NBA Combine Results 2016: Friday Highlights and Top Prospects
The NBA Draft Combine resumed Friday in Chicago following an action-packed Thursday, and a fresh batch of prospects broke out with executives and head coaches from across the Association looking on.
The day was highlighted by a couple of scrimmages featuring players on the fringe of the first and second rounds, while remaining strength and agility testing took place off to the side.
Test results for Friday's participants can be viewed below, while final figures for all prospects can be accessed at NBA.com:
| DeAndre Bembry | 10.09 | 2.87 | 3.17 | 32.0 | 38.0 |
| Ben Bentil | 11.16 | 3.10 | 3.30 | 29.0 | 33.0 |
| Perry Ellis | 10.73 | 3.03 | 3.13 | 32.0 | 38.0 |
| Brice Johnson | 11.88 | 2.94 | 3.20 | 33.5 | 38.0 |
| Jake Layman | 11.35 | 2.82 | 3.24 | 33.0 | 39.5 |
| Thon Maker | 11.15 | 3.09 | 3.33 | 32.0 | 36.5 |
| Malik Newman | 10.88 | 3.11 | 3.28 | 30.0 | 35.5 |
| Marcus Paige | 10.82 | 2.69 | 3.15 | 33.5 | 39.5 |
| Pascal Siakam | 11.25 | 3.09 | 3.22 | 30.5 | 36.5 |
| Diamond Stone | 12.35 | 3.22 | 3.26 | 27.0 | 29.5 |
| Denzel Valentine | 10.51 | 3.22 | 3.46 | 27.0 | 32.0 |
| Isaiah Whitehead | 11.65 | 3.21 | 3.34 | 27.5 | 35.5 |
| Stephen Zimmerman | 12.29 | 3.16 | 3.43 | 30.0 | 35.0 |
All of this year's anthropometric testing, which included height, weight and wingspan measurements, was conducted Thursday. You can view the results for every prospect who participated in that segment of the combine at NBA.com as well.
As a reminder, the deadline for players to withdraw from the draft is May 25.
Recap and Standout Performers
For the second straight day, Kansas Jayhawks big man Cheick Diallo boosted his profile in the afternoon scrimmage session.
Although he wasn't featured as heavily as he was Thursday, Diallo did well with limited reps and acquitted himself nicely to the tune of nine points (4-of-8 shooting), 10 rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes Friday.
During his first two days on the floor in Chicago, Diallo has showcased plenty of pro-ready skills that should help pump his stock up by June 23. Not only did he work efficiently out of the post, but he also flashed promise as a rim-runner and dive man in transition and pick-and-roll sets.
Not surprisingly, Diallo has reportedly made a big decision about his future after entering the predraft process without an agent, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford:
"This is the time for me to go to the next level," Diallo told ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman on Friday. "And I'm trying to show the NBA the things I do well: block shots, rebound and run the floor. I can guard multiple positions."
Syracuse Orange swingman Michael Gbinije, who suited up alongside Diallo in the day's first scrimmage, stayed hot a day after posting 13 points on a tidy 4-of-8 shooting (2-of-4 from three).
A disruptive presence in passing lanes with a silky stroke on the perimeter, Gbinije notched a team-high 17 points (7-of-12 shooting, 2-of-4 from three), four steals and four assists in 27 minutes Friday.
He also made a strong impression in areas that weren't listed on the stat sheet, as Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman observed:
St. Joseph's Hawks forward Isaiah Miles was also among the day's big winners.
Starring for a side that lost, 91-83, to Diallo, Gbinije and Co., the 6'7'' wing posted a game-high 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 shooting from the free-throw line. Miles added six rebounds and a steal to his final line in the eye-opening effort.
In the day's final scrimmage, Clemson Tigers forward Jaron Blossomgame came to play, according to DraftExpress' Mike Schmitz:
Blossomgame drilled threes at a 44.1 percent clip during his junior season with the Tigers, but teams are undoubtedly looking for the swingman to flash a steadier stroke after attempting just 211 threes through three college seasons.
DraftExpress did not list Blossomgame in its latest mock draft, but a strong showing at the combine could propel him into the second-round mix. Beyond flashing solid mechanics from long range, he also posted a 41-inch max vertical jump Thursday.
And since many of the draft's top prospects opted not to participate in on-court drills at the combine, the scouting showcase has emerged as the perfect platform for fringe prospects such as Blossomgame to prove themselves worthy of NBA contracts.
Come Saturday and Sunday, expect a few more unheralded names to turn the heads of evaluators in Chicago as the predraft process revs up.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise.
