[WizardofOzParticipant]

 Can someone with ESPN Insider post the latest article on Chad Ford’s draft blog about the stock of some prospects after the NJ workout? For some reason, I can’t post the link, but it’s on ESPN’s NBA draft page. Thanks in advance.

[HaleParticipant]

The NBA held its first NBA draft workout of the year in New Jersey on May 19-20.

 

 

The workouts in New Jersey and Minnesota (May 30-31) are the last two chances for NBA scouts to see players playing five-on-five. Players no longer participate in five-on-five scrimmages at the Chicago draft combine and are now limited to three-on-three games both in Chicago and during individual team workouts, per NBA rules.

 

 

Twenty-eight teams showed up at the N.J. event (the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers were no-shows). Seventeen general managers attended along with more than 150 executives, coaches and scouts.

 

 

That’s a lot of folks for a group of players who likely won’t catch a glimpse of the first round. None of the top 30 prospects attended the event, and 49 of our top 60 overall skipped New Jersey.

 

 

France’s Evan Fournier would have been the main attraction, but he wasn’t at the event due to an injury suffered in France. Still, a number of other players in our Top 100 were there.

 

 

ESPN spoke with a number of NBA executives and scouts in attendance to get their take on standouts at the event. Opinions varied wildly among scouts and execs at this event — making one wonder if they were watching the same game at times.

 

 

Nevertheless, I was able to pull together some semblance of a consensus on who the top players were.

 

 

Here’s a look at five players who could have helped their case, at a minimum, for an invite to the Chicago draft combine and, perhaps, might have worked their way into first-round consideration. They might not have had the best weekend, but they were the players who most intrigued GMs and scouts .

 

 

Scott Machado, PG, Iona

 

 

Machado made a strong case this past season that he’s a first-round pick. He got off to a red-hot start against some elite-level competition, and while he cooled off considerably, he still put up one of the best seasons of any point guard in the country.

 

 

In a draft without a ton of point guard talent, Machado is going to get a long look from scouts. He is quick and athletic and has found a smart balance between scoring and getting his teammates shots.

 

 

These workouts were especially important for him because he can’t show off his court vision once he gets to the combine or in team workouts. For a player like Machado, getting some reps in front of a full array of NBA GMs in a five-on-five setting was a must, and by all accounts he was the best point guard at the workouts. We currently have him on the first-round bubble, but if he can repeat this strong performance in Minnesota, he could easily get himself into the first round.

 

 

Kevin Murphy, G/F, Tennessee Tech

 

 

Murphy was one of the best scorers in college basketball this season (he put up 50 points against SIU Edwardsville this season), and he showed in New Jersey he can get his own when the level of competition increases. That was a major concern for NBA scouts after Murphy struggled against top competition during the college season.

 

 

Murphy wasn’t the most explosive player in New Jersey, but he is quick, has a sophisticated midrange game, can shoot the long ball, and has shown that he can create his own shot in a variety of ways.

 

 

"He’s such a natural scorer and can get the ball in the basket a variety of ways," one GM said. "He reminds me a little of Kevin Martin. I think he’d be in the mix in the late first."

 

 

Orlando Johnson, SG, UC Santa Barbara

 

 

Johnson really got onto the radar this summer after excelling against some of the top players in the country at the LeBron James Skills Academy. He had another strong season for UC Santa Barbara and is trying to convince NBA scouts that his terrific college numbers aren’t due to the weaker competition in the Big West conference.

 

 

Johnson showed off impressive athleticism at the workout. He had a 39-inch vertical leap and sported an impressive 6-foot-11 wingspan. For a team looking for instant offense off the bench, Johnson might get a long look late in the first.

 

 

Kim English, SG, Missouri

 

 

The NBA is always looking for shooters, and English was the best shooter in the gym over the weekend. It’s been a role he’s played well at Missouri the past few years. He shot nearly 46 percent on 3s for Missouri this past season and wowed teams in the workout. The question is whether there’s anything else he can do. He’ll be 24 before he plays his first NBA game; at 6-foot-5 he is undersized for his position, and his game beyond his jump shot is pretty limited. Nevertheless, NBA teams always need elite shooters, and it looks like English could get drafted just on that one skill.

 

 

Tony Mitchell, G/F, Alabama

Mitchell took the cake as perhaps the best athletic wing at the combine. He has great size for his position and played well at Alabama before being suspended from the team for getting into an altercation with his head coach. That’s a pretty big obstacle to overcome, but Mitchell did his part over the weekend. His athletic ability and scoring versatility stood out.

 

 

"He looked more like a pro than anyone I saw on the floor this weekend," one GM said. "There are a lot of things you have to figure out about him, but he was good enough that he’s worth the effort of going and doing your due diligence."

 

 

Honorable mention: Casper Ware, PG, Long Beach State; Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette; Tu Holloway, G, Xavier; Josh Owens, PF, Stanford; Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State; Justin Hamilton, C, LSU; Alex Young, G, IUPUI; Mitchell Watt, F, Buffalo; J’Covan Brown, G, Texas; Cameron Moore, PF, UAB; Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

 

 

Other notes from the New Jersey workout:

 

 

• Renardo Sidney is still struggling with his conditioning. He showed up at a svelte 304 pounds and had a whopping 22.35 percent body fat. The next closest player in body fat at the workout? Florida State’s Xavier Gibson at 16.23 percent.

 

 

• Stanford’s Josh Owens recorded the highest vertical jump at the workout. He had a very impressive 34.75-inch no-step vertical and a 40.75-inch full vertical. Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom also recorded a 40-inch full vertical.

 

 

• A lot of scouts like Marquette’s Jae Crowder, but he measured just 6-3¾ in socks at the workout. That’s small for a shooting guard, let alone a power forward. His 6-8 wingspan helps, but he’s not a great athlete, which makes you question whether he can overcome that big of a gap. Ditto for Johnson-Odom, who measured just 6-1 in socks.

 

 

• Norfolk State’s Kyle O’Quinn has a terrific 7-5 wingspan.

 

 

 

 Casper Ware had the fastest agility drill at the workout. Zack Rosen ran the fastest three-quarter-court sprint. Owens was the strongest player there, benching a 185-pound bar 21 times.

[Bill Walton’s KneesParticipant]

 Jesus christ Renardo Sidney.

[TheDagger40Participant]

"at 6-foot-5 he is undersized for his position"

Holy Cow, if Kim English is undersized for a SG, how does Rivers and Beal feel? Do they expect T-Mac sized SGs?

"A lot of scouts like Marquette’s Jae Crowder, but he measured just 6-3¾ in socks at the workout."

I thought he was 6-6, if he really is that short, he needs to get EXTREMELY faster to play in the NBA.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

 Good looking out Y2G

Renardo Sidney is a disgrace to all basketball players.

[DolanCareParticipant]

 I love Jae Crowder, but 6-3???? I have heard comparisons to Kenneth Faried, but Faried is bigger and more athletic so that parallel is a bit of a stretch. I hope he finds a way into the league

[WizardofOzParticipant]

I don’t think Crowder had as bad of a workout as some people think. That 6’3 3/4" measurement was without shoes, and he’s 6’5.5" w/ shoes, so he’ll likely be listed at 6’6" in the NBA. And even though he weighed in at 242 at the NJ pseudo-combine, he had the 3rd best agility score in the entire camp. Marcus Denman (189 lbs) and a 5’10 170 lb guard were the only ones quicker. Crowder’s body fat % was too high, and his height was only 6’3.75 barefoot, but assuming he loses 15 lbs, he’s long enough and quick enough to play the 3, imo. He’s certainly strong enough. He doesn’t fit the NBA mold, but he’s going to be an NBA player.

[Raef LaFrentzParticipant]

He can be a smaller, better shooting Marquis Daniels. Hard-nosed player who is willing to do anything to help a team out. I like the way this guy plays and I really hope he finds his way onto a roster.

[phila9012Participant]

 I knew once scouts saw him they would see he had NBA potential. I watched him a few times at tennessee tech and I could see that he had great scoring potential, and at least make it in an NBA rotation. He had no help this year, so the defenses keyed in on him

[AKOOParticipant]

Tony Mitchell is 6"5.5 with shoes how is that good size for a SF? Cut the foolishness noone gains anymore than a inch with shoes we go through this every year

[WizardofOzParticipant]

 And I’m glad Machado is getting more buzz. I think if given the same opportunity, he’ll be better than Kendall Marshall. He’d be a guaranteed first rounder in this PG starved draft if he went to a different school. I’d have no problem with a team taking him early 30s.

[joecheck88Participant]

 6 foot 5 isn’t undersized for a SG. Smh. Jae Crowder being 6 foot 4 as more of a combo forward is a little concerning. I still think he can become a Jared Dudley type with some work. 

[Author]

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