NBA Draft Combine Reform

[BaDgEraffe]

What should be done to encourage participation in the nba draft combine? I know game tape is important, but I believe having the top guys all participate in the combine would ultimately expose and reveal certain players, especially when it comes to the scrimmage portion. It just seems like all the top guys hide, do their interviews, and have some scripted layup line pro-day. I could see this being a great thing for the nba, having it hosted in different cities every year, and televised. Who wouldn't want to see all these top guys go at it and prove to us why they should be selected..oh wait the agents.

 

[kingsboi]

I think participation at the combine should be mandatory. Silver should put that rule into place. These prospects are looking to make millions of dollars and teams are taking on a bigger risk if they don't even know the basic measurements of a players, which is not to say thats the only risk they have but it's a good way to make an impression or leave a disappointing one. Now, I'd imagine there are instances where teams don't look too much into the measurements and just draft the player they feel has the highest ceiling and a chance to be a cornerstone player with just an interview and a NBA workout. This process should be a way of introducing the players to the NBA world and just like in real life, to land a job.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Making the combine mandatory certainly won't work. For one, the NBA only invites a certain number of players to the combine anyway, usually guys who are at least in the running for a first-round selection. Nobody wants to expand it to the hundreds of players that would have to be there if it were a requirement for being drafted. For another, just like the highest prospects take advantage of the system now, there's no reason to believe they wouldn't in the future. It's easy enough to get a doctor to say you have the stomach flu to get you off.

At least now the non-participation is honest - the top players don't need to out-compete everybody else because they've already done so, over and over. And the NBA remains a league where the players selected at the top of the draft don't bust out too often. Teams already have a pretty good idea of who the very top players are, and they don't really need to see them that one last time and get an official wingspan in order to be convinced to draft them. If ever non-participation in the combine becomes detrimental to the top players' draft stock, don't worry, they'll show back up.

I know we really like to get all of the official measurements on these guys for our own evaluations, but the NBA isn't running the Combine as a way to market to the draftniks. The draftniks get the Vegas Summer League, and it's working really well.

 

[bajaden]

Yeah, I agree with the Capt on this one. It would be nice to have all the invitee's participate. At least in the measurements and the agility drills, but for the most part all they do is reaffirm what teams already know about a player. Plus one has to remember that the NBA and the Players Union would need to agree on such a move, and that's not likely. Just too many things wrong with the concept. Also, there can be consequences for not participating.

 

[ppine]

Leaving it up to the rookie NBA wantabes revelas something about their attitude and their character. You want a guy to show that he really wants to play for your team.

 

[Iced Espresso]

I enjoy freedom & think it should stay the same. Let the players & team keep doing what they are doing.