Grayson Allen NBA Combine 2018: Measurements, Analysis and Draft Projection

Grayson Allen isn't the biggest, strongest or fastest player in the 2018 NBA draft, but he's in pretty good shape.

The former Duke star participated in the 2018 draft combine Thursday, measuring in at 6'4 ½" in shoes with a 6'7 ¼" wingspan and 8'1" standing reach. He weighed in at 198 pounds with 5.55 percent body fat, the latter ranking 10th among all shooting guards.

As far as measurements go, there's not much to write home about here. Allen was listed at 6'5" and 205 pounds at Duke. He's a little under both of those marks at the combine, but teams tend to round up with height and he looked slightly leaner—in a good way.

The real test for Allen came in the on-court drills and athletic testing, where he may have impressed scouts enough to get first-round consideration. His four years at Duke somewhat obscure the memory of the Allen in high school, who arrived in Durham with a reputation as one of the best prep athletes in the country.

Allen proved all of that correct Thursday, posting a 10.31-second time in the lane agility test—the best among anyone who had times in the first day. Jonathan Givony of ESPN noted it's one of the five-best times in the combine database history. Allen also had a 40 1/2" vertical leap, tying him for fifth place among all prospects. 

Don't be surprised if Allen caught some casual observers off guard with his vertical and quickness. He's a better athlete than he often gets credit for being. Adding more muscle late in his career hurt his lateral quickness and burst near the rim, but his leaner frame suggests he understands that and has worked on improving his explosion.

Allen, provided he participates, should impress in shooting drills. He has a clean release and solid form on his jumper—both off the dribble and stationary. There are few (if any) hitches in his shot, though his numbers were wildly inconsistent as an upperclassman at Duke.

Allen is on the fringes of first-round consideration, but it's likelier he'll fall to early Round 2—barring a really overwhelming outing the rest of the day. He's looking at a selection in the 35-45 range, but it wouldn't be a shock if he's hanging around the league longer than a bunch of guys taken ahead of him. 

His performance Thursday speaks to a prospect who may have been underrated athletically by people who only knew him for his antics and shooting at Duke.