasting my time. So to be here, I'm hoping it shows that. To go to Portsmouth, when not many people necessarily go there. To have meetings and workouts with teams and tell them I'm in this for the long haul and until I don't make an NBA roster, I'm looking to be an NBA basketball player.
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He may have a little more work to do in the eyes of some scouts, but Connaughton certainly looks like a player worthy of a second-round selection. Here's a look at two other prospects who also performed well on Friday.
Devin Booker
Most of us knew Devin Booker as a knockdown shooter, but on Friday he showed off some surprising athleticism. He's not going to be confused with Gerald Green any time soon, but his 34" max-vertical leap was better than some expected.
More impressive than Booker's hops were his lane agility numbers. Booker recorded the fastest time in the drill at 10.22 seconds. This is a relevant exercise for Booker's game because he figures to make a living running off screens in the NBA.
The combine is designed to allow prospects to show other sides of their game. Booker did that on Friday, and it should secure him a spot in the lottery.
Jordan Mickey
What could Jordan Mickey do for an encore after blocking eight shots on the first day of scrimmages? He swatted four more shots on Friday.
Mickey is an undersized power forward at 6'8 ¼" in shoes, but his 7'3 ¼" wingspan allows him to play bigger than his height. He's also a pretty solid athlete who should be able to defend the pick-and-roll in the NBA. If he can develop a dependable mid-range jump shot, he could be one of the biggest surprises in the draft.
As it stands, he's already done enough to be considered a strong candidate to be drafted late in the first round.
All stats and measurements per DraftExpress unless otherwise noted.
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