NBA Combine: Players Who Hurt and Helped Themselves the Most on Day 1
CHICAGO — Quest Multisport was packed with coaches, scouts and general managers for the first big day of the 2017 NBA Combine on Thursday.
And though many of the big-name prospects just stuck to measurements and athletic testing, there were a handful of noteworthy performances during the five-on-five portion of the event.
A few players may have moved the needle playing in front of unfamiliar NBA executives. But there were also a few who hurt themselves. One high-profile prospect may have scared off teams without even touching a ball.
Still, it was a successful day, both for evaluators and participants looking to improve their stock before the draft.
Rawle Alkins (Arizona, SG, Freshman)
1 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Up
Rawle Alkins led all scorers with 17 points during the combine's first game.
He opened with a three-pointer and pull-up jumper, which set up his driving the rest of the way. Alkins had a pretty hesitation move into a dunk and another take he finished off-balance going left.
His strength and powerful 222-pound frame stood out on a second-half finish after taking contact at the rim.
Alkins even did some pick-and-roll ball-handling, and though not a point guard, he should have helped ease concerns over whether he can play the 2, as opposed to being an undersized wing.
Being one of five players to register a max vertical leap above 40 inches was just a bonus.
It's still unclear whether he'll stay in the draft or earn first-round looks, but Day 1 couldn't have gone much better for Alkins.
Jordan Bell (Oregon, PF/C, Junior)
2 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Up
Jordan Bell was the best player on the floor during the first half of Game 1, when scouts, coaches and executives are most tuned in.
He opened with a mid-range jumper and then stuck to his strengths by making himself available inside and converting dump downs and lobs at the rim. He even dished out five assists, including a handful of pretty touch passes.
Just as he did at Oregon, Bell made his presence felt defensively as well, blocking five shots and closing out, staying active and alert.
He was quieter in the second half, but he did knock down a fallaway around the foul line, showing some of the improved skill level we saw during the season.
Bell put a bow on Day 1's scrimmage by finishing with the second-fastest agility time at the combine and a 37-inch max vertical leap, the second-highest among power forwards and centers.
Harry Giles III (Duke, PF, Freshman)
3 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Down
Harry Giles III unsurprisingly skipped five-on-fives. He would have been better off skipping athletic testing as well.
Giles posted a disappointing 32 ½-inch max vertical, a number that says his bounce hasn't returned from three knee surgeries. And considering how much he'll need to lean on athleticism, given his raw, unpolished skill set, the lost explosiveness—his one-time bread and butter—is a major concern.
After averaging just 3.9 points in 11.5 minutes and then failing to come out a winner during athletic testing, Giles could be in jeopardy of falling out of the first round.
Omer Yurtseven (North Carolina State, C, Freshman)
4 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Up
Omer Yurtseven was the most effective pure center on the floor during Thursday's first game, scoring 14 points.
He consistently found himself in position to catch and finish, looking light on his feet around the rim. We also saw the jump hook, and though his game is rudimentary, Yurtseven passed the NBA eye test with tools, mobility, footwork and touch.
Don't be surprised if Yurtseven stays in the draft despite an underwhelming freshman year. With obvious long-term potential, he's the type of prospect a team could convince to leave school by promising guaranteed second-round dollars.
He could be better off developing in the Development League than North Carolina State.
Kyle Kuzma (Utah, PF, Junior)
5 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Up
Kyle Kuzma came out firing during Game 2 with three triples and a pull-up jumper in the first 13 minutes.
He didn't look like a player who had shot below 33 percent from deep for three straight seasons.
Kuzma, who measured 6'9 ½", showcased the type of versatility NBA teams covet at power forward, having hit jumpers, made savvy passes and pushed the ball off defensive rebounds.
He was a definite standout, particularly with many NBA executives in the house likely seeing him for the first time. Of all fringe prospects who participated Thursday during five-on-fives, nobody made a more convincing first-round pitch than Kuzma, Game 2's leading scorer with 20 points.
Melo Trimble (Maryland, PG, Junior)
6 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Down
Melo Trimble got off to a brutal start to the 2017 combine after struggling mightily at last year's event.
He finished with five turnovers and missed all five of his field-goal attempts during Thursday's first game. It got to the point where he struggled just to cleanly get the ball past half court and initiate the offense.
With the shortest wingspan (6'2") of any player in attendance, Trimble may have fallen off the NBA radar in Chicago.
Frank Jackson (Duke, SG, Freshman)
7 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Up
Frank Jackson, who's kept his options open by declaring without an agent, could be one step closer to leaving Duke after a standout Day 1 at the combine.
He finished with 13 points and four assists, having demonstrated both sharp skills and good decision-making.
Handling the ball for his team, he put pressure on the rim with hesitation and strong drives. Jackson generated some buzz from the crowd with a sweet Eurostep into a floater.
He made Arizona's Kobi Simmons look inferior for most of the game.
As one of the youngest prospects eligible for the draft (turned 19 on May 4), Jackson emerged as one of Thursday's more intriguing five-on-five participants. He should be in line to at least draw consideration from teams in the 20s.
Svi Mykhailiuk (Kansas, SG/SF, Junior)
8 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Up
Svi Mykhailiuk generated buzz before his five-on-five game even started.
Scouts and executives in the stands were quickly drawn to his stroke during shooting drills, when he drilled 20-of-25 NBA three-pointers.
Mykhailiuk, who combined to make 39.9 percent of threes as a sophomore and junior, backed up his warm-up performance with three more triples during Game 1.
PJ Dozier (South Carolina, SG/SF, Sophomore)
9 of 9
Day 1 Stock: Down
PJ Dozier declared for the draft, signed with an agent and then bombed Day 1 at the combine.
He finished his game 2-of-11 with a team-worst plus/minus of minus-19. Dozier opened his scrimmage with a three-point make before struggling the rest of the way, looking noticeably uncomfortable finishing at the rim.
He had some bad misses throughout, and he struggled during shooting drills as well, making just 10-of-25 NBA three-pointers.
The first round no longer seems possible for Dozier, who's already given up the final two years of his college eligibility.
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