Analysis: Jayhawks at the 2018 NBA Combine

Published May 19, 2018

The annual NBA Combine took place Thursday and Friday in Chicago where college basketball’s finest come together to showcase their skills (or not) while also doing interviews with various teams. This year’s combine featured five Kansas players, four of which are officially entering the draft. The other is Udoka Azubuike, who has until May 30 to make an official decision. Below, the Kansan has everything you need to know about each of the Jayhawk’s combines. From measurements to drill results (with grades and analysis) to mini film sessions breaking down the biggest takeaway from each player’s performance in the scrimmages.

Billy Preston NBA comparison: taller poor man's Carmelo Anthony Measurements Height with shoes: 6-foot-10.5 Weight: 222.4 lbs Body fat: 5.45 percent Wingspan: 7 feet 2 inches Standing reach: 9 feet Hand length: 9.25 inches Hand width: 9.5 inches Drills Lane agility: 11.26 seconds (1st of 13 forwards) Shuttle run: 3.35 seconds (9th) 3/4 court sprint: 3.2 seconds (3rd) Standing vertical: 25 inches (T12th) Max vertical: 33 inches (7th) Measurement and drill grade: A-

Why: Billy Preston is physically gifted. He has great agility and finesse for his size and can guard 1-5 without any sort of liability. But all of it means nothing since you can’t see if his physical gifts translate to the court. Scrimmages For an unknown reason, Preston did not participate in scrimmages at the combine. One could assume it is because Preston has not faced off against elite competition since leaving Kansas in early 2018 and felt he could be a step behind the competition.

Malik Newman NBA comparison: Jamal Crawford Measurements

Height with shoes: 6-foot-3.25 Weight: 189.2 lbs Body fat: 6.25 percent Wingspan: 6 feet 5.5 inches Standing reach: 8 feet 2.5 inches Hand length: 8.5 inches Hand width: 9.5 inches Drills Lane agility: 10.9 seconds (10th of 37 guards) Shuttle run: 3.17 seconds (T25th) 3/4 court sprint: 3.13 seconds (T13th) Standing vertical: 27.5 inches (32nd) Max vertical: 33.5 inches (32nd) Measurement and drill grade: B

Why: There really weren’t any surprises coming out of Malik Newman’s measurements at the combine. Height and length wise, he projects as a point guard but Newman doesn’t necessarily have the playmaking qualities a point guard should have. Newman’s speed in the open court is a big plus, but there are a lot of question marks surrounding Newman’s defensive upside. Scrimmages Newman did not scrimmage at the combine. It is assumed that Newman did not want to risk the draft stock he increased during the month of March where he arguably carried Kansas for stretches.

Udoka Azubuike NBA comparison: more muscular Clint Capella Measurements Height with shoes: 7-foot-0.25 Weight: 273.8 lbs Body fat: 7.95% Wingspan: 7 feet 7 inches Standing reach: 9 feet 4.5 inches Hand length: 9.50 inches Hand width: 10 inches Drills Lane agility: 12.97 seconds (10th out of 10 centers) Shuttle run: 3.65 seconds (10th) 3/4 court sprint: 3.12 seconds (1st) Standing vertical: 31 inches (2nd) Max vertical: 31.5 inches (8th) Measurement and drill grade: B+

Why: The decision for center Udoka Azubuike to stay in the draft or return to Kansas for his junior season has to have been made harder due to Azubuike’s great measurable. Ranking second in the entire combine in standing reach and wingspan, Azubuike’s length and foot speed will have general managers and scouts across the NBA wishing his on-court game mirrored the all-around specimen that is Azubuike. Despite Azubuike’s slow time on the shuttle run and lane agility (two drills that players and scouts have repeatedly said are the hardest two drills), he shuffles his feet well on the court, especially when defending a pick and roll. Scrimmages Player awareness Udoka Azubuike had a good offensive combine, scoring 27 points on 13-20 shooting and was consistent throughout both scrimmages. Yet the thing that has stuck in my mind is Azubuike’s spatial awareness or lack thereof. This was what that allowed Omari Spellman to rain threes in San Antonio and even though the city changed, the result didn’t. Matched up against each other, Azubuike lost track of Spellman multiple times, giving the sharpshooter open looks. Here Azubuike gets sucked into the lane trying to help, but that’s the last thing you should do when guarding a shooter. Although Spellman misses the three, it is a wide-open look that any center with an outside shot should be able to hit.

But Azubuike didn’t learn his lesson; he did it again only a handful of possessions later. Azubuike gets sucked into an already crowded lane for no reason. Spellman hesitates and misses the three. On the offensive end, Azubuike was solid in the post but one play stands out. Azubuike catches the ball in the deep post and tries to go to his left. When that isn’t there, he tries again, running into his man. Azubuike doesn’t even realize he is still feet from the basket, and as he goes up to dunk it, he spikes the ball off the defender.

The worst of them all comes late in a game. Going from college to the NBA is difficult and getting used to the three-second rule must be incredibly hard to do. With that said, it is still inexcusable to be called for a three-second (more like five) violation.

These are small things, but in order to make it at the next level, players must be able to do the small things well. More so, to make it in the NBA, players needs to be aware of their surroundings on the court at all times, or else the Joel Embiids of the world will feast on your lack of awareness. I think the combine as a whole for Azubuike has been a great learning experience, but I would be shocked if he stayed in the draft. He has so much more to learn and being one of the leaders on a blue blood program could go a long way in next year’s not-so-stacked draft.

Svi Mykhailiuk NBA comparison: Joe Harris | Klay Thompson without the defense Measurements Height with shoes: 6-foot-7.75 Weight: 211.6 lbs Body fat: 8.45% Wingspan: 6 feet 4.75 inches Standing reach: 8 feet 4 inches Hand length: 8.25 inches Hand width: 9.5 inches Drills Lane agility: 11.25 seconds (25th of 37 guards) Shuttle run: 3.17 seconds (T25th) 3/4 court sprint: 3.15 seconds (16th) Standing vertical: 30.5 inches (21st) Max vertical: 37 inches (20th) Measurement and drill grade: C+

Why: Svi Mykhailiuk has to be happy with his combine on the court but he leaves Chicago with a large blemish on his resume. Mykhailiuk was the only player at the combine who had a wingspan shorter than his height. Mykhailiuk’s lack of length will hinder him defensively at the next level, but according to NBA Draft expert Jonathan Tjarks, that won’t necessarily keep Mykhailiuk from making it in the NBA. “Svi isn’t going to offer much on D. But he’s a good enough shooter at 6’8 he might make it anyway,” Tjarks said in an email with the Kansan. Speed was never one of Mykhailiuk’s strengths but he finished in the middle-front of the guards — a good sign going forward for the Ukraine native as the NBA is now a “pace and space” league. Scrimmages Mykhailiuk will wish that he didn’t play in the second scrimmage of the combine after lighting it up on Thursday, dropping 20 points while shooting 6-of-9 from deep. Friday, was a much different story, and the shots just weren’t falling. Use of pick and roll While at Kansas, it was rare to find Mykhailiuk as the primary ball handler in the pick and roll. Entering the combine, it was clear that Mykhailiuk had been told to use screens as much as possible. On Thursday, he did so with a mixed bag of results. On this play, Mykhailiuk does a good job of using the screen and getting downhill towards the basket. He sees the right play but Kostas Antetokounmpo moves out of the way of the pass just before Mykhailiuk lets go of the ball.

Even though it counts as a turnover, it is a good idea from Mykhailiuk and given some team chemistry, the play would have been there. Again, Mykhailiuk uses the screen to create space and a passing lane. He is patient and begins to dribble back, bringing the big and guard away from the lane, giving Mykhailiuk’s teammate a lane to the hoop. Mykhailiuk showed patience like that of former teammate Devonte’ Graham. Granted, Mykhailiuk does handle the ball more when he plays for his country, but to see it against some future NBA talent is worth noting.

The thing that sat with me most about Mykhailiuk’s use of the pick and roll during both games was his confidence pulling the trigger coming off a screen. Even though the shot doesn’t go in, Mykhailiuk had no hesitation shooting the ball. Being able to hurt a team in different ways, such as coming off screens, is how players like Kyle Korver and J.J. Reddick have made their NBA careers. Something in particular that I liked about Mykhailiuk’s play was how he made the opposition pay for switching a big onto him. Here he uses a rhythm dribble to make the big relax before pulling the trigger. As Mykhailiuk got more comfortable, the shots started to fall, opening up other ways to score. In both these actions, Mykhailiuk plays to his jump shot, using a pump fake to get defenders in the air. He shows he can either pull the trigger then or drive past and get to the rim.

Even though the second play will show up as a turnover, Mykhailiuk got in a good position to create something, but the big wasn’t there. While at Kansas, Udoka Azubuike would be there to catch the lob, so it’s an understandable play for Mykhailiuk to want to make. Overall I was shocked at how well Mykhailiuk ran the pick and roll in both games. He had ups and downs with his shot but the positions he was in were promising.

Devonte' Graham NBA comparison: Kyle Lowry Measurements Height with shoes: 6-foot-1.5 Weight: 186.4 lbs Body fat: 4.8 percent Wingspan: 6 feet 6.25 inches Standing reach: 8 feet Hand length: 8.5 inches Hand width: 9.5 inches Drills Lane agility: 11.28 seconds (27th of 37 guards) Shuttle run: 3.14 seconds (19th) 3/4 court sprint: 32.1 seconds (28th) Standing vertical: 31 seconds (17th) Max vertical: 37 seconds (20th) Measurement and drill grade: B

Why: Devonte’ Graham has a mixed bag when it comes to physical attributes. A great wingspan for his height, Graham has some defensive upside potential, but his frame is relatively set at his age of 23 and his height is not ideal looking at the next level. His standing vertical is good, but for a point guard, that skill isn’t utilized a whole lot at that position. One of Graham’s weaknesses is that he likes to jump off two feet when going into the paint. He will need to work on exploding off one foot in order to improve his finishing around the rim. The reason jumping off two feet in the paint isn’t ideal is because it takes an extra split second to collect one's self before jumping — giving shot blockers time to recover or anticipate a shot.

Scrimmages Creating offense without shooting Devonte’ Graham had himself a great combine and will have done himself a lot of favors with general managers across the league. Graham’s shot was not falling in the first scrimmage, but he did an incredible job of looking to create offense for others instead of himself.

Graham has great spatial awareness and always seems to know where all of his teammates are. This incredible off-balance, one-handed pass Graham makes in transition after Brian Bowen II throws him a tough pass is what makes Graham special.

Even though Brandon McCoy doesn’t finish the play, it’s a bright idea from Graham. He could have collected himself and shot a corner three but he knows his shot isn’t on, so he looks for a higher percentage shot. Here Graham makes a pass he has made hundreds of times to Svi Mykhailiuk and Malik Newman while at Kansas. What makes this particular one more difficult is the fact that he throws the pass across the court and over NBA length.

Graham’s ability to push the pace and pick out the right passes will endear himself to GMs across the league as finding playmakers who can throw pinpoint passes across the court is incredibly valuable in today’s NBA. Again, here is another good pass in transition to get a layup. Instead of settling for a pull-up three or a Mike Conley-esque floater, Graham makes a good lob pass to Bowen. The pass could have been a little higher but Bowen jumps too early, taking away the possibility of a lob dunk. For the first time in memory, Graham was a primary ball handler with a big, Omari Spellman, who can pick and pop. Graham uses a screen from McCoy to draw two defenders with one extra dropping in deep to help on McCoy. Seeing it, Graham puts the ball over his head looking at McCoy, freezing the defense. As the defense reacts to Graham’s eyes, Spellman is left wide open and Graham finds him for the open look. In the NBA where bigs who can pick and pop are more common, Graham’s game could be opened up even more with the threat of a popper. With all of this said, Graham did make mistakes when trying to create. Graham throws a rocket off the top corner of the backboard in transition. It is impossible to know why he threw it so hard, but it was most likely a mix of adrenaline and an overestimation how high his man could jump.

Graham made this exact pass to rising sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.

This was one of the few times Graham made the wrong decision in the pick and roll. The pass isn’t there and he tries to force it in between four players in white. Plain and simple, just a bad decision that leads to a foul on the other end.

In its interviews with players, the Detroit Pistons used virtual reality goggles to test guard’s decision-making in the pick and roll. Graham would have failed that test on this specific play.

