The 2013 NBA Draft Combine took place on Thursday and Friday morning with players showcasing their talents to a gym full of general managers, coaches and scouts. On Thursday, players hit the court and displayed their basketball skills wi...
The 2013 NBA Draft Combine took place on Thursday and Friday morning with players showcasing their talents to a gym full of general managers, coaches and scouts. On Thursday, players hit the court and displayed their basketball skills with each position participating together. Friday consisted of recording the players' measurables, from their height without shoes to their maximum vertical leap. Many players improved or hurt their draft stock with their performance and a number of them were potential Celtics draft picks. Lets take a look at who those players were that will likely be available when Boston makes its pick at 16:
Guards
Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany:
The wiry international point guard didn't participate in the skills portion of the combine on Thursday, but not for the same reason that many top prospects chose to sit out. Schroeder was suffering from a toothache at the time. However, it was reported by Chad Ford of ESPN that Schroeder, along with Greece's Giannis Antetokoumpo, received a promise by a team to be selected in the first round. That team is likely to be one that finds itself at the end of the lottery (the lottery is on Tuesday), or a team in the middle of the first round. Could that team be the Celtics? It would appear unlikely because Boston already has a player similar to Schroeder.
Along with his game, Schroeder's measureables have drawn comparisons to Rajon Rondo. Like Boston's point guard, Schroeder's hand width is massive, recorded at 10.5 inches. His wingspan of 6'7, compared to his height at 6'1, also makes him incredibly long. The Celtics will be in search of a point guard this offseason and Schroeder is one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft, but the likelihood of him ending up in Boston doesn't appear strong, especially considering Schroeder's preferences.
Shane Larkin, PG, Miami:
Larkin didn't initially reveal anything we didn't already know about him on Thursday. His quickness and shooting came through in the various drills. However, so did his height, or lack thereof. Among his own peers at the point guard position, he was clearly undersized.
On Friday though, he shined and impressed with his athleticism. In the maximum vertical leap, Larkin recorded the second-highest mark at 44 inches. For comparison sakes, Victor Oladipo, who's athleticism is considered off the charts, measured at 42 inches. Larkin also did well in the sprint drills, but it's hard to ignore his height of 5'10.25 without shoes.
Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse:
Unlike Larkin, Carter-Williams' height helped his cause at the combine. He was considerably taller than the other point guards. He also tested well in the athletic drills and posted a jump of 41 inches in the max vertical leap. His shooting is a little suspect but with his size and ability to see the floor, he is a potential lottery pick.
Myck Kabongo, PG, Texas:
Kabongo wasn't particularly impressive in the skill drills and his weaknesses were evident. He's not much of a shooter and in the five-spot, around-the-arc drill, he shot horribly. Despite his size and athleticism, he's not much of a defender and in the limited reps he had guarding one-on-one against other point guards, he wasn't too stout. On one play, he was beat badly on a behind-the-back crossover for a basket by South Dakota's Nate Wolters, who is projected to go in the second round.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Georgia:
Like Paul George in the 2010 combine, Caldwell-Pope just looked like a prototypical shooting guard. On the surface, he fits the mold really well and when you look at his skills, it's transparent why. At Georgia, he was asked to do a lot and might have been stretched a little thin. But he is a good scorer and his one special skill that will translate well to the next level is his shooting. In the shooting drills, the ball came out of his hands quick and smooth, even after extending his range to the NBA 3-point line. It's hard to think he won't make an impa