Evaluations From The First Two Games of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine

June 25^th, 2021

By Alan Lu

Today, I managed to watch the first two games of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine. Some of the players played very well, and in the second game, one team played especially well. A few players stood out from the pack. Here are my evaluations of the top performers of the first two games at this event.

Thoughts on the First Game of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine: (Team 1 vs. Team 2)

I took the time to watch the first game that was played at the NBA Draft Combine.  It was very competitive early on, and it was a very fast paced match in the early going.  The game started to slow down a bit later on, but both teams missed a lot of shots and turned the ball over frequently.  Team 1 was able to hold off Team 2 to get the win.  In my opinion, Nah’Shon Hyland, Moses Wright, and Jericho Sims were the standout performers of this match.  Here are my thoughts on how they fared, as well as how other prospects played on this day. For those that are interested in the box score of this game, the link is here.

Team 1’s Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland played really well, especially in the first half, as he had a strong all-around game to lead his team to a win.  He really excelled as a shooter and scorer.  He would knock down plenty of threes both off the catch and dribble, and Hyland showed a knack for using jab step moves to make pull-up threes from beyond the arc.  He also would tend to score in transition, and he also showed the ability to score on speedy, aggressive drives to the hoop.

Also, he displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Hyland would throw solid interior passes off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates, and he also can make quick drive and kick passes.  A couple of times though, he would throw hasty passes that would get intercepted by defenders.

Plus, Hyland did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played solid defense in this game.  Hyland blocked a three-point shot to a teammate due to possessing good athleticism and timing.  He also ran in to backtap a ball away from an opposing ball handler to get a steal.  On one play though, he committed a foul defending a much bigger player in the post off the ball, as he will still need to add more strength and muscle to his frame.

In general, Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland had a terrific first game at the NBA Draft Combine, and he especially thrived as a shooter, scorer, and defender to will his team to a win.  He has played well here, and he would likely be a solid pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range of the 2021 draft.

Team 1’s Moses Wright also played fairly well in his team’s win over Team 2.  He is an athletic, high-motor big man that showed off versatile scoring skills in this game.  He shot the ball well, as he used a jab step to make a three.  Wright also did a very good job of scoring off the dribble, and he also drove in to throw down a thunderous dunk another time. He also showed the ability to score on hustle plays, and he also ran in to score on a powerful dunk in transition.  However, Wright struggled more to score in the post, as he would sometimes tend to miss on turnaround jumpers.

Moses Wright was able to make a drive and kick pass to set up a scoring opportunity for a teammate in the corner.  He also was able to push the ball up the floor after getting a defensive board.  He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played adequate defense.  Wright was able to poke a ball away to help his team get a steal.  He also contested a three to force a miss.  He would sometimes struggle to guard opponents, as he ran back to commit a foul in transition.  Another time when defending a drive, he ended up getting beat off the dribble to allow a score. Overall, Wright played fairly well, as he thrived as a scorer in this game.  He is a very athletic big man that can score the basketball, and he could be a solid candidate to go in the second round of the 2021 draft.

Team 1’s Jericho Sims also played very well in his team’s win over Team 2. Earlier this week, he did really well in the athletic testing, as he really opened up NBA scouts and teams’ eyes by jumping an eye-popping, 44.5-inch max vertical leap to really showcase his strong athleticism and jumping skills. He also played very well today. Sims excelled as a scorer in the post as well as off of rolls to the rim.  He would score on strong rolls to the rim, and he also scored on a powerful dunk in the post.  Sims was very efficient as a scorer around the basket. 

He also managed to get a pair of assists to show some passing skills. On the downside, Sims also committed a couple of turnovers due to rushing.  He tried to rush his post move once, but it led him to commit a traveling violation.  He also threw a hasty pass that got intercepted.  Also, Sims was fairly active on the glass, and he was able to get his fair share of boards in this game.  He also poked a ball away to get a steal, as he also defended well. Overall, Sims did a good job as a rim runner in this game, and he is a very athletic center whose great athleticism and ability to finish plays in the paint could enable him to be an effective, rotational big man in the NBA.

Team 1’s Joshua Primo also had a decent showing in his team’s win over Team 2.  He showed his all-around skills in the first half, and he is an athletic swingman that was able to make some solid plays on offense. He generally excelled as a scorer off the dribble.  Primo was able to drive hard to his right to score on an acrobatic layup.  He also dribbled to his left to score on a pull-up, mid-range jumper.  Sometimes though, he would miss on floaters, and he also missed his only three-point attempt from beyond the arc.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  Primo would throw crisp, accurate interior passes to notch assists, and he would quickly get into the paint to be able to draw in multiple defenders.  He is a speedy player that can make an assortment of passes off the dribble and he also has solid court vision.  On one play though, he threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds.  Also, Primo rebounded the ball very well in this game.

Primo had a fairly solid game overall, and he generally made good plays in the first half.  His performance faltered a bit in the second half, but Primo showed enough intriguing skills to warrant a selection in the second round, as he could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Team 2’s Makur Maker also had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Team 1.  He especially played well in the first half.  His performance slipped a bit in the second half, but he made enough plays on both ends of the floor to show that he was one of the better players on his team in this game.

Maker showed a knack for scoring on mid-range jumpers.  He showed a smooth jump shot from that range, and he would score on smooth, turnaround, fadeaway jumpers.  He also shot the ball well from the outside, and Maker was able to make a deep three to showcase his shooting potential.  He even gained enough confidence to shoot a three after running quickly off of a ball screen, though he later missed on that play.

He also ran the floor and was able to draw free throws by going up strong on the break.  Maker also showed a knack for drawing fouls in the post.  On the downside, there was another play where he missed on a turnaround jump hook in the post, and sometimes he can be streaky with his jump shot.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills.  When posting up, Maker was able to throw a sharp pass to a cutter to notch an assist.  He also dribbled and threw a crisp interior pass to set up a scoring chance another time. He showed some solid passing and ball handling skills in this game.  On the downside, he can be a bit turnover prone, and he can sometimes struggle to handle the ball under considerable pressure.  He was called for a clear out when posting up that led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover.  Another time, he held the ball too long in the backcourt, as an opponent was able to backtap him to get him to lose the basketball.

Maker was able to haul in his fair share of boards, as he was able to help his team get defensive rebounds.  Overall, Maker is an athletic big man that has a burgeoning face-up game, and he showed potential as a shooter and as a passing big man on the floor.  He had a fast start to this game, and he was able to make a couple of solid plays at the end.  He will need to be a more consistent player in games, but Makur Maker is a talented big man that could be an intriguing option for teams to consider late in the second round of the 2021 draft.  If things pan out for him, he could end up be an effective role player in the NBA.

Team 2’s Sam Hauser also seemed to have one of the better performances on his team in his team’s losing effort to Team 1.  He especially played well in the first half, though he looked to be virtually invisible in the second half. Hauser shot the ball very well from downtown.  He especially excelled as a three-point shooter, as he ran off of a ball screen quickly to make a spot-up three, and he also pulled up to knock down another three-point shot.

He also played adequate defense.  Hauser got his hands up to deflect a pass to nearly get a steal.  He also blocked a shot in this game.  However, he can struggle to guard quicker opponents, especially out on the perimeter.  On one play, he got his feet entangled when defending out on the perimeter, and he quickly got beat off the dribble to allow a score to his opponent.

Overall, Hauser excelled as a floor spacer in this game, and he did a good job of knocking down threes on offense.  He may lack ideal physical tools, but he is a tall shooter that could project to be a shooting specialist in the NBA.

Team 2’s Sandro “Mamu” Mamukelashvili had some truly impressive moments in his team’s loss in this game.  While he had an up and down game overall, as he struggled with his outside shot, he looked to be a playmaking big man that showed better than advertised athletic gifts, as he was able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor.

Mamukelashvilli showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  On one play, he used a nifty, behind-the-back crossover move to score on a strong drive to the hoop.  He also managed to score on a roll to the rim.  However, Mamukelashvili missed on all three of his three-point attempts, despite consistently finding ways to get open on pick and pop plays.

He also generally passed and handled the ball well.  Mamukelashvili is a good passer that would consistently find teammates on the move to set up scoring chances for his teammates.  He was able to find a cutter to notch an assist, and he also threw a long outlet pass to find a teammate on the break another time.  He also used a spin move to kick a ball out to an open shooter.  Mamu is a skilled, agile big man that would deftly handle the ball and create shots for himself and his teammates, and he is a point center that also has solid court vision.  On one play though, he was called for traveling on a drive due to taking one too many steps.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  Mamu also defended well.  He is an active help defender that would make solid defensive plays on the ball.  He would jump passes to get steals and deflections, and he also blocked a shot off of a cut to a teammate.  Another time though, he allowed an opponent to get too deep on a roll to the rim, and he allowed his opponent to score around the basket.

Overall, Mamukelashvili showed some solid skills, even though the box score might not show it.  He made some impressive plays by scoring and making crisp passes off the dribble.  He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter and he will need to continue to work on his on-ball defense, but Mamukelashvili is an intriguing prospect that could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round of the 2021 draft.

Thoughts on the Second Game of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine: (Team 4 vs. Team 3)

I also managed to watch the second game of the NBA Draft Combine.  Team 4 really jumped on Team 3 from the get-go, and they ended up winning by 40 to get the win.  In my opinion, Quentin Grimes, Josh Christopher, and Neemias Queta looked to be the standout performers of this match.  Here are my thoughts on how they and other various prospects fared on this day. Also, for those that are interested in the box score of this game, the link is here.

Team 4’s Quentin Grimes had a strong all-around showing to lead his team to a win over Team 3.  He excelled as a sharpshooter, as he made open spot-up threes off the catch, and he also made a smooth, step-back mid-range jumper to showcase his strong, shooting skills.  Late in this game, he also swooped in to score on a nice, tip-in after leaping up to grab an offensive rebound.

Plus, he also displayed solid playmaking skills.  Grimes ran the floor to get the ball, and he then threw a nifty, behind-the-back, drop-off pass to a teammate on the break to set up a score for him.  He also drove in and used a savvy, behind-the-back crossover to throw a swift, no-look interior pass to notch another assist.  He also showed a knack for making drive and kick passes, and he excelled as a passer and ball handler.  However, he did tend to step out of bounds, as he had trouble avoiding the out of bounds line when trying to set up and make plays from the short corner.

Grimes also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  In general, Grimes put forth a very good performance, as he helped lead his team to a blowout win over Team 3.  He has really helped himself by having a strong showing as well as a very good season this year, and he would be a good pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range of the 2021 draft.

Team 4’s Josh Christopher also played very well to help lead his team to a win over Team 3.  He is a very athletic swingman that excelled at making plays to help his team on both ends of the floor. He showed a knack for scoring off the dribble.  He tended to favor going to his left to score, but he also can finish plays using either hand to do so.  Christopher showed that he can go all the way to score, he can pull up to smoothly score on mid-range floaters, and he also can draw fouls on strong drives to the rim.  He also drove quickly up the floor to score on a thunderous, high-flying dunk..  Plus, Christopher was able to score on a tip-in.  He did a very good job of mid-range jumpers, but he struggled to make threes, and he will still need time to get adjusted to the longer three-point line.

He also showed off adequate playmaking skills.  Christopher is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and he also threw an accurate, long outlet pass to a teammate in transition to help set up a score for his team.  He did a generally good job of moving the basketball, and he can certainly handle it on the break.  On the downside, he did sometimes throw hasty passes that would result in turnovers for his team, as one of his passes got intercepted, and his teammate dropped another pass.  He also was called for traveling on a drive once.

Also, Christopher did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball.  He was very active on the glass, and he would crash the boards to frequently haul in rebounds on both ends of the floor.  He also defended well.  He would get his hands on passes, and he also would poke balls away to help his team get numerous steals and deflections.  He also managed to successfully draw a charge on a drive another time.

Overall, Josh Christopher had a strong showing, as he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the win.  He will still need to get more acclimated to the NBA three-point line, but he really excelled as a scorer, rebounder, and defender on the court.  He is a very athletic, high upside player, and he could be a good pick for an NBA team in the late first round range on draft day.

Team 4’s Neemias Queta also played very well in this game, as he excelled as an interior player on both ends of the floor to help his team get a sizable, double-digit victory over Team 3. Queta is a strong, physical center that excelled at scoring in the paint.  He did a very good job of scoring around the basket.  He would frequently score on rolls to the rim.  He caught a lob to score on a layup, and he also used a pump fake to get a strong score in traffic.  He also rolled to get the ball in the post, and he was able to throw down a powerful dunk another time.   Plus, he also excelled at scoring on put backs.  He was able to score on a strong put back, and he would frequently draw free throws on put back attempts after getting offensive rebounds for his team.

He also was able to pass out of the post to get the ball to an open shooter.  Another time, he dropped a catchable pass that led to a team turnover.  Queta also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to haul in plenty of boards on both ends of the floor.  He also played solid defense.  Queta rotated to block a mid-range floater hard out of bounds.  He also would jump on loose balls that his teammates would deflect away to help his team get steals, and he also knocked a ball away out of bounds another time.  He also pressured and trapped an opposing ball handler to force his opponent to step out of bounds due to bringing good ball pressure.  He also would contest shots in the paint to force misses.  Sometimes though, he would be late on his rotations, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Neemias Queta played very well to help Team 4 get a double-digit victory over Team 3.  He has had a very good season this year, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the late first to the second round range in this draft.

Team 4’s David Johnson also played fairly well to help his team get the win over Team 3.  He excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor.  He would drive hard to the basket to score and draw free throws.  On the downside, he struggled with his three-point shot, which led to a couple of misses. He also displayed decent playmaking skills.  He excelled at throwing interior passes, and he would find his teammates on the move to set up scores for them.  On the downside, he would sometimes be inaccurate with his passes.  He also had a ball poked away when handling it once that led to a turnover, and he also set a moving screen later on in this match.

Also, Johnson did a good job of rebounding the basketball, and he was able to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  Johnson also defended well.  He has the size and skills to defend multiple positions, and he would contest threes to force misses.  He also jumped on a loose ball that a teammate deflected away to help his team get a steal another time.

Overall, David Johnson did a good job of making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the win.  He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter, and he’ll need to be more assertive on offense.  Still, he is a talented prospect that could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round, and his athleticism, skill set, and versatility could enable him to be a solid role player in the association.

Team 4’s Justin Champagnie also played well in his team’s win over Team 3.  He is an athletic, high-motor forward that excelled at making hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor. He excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  Champagnie showed a knack for scoring off of backdoor cuts.  He also ran the floor to score on a thunderous dunk on the break.  He also drew free throws on a put back.  On the downside, he didn’t shoot very well from the outside.  He struggled to knock down jumpers, and he had trouble scoring on mid-range jump shots or on three-point shots.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Champagnie is an unselfish player that would look to find the open man, and he was able to get a pair of assists.  On the downside, when making a backdoor cut to get the ball in the post, he ended up getting tied up by an opponent, which led him to commit a turnover.

Champagnie did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball, and he was basically like a chairman of the glass.  He was always around the ball, and he was able to haul in lots of boards in this game.  He also defended well.  He was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal, and he also ran in to poke a ball away from behind to nearly get another.  He also would contest jumpers to force misses.

Overall, Justin Champagnie had a solid showing in this game, and he did a good job of making hustle plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the victory.  He made solid team plays in this game.  He’ll still need to improve his outside shot, but his athleticism, motor, and production could make him a fairly solid pick for an NBA team in the second round in this draft.

Team 3’s Ariel Hukporti played fairly well for his team in their blowout loss to Team 4.  No one on his team dominated or stood out in particular, but he may have played the best on his team in this game. Hukporti showed a solid ability to score in the paint.  He excelled at scoring on left-handed drives to the hoop.  He drove to his left to score on a sweeping, sky hook.  He also used a pump fake to get to the rim to get fouled and draw free throws.  Hukporti also threw down a powerful dunk off of a roll to the rim.  He also used a quick pivot move to score on a strong, turnaround jump hook in the post another time.  He also showed the willingness to shoot from the outside, but he ended up missing his only three-point attempt that he hoisted up from beyond the arc. On the downside, while Hukporti did show some ball handling skills for a big man, he still was turnover prone in this game.  He was called for traveling when trying to make a play in the post.  He also threw a hard, inaccurate outlet pass that got intercepted.

Hukporti also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played adequate defense in this game.  He would jump on loose balls to help his team get steals.  He also rotated to a cutter and made a solid rotation early on to help his team force a turnover that time.  On the downside, he would tend to commit fouls when rotating to contest shots around the basket.  He also got faked out on a drive, as he rotated to try to help on a drive, but he ended up allowing a dunk instead because the opponent passed the ball on a drive to the man he had helped off of.

Overall, Ariel Hukporti is an athletic, physical center that did a fairly good job of making plays in the paint on both ends of the floor.  He will need to be more assertive on offense and he will need to continue to improve his outside shot, but he could be a fairly solid pick in the second round, as he could project to be an effective rotational big man in the NBA.

Team 3’s Joe Wieskamp had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Team 4.  He tested really well in the athletic testing, as he managed to show off an impressive, 42-inch max vert, which complements the 46% three-point shooting that he shot this season very well.  Based on his statistical and athletic profile, it looks as though he may be on the path to be a first round pick or close to it this year.

In this game though, he played well in the first half, but he basically disappeared and faded into the background in the second half.  He did a decent job of knocking down jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team.  Wieskamp was able to make a pair of threes early on.  He ran quickly to get the ball on a dribble handoff, as he then made a smooth pull-up three.  He also ran off of a ball screen to make a quick, spot-up three over a smaller defender.  He also used a pump fake, as he then pulled up to score on a long two-point shot.  Wieskamp showed that he can shoot well on the move, but he also was fairly streaky with his jump shot later on in this game.

Wieskamp also managed to find a cutter to set up a scoring chance for his teammate on one play.  Wieskamp also played adequate defense.  He defended well early on.  He was able to block a shot off of a roll to the rim, and he also blocked a shot off of a drive another time.  Wieskamp also contested a three-point shot to force a miss.  He did an impressive job of blocking shots, and he can successfully challenge shots when he makes an effort to do so.  However, late in this game, he seemed to struggle more defensively.  He was called for a foul when defending in the post off the ball.  Other times, he wouldn’t try to contest shots on drives in transition, as his team would allow dunks to their opponents.  He also got beat quickly off the dribble another time, which led his teammate to rotate to commit the foul.

Overall, Joe Wieskamp is an intriguing prospect, and he could be a solid second round pick if he decides to stay in the draft.  He is a good shooter that tested very well athletically, and when he’s focused, he’s shown that he can be a passable defender that can make some solid plays on that end of the floor.  He may have a similar game to Milwaukee Bucks’ swingman, Pat Connaughton, and Wieskamp could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Team 4’s RaiQuan Gray had his ups and downs, but he was able to make some very good plays on both ends of the floor in this game.  Gray showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  He was able to drive to his right to score on a floater.  He also managed to go coast to coast off of a steal to score on a thunderous, forceful dunk on the break.  Gray also pulled up to score on a mid-range jumper off the dribble.  He also drove in from the baseline to get an open shot at the rim another time, but he ended up missing on an open dunk, as he dunked it too hard that time.

On the downside, he struggled more to consistently score on jumpers.  Gray was unable to knock down any of his three-point shots, and he did not make a three in this game.  Gray displayed decent playmaking skills in this game.  He was able to find a cutter to notch an assist.  He also handled the ball well on offense.  On the downside, he threw a bad pass that got intercepted another time.

Gray also was able to leap up to get his fair share of rebounds on both ends of the floor.  He also defended well in this game.  Gray defended an opposing ball-handler tightly out on the perimeter, and he forced his opponent to nearly lose the ball, and Gray then blocked a three-point shot hard to basically force a shot-clock violation.  He also jumped a pass to get a steal.  Also, he was able to successfully contest a three-point shot to force a miss.

Overall, RaiQuan Gray is an intriguing prospect, as he has the size and strength to play inside on a regular basis, and he also can operate as the point forward on the court.  He also is a versatile defender that can defend out on the perimeter as well as in the paint.  He will need to improve his outside shot, especially from beyond the arc, and he can sometimes be prone to rushing, which can lead him to miss shots and turn the ball over.  Still, he is an athletic forward that has solid playmaking and defensive skills, and he is a second round prospect that could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Final Thoughts on the First Two Games of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine:

There wasn’t a whole lot of three-point shooting, and only one team (Team 4) seemed to have definitively played well in the first two games here.  The first game was especially dreadful to watch, but Nah’Shon Hyland had the strongest performance among the players that played in the first game between Team 1 and Team 2.  Without further ado, here are my picks for the three best players that played in either of the first two games combined.

The 3 stars of the first two games of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine:
1. Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland, Team 1
2. Quentin Grimes, Team 4
3. Josh Christopher, Team 4

Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland was the definitive bright spot in an otherwise, lackluster first game of the day.  Hyland had a strong all-around performance, and he showed that he is an athletic combo guard that can flat out shoot and score the basketball.  He also showed off solid and understated playmaking and defensive skills, and Hyland was consistently the best player on the floor of the first game.

Quentin Grimes turned in an equally impressive performance, as he did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball.  He didn’t take as many shots, but he took smart shots, and he also did a great job of passing and handling the basketball.  Statistically though, Josh Christopher definitely would’ve had a case to be player of the game in Team 4’s blowout win over Team 3, as Christopher led all scorers with 16, and had a double-double.

Josh Christopher had a strong showing in the second game, as he excelled at attacking the basket to frequently score the basketball, and he also was impressive as a rebounder and defender.  He didn’t shoot the ball well from the outside, but he was especially effective as a scorer, rebounder, and defender, and he looked to be arguably the best athlete on the floor in this match.

Tennessee's Keon Johnson smashed Kenny Gregory's 20-year NBA Combine record with an outrageous 48 inch vertical leap. Also posted a 41 1/2 inch standing vertical leap. https://t.co/khCp6TYauZ

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 24, 2021

Other Notes:

As you may know, Jericho Sims and Joe Wieskamp were some of the big winners in the athletic testing portion of the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, as Sims managed to jump an impressive, 44-inch max vertical leap, and Wieskamp had a 42-inch max, vertical leap. The biggest winner of the athletic testing portion may have been Tennessee’s freshman guard, Keon Johnson, who jumped a whopping, 48 inches in his max vertical leap test, which broke the combine record that was previously set by former Kansas guard and McDonald’s All-American, Kenny Gregory. Also, for those that are looking for athletic testing and player measurement data, here is the link to the combine player measurement data, and here is the link to the athletic testing portion of this event.