CHICAGO -- How much size matters -- and whether it matters at all -- is a topic that could feed families with the amount of energy input into the discussion. But at the NBA Draft Combine size matters more than it doesn't, and measurements from this week here have ramifications that will likely affect draft stock some for the better and others for the worst.
That made Monday a bit of a mixed bag for USC product Bronny James, LeBron James' oldest son, as he was measured at 6-foot-1.5 without shoes -- despite being listed at a stocky 6-4 at USC. That was the not-so-good. Then there was the good: he went out and did his best Larry Bird impression only hours later, finishing 19-of-25 in the 3-point shooting star drill, which put him second among all participants in this year's event.
So was Bronny a winner or a loser from the opening of the combine? It was a bit of both, to be honest. His measurements underwhelmed but his endurance and shooting ability in a drill in which you can showcase both looked impressive. We'll wait to cast judgment as the week goes on.
We won't wait to cast judgment on other measurements, though, so with Bronny's small stature as the headliner, below are several other notable metrics that popped from that portion of the combine.
Winner: Providence's Carter is, indeed, athletic
Providence guard Devin Carter, the reigning Big East Player of the Year who had a career season leading the Friars while averaging 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, showed off his giddy-up in a big way out of the gate Monday with some (literal) record-breaking in the process. He tied for first among all participants with a 42.0 inch max vertical jump, had a 10.63 second pro-lane agility drill time (third best among players at the combine) then set an NBA Draft Combine record for the 3/4 court sprint with 2.87 seconds. Oh, and he measured with the longest wingspan (6-8.75) among all point guards at the combine, to boot. Not a bad day at the office for Mr. Carter.
Providence’s Devin Carter w/ a 42” max vertical leap, tied for the best at the NBA Draft Combine.
— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) May 13, 2024
Also tied the top standing vert mark at 35”.
Looking really bouncy. pic.twitter.com/rmBB6GGhr4
Loser: UK's Dillingham comes up short
Prospects being overly generous in estimating and listing their height or weight to their advantage is not a new development. But at the combine each year it happens. And Kentucky product Rob Dillingham, who was listed at 6-3 while in college, was one of the more noteworthy. He measured 6-1 (without shoes) with a 6-3 wingspan and weighed 164.2 pounds. Dillingham is a top-10 prospect in this year's class and his height measurement was highly anticipated going into the week. Measuring 6-1 is what many expected and could ding him a bit, if not at the least give some NBA teams pause.
Winner: Big jumpers
Carter was not the only high-flier in the building. Carter tied for the highest maximum vertical jump with three others -- Trentyn Flowers, Keshad Johnson and Reed Sheppard -- who all posted 42-inch maximum verticals. James, Trevon Brazile, KJ Simpson and Adem Bona all had 40-inch max verts or better on the board to finish top 10 in the metric.
| Player | Pos | Max Vert |
|---|---|---|
| Devin Carter | PG | 42.00" |
| Trentyn Flowers | SF | 42.00" |
| Keshad Johnson | PF | 42.00" |
| Reed Sheppard | PG | 42.00" |
| Trevon Brazile | PF | 41.00" |
| Bronny James | SG | 40.50" |
| KJ Simpson | PG | 40.50" |
| Adem Bona | C | 40.00" |
| Boogie Ellis | G | 39.50" |
| PJ Hall | C | 39.50" |
Winner: Cling Kong is long
UConn big man Donovan Clingan -- who earned the nickname with the Huskies as "Cling Kong" -- was a big winner from Monday with measurements that popped off the page. He was listed at 7-1.75 without shoes, had a 7-6.75 wingspan and a stunning 9-7 standing reach -- the latter matching Purdue big man Zach Edey as the longest among those at the combine who measured. Clingan was an efficiency darling at UConn whose defense helped the Huskies to back-to-back titles and his impact was beyond measure. His length, though, now that it is precisely measured, will certainly help his draft stock.
Winner: Edey somehow gets bigger
Edey, the two-time national player of the year, came in at 7-3.75 without shoes -- incredibly a half-inch taller than last year at the combine. He also somehow lost a half-inch to his standing reach (now 9-7) but posted a 7-10.75 wingspan and was one pound shy of 300 pounds.
The big question with Edey will be whether he can add shooting to his offensive arsenal and how agile he'll be as a defender when asked to do so in space. But given his size he moved well in drills, posting a faster lane agility time than the likes of center prospects Alex Sarr, Yves Missi and Clingan, while showing off what looks to be an improved shot as well. He could be in for a big week in Chicago to build his stock into a first-round type portfolio.
Winner: Mogbo makes waves
San Francisco forward Jonathan Mogbo was a surprise whoa when the measurements for prospects dropped as he checked in at 6-6.25 -- not surprising -- but with a wingspan of 7-2 and a standing reach of 9-0.50 -- which registered as stunning. The USF product's measurements, for a prospect who might profile as a jumbo wing at the NBA level, registered 1.5 inches shorter in standing reach than 7-footer Alex Sarr with a jarring +7.75 wingspan to boot.
NBA Draft Combine measurements
| Player | | Height W/O shoes | Weight | Standing reach | Max. Vert. leap | Wingspan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Ajayi | SF | 6' 5.75'' | 227.8 | 8' 10.50'' | 34.5 | 7' 0.75'' |
| Trey Alexander | SG | 6' 3.25'' | 187 | 8' 5.50'' | 32 | 6' 10.50'' |
| Izan Almansa | C | 6' 9.25'' | 219.6 | 9' 2.00'' | 35 | 7' 1.00'' |
| Reece Beekman | PG | 6' 1.25'' | 196.4 | 8' 4.00'' | 36.5 | 6' 6.50'' |
| Adem Bona | C | 6' 8.25'' | 243.2 | 9' 0.00'' | 40 | 7' 3.75'' |
| Trevon Brazile | PF | 6' 9.25'' | 215 | 9' 0.50'' | 41 | 7' 3.75'' |
| Jalen Bridges | SF | 6' 6.75'' | 213.4 | 8' 9.00'' | 32 | 6' 10.00'' |
| Matas Buzelis | SF | 6' 8.75'' | 197 | 8' 9.50'' | 38 | 6' 10.00'' |
| Carlton Carrington | PG | 6' 3.75'' | 194.8 | 8' 3.00'' | 36.5 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Devin Carter | SG | 6' 2.25'' | 193 | 8' 2.00'' | 42 | 6' 8.75'' |
| Stephon Castle | SG | 6' 5.50'' | 210 | 8' 6.00'' | 37 | 6' 9.00'' |
| Ulrich Chomche | C | 6' 10.25'' | 232.4 | 9' 1.00'' | 35.5 | 7' 4.00'' |
| Cam Christie | SG | 6' 4.50'' | 190.4 | 8' 5.50'' | 35.5 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Nique Clifford | SF | 6' 5.00'' | 198.6 | 8' 6.00'' | 37 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Donovan Clingan | C | 7' 1.75'' | 282 | 9' 7.00'' | 29 | 7' 6.75'' |
| Isaiah Collier | PG | 6' 2.50'' | 204.6 | 8' 1.50'' | 34 | 6' 4.75'' |
| Tristan Da Silva | PF | 6' 8.25'' | 216.8 | 8' 8.50'' | 35.5 | 6' 10.25'' |
| N'Faly Dante | C | 6' 10.00'' | 260.2 | 9' 3.00'' | 33 | 7' 6.00'' |
| Robert Dillingham | PG | 6' 1.00'' | 164.2 | 7' 11.00'' | - | 6' 3.00'' |
| Nikola Djurisic | SF | 6' 7.00'' | 208.8 | 8' 6.50'' | 34.5 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Ryan Dunn | PF | 6' 6.25'' | 213.6 | 8' 7.00'' | 38.5 | 7' 1.50'' |
| Zach Edey | C | 7' 3.75'' | 299 | 9' 7.00'' | 31.5 | 7' 10.75'' |
| Justin Edwards | SF | 6' 6.00'' | 209.4 | 8' 6.50'' | 32.5 | 6' 10.00'' |
| Jesse Edwards | C | 6' 11.50'' | 236 | 9' 3.00'' | 35.5 | 7' 5.00'' |
| Boogie Ellis | PG-SG | 6' 0.75'' | 185 | 8' 2.00'' | 39.5 | 6' 7.00'' |
| Kyle Filipowski | PF | 6' 10.75'' | 229.8 | 8' 11.00'' | 32.5 | 6' 10.50'' |
| Trentyn Flowers | SF | 6' 6.50'' | 201.4 | 8' 4.50'' | 42 | 6' 8.25'' |
| Enrique Freeman | PF | 6' 7.25'' | 212 | 9' 0.00'' | 35 | 7' 2.00'' |
| Johnny Furphy | SF | 6' 7.50'' | 188.8 | 8' 8.50'' | 32 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Kyshawn George | SF | 6' 7.00'' | 208.8 | 8' 9.00'' | 32 | 6' 10.25'' |
| Tyon Grant-Foster | SF | 6' 5.75'' | 215.2 | 8' 8.00'' | - | 6' 11.75'' |
| PJ Hall | C | 6' 8.25'' | 239.6 | 8' 7.50'' | 39.5 | 7' 1.50'' |
| Coleman Hawkins | PF | 6' 8.25'' | 215.2 | 8' 11.00'' | 29.5 | 7' 0.00'' |
| Ron Holland II | SF | 6' 6.50'' | 196.8 | 8' 8.00'' | 38 | 6' 10.75'' |
| DaRon Holmes II | C | 6' 8.75'' | 236.2 | 9' 0.00'' | 34 | 7' 1.00'' |
| Ariel Hukporti | C | 6' 10.75'' | 246.2 | 9' 3.00'' | - | 7' 2.50'' |
| Oso Ighodaro | C | 6' 9.50'' | 222 | 8' 8.50'' | 39.5 | 6' 11.00'' |
| Harrison Ingram | SF | 6' 5.25'' | 233.6 | 8' 6.50'' | 35 | 7' 0.25'' |
| Bronny James | SG | 6' 1.50'' | 210.4 | 8' 2.50'' | 40.5 | 6' 7.25'' |
| AJ Johnson | SG | 6' 4.25'' | 167 | 8' 6.00'' | 38 | 6' 8.50'' |
| Keshad Johnson | PF | 6' 6.25'' | 224 | 8' 7.00'' | 42 | 6' 10.25'' |
| David Jones | SF | 6' 3.50'' | 211.2 | 8' 4.00'' | 34.5 | 6' 6.75'' |
| Dillon Jones | SF | 6' 4.50'' | 236.8 | 8' 4.50'' | 33.5 | 6' 11.00'' |
| Isaac Jones | C | 6' 7.75'' | 235 | 9' 0.00'' | 35 | 7' 3.00'' |
| Alex Karaban | PF | 6' 6.50'' | 219.2 | 8' 10.50'' | 32 | 6' 11.00'' |
| Bobi Klintman | PF | 6' 8.75'' | 212.2 | 8' 10.50'' | 32.5 | 6' 11.00'' |
| Dalton Knecht | SF | 6' 5.25'' | 212.2 | 8' 7.50'' | 39 | 6' 9.00'' |
| Tyler Kolek | PG | 6' 1.25'' | 196.6 | 7' 11.00'' | 34 | 6' 2.75'' |
| Pelle Larsson | SG | 6' 5.25'' | 212.4 | 8' 6.00'' | 38 | 6' 7.50'' |
| Jared McCain | SG | 6' 2.00'' | 203.2 | 8' 2.00'' | 33 | 6' 3.50'' |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | SF | 6' 5.25'' | 205.8 | 8' 7.00'' | - | 6' 9.00'' |
| Yves Missi | C | 6' 10.75'' | 229.4 | 9' 1.50'' | 38.5 | 7' 2.00'' |
| Ajay Mitchell | PG | 6' 3.25'' | 197 | 8' 5.00'' | 33.5 | 6' 6.25'' |
| Jonathan Mogbo | PF | 6' 6.25'' | 217.2 | 9' 0.50'' | 37.5 | 7' 2.00'' |
| Tristen Newton | PG | 6' 3.25'' | 191.8 | 8' 4.00'' | 32.5 | 6' 6.75'' |
| Quinten Post | C | 7' 0.00'' | 244.4 | 9' 4.00'' | 27 | 7' 2.50'' |
| Antonio Reeves | SG | 6' 4.50'' | 186.6 | 8' 4.50'' | 36 | 6' 8.25'' |
| Jaxson Robinson | SG | 6' 4.75'' | 188.6 | 8' 7.00'' | 34 | 6' 11.25'' |
| Hunter Sallis | SG | 6' 3.50'' | 179.4 | 8' 4.50'' | 36 | 6' 9.75'' |
| Payton Sandfort | SF | 6' 6.25'' | 212 | 8' 8.00'' | 28 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Alexandre Sarr | C | 6' 11.75'' | 224.2 | 9' 2.00'' | 37 | 7' 4.25'' |
| Baylor Scheierman | SF | 6' 6.25'' | 201.6 | 8' 6.50'' | 32 | 6' 8.25'' |
| Mark Sears | PG | 5' 10.25'' | 192.4 | 7' 8.00'' | 39 | 6' 2.00'' |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | SF | 6' 5.75'' | 219.4 | 8' 4.00'' | - | 6' 8.75'' |
| Jamal Shead | PG | 6' 0.25'' | 200.8 | 8' 0.00'' | 37.5 | 6' 3.00'' |
| Reed Sheppard | PG | 6' 1.75'' | 181.6 | 7' 9.50'' | 42 | 6' 3.25'' |
| KJ Simpson | PG | 6' 0.25'' | 187 | 7' 9.50'' | 40.5 | 6' 4.50'' |
| Tyler Smith | PF | 6' 9.00'' | 223.8 | 8' 9.00'' | 38 | 7' 1.00'' |
| Cam Spencer | SG | 6' 3.00'' | 201.8 | 8' 2.50'' | 30.5 | 6' 5.00'' |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin | PF | 6' 8.25'' | 205 | 9' 1.00'' | 32.5 | 7' 2.50'' |
| JT Toppin | PF | 6' 7.00'' | 221 | 8' 10.00'' | 34 | 7' 0.50'' |
| Jaylon Tyson | SF | 6' 5.50'' | 218.2 | 8' 6.50'' | 36.5 | 6' 8.00'' |
| Ja'Kobe Walter | SG | 6' 4.25'' | 197.6 | 8' 6.50'' | 38.5 | 6' 10.00'' |
| Kel'el Ware | C | 6' 11.75'' | 230 | 9' 4.50'' | 36 | 7' 4.50'' |
| Jamir Watkins | SF | 6' 5.00'' | 211.6 | 8' 8.00'' | 35.5 | 6' 10.75'' |
| Jaylen Wells | SF | 6' 6.50'' | 206.2 | 8' 7.50'' | 36 | 6' 7.25'' |
| Cody Williams | SF | 6' 6.50'' | 178.4 | 8' 7.00'' | 35.5 | 7' 1.00'' |
