The 2011 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago is May 18-22 in the Attack Athletics gym. There are no organized basketball games. Only basketball drills and athletic and physical testing, like jumping tests, height and weight measurements, quickness and speed drills, shooting drills and more.

PLAYERS INVITED TO 2011 NBA DRAFT COMBINE

2011 NBA Draft Combine Player List
Keith Benson, Oakland
Marshon Brooks, Providence
Alec Burks, Colorado
Jimmy Butler, Marquette
Norris Cole, Cleveland State
Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston
Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
Justin Harper, Richmond
Tobias Harris, Tennessee
Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA
Scotty Hopson, Tennessee
Kyrie Irving, Duke
Reggie Jackson, Boston College
Rick Jackson, Syracuse
Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Cory Joseph, Texas
Enes Kanter, Kentucky
Brandon Knight, Kentucky
Malcolm Lee, UCLA
Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
Travis Leslie, Georgia
Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky
David Lighty, Ohio State
Shelvin Mack, Butler
Demetri McCamey, Illinois
E’Twaun Moore, Purdue
Darius Morris, Michigan
Marcus Morris, Kansas
Markieff Morris, Kansas
Lucas Riva Nogueira, Estudiantes II (Spain)
Chandler Parsons, Florida
Jereme Richmond, Illinois
Josh Selby, Kansas
Iman Shumpert, Georgia Tech
Kyle Singler, Duke
Chris Singleton, Florida State
Jamie Skeen, Virginia Commonwealth
Greg Smith, Fresno State
Nolan Smith, Duke
Isaiah Thomas, Washington
Malcolm Thomas, San Diego State
Trey Thompkins, Georgia
Klay Thompson, Washington State
Tristan Thompson, Texas
Jeremy Tyler, San Diego HS/Maccabi Haifa (Israel)/Tokyo Apache (Japan)
Nikola Vucevic, Southern California
Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Derrick Williams, Arizona
Jordan Williams, Maryland

Most Body Fat at 2011 NBA Draft Combine: Trey Thompkins (15.5%), Jeremy Tyler (13.4%), Jordan Williams (12.1%), Kyrie Irving (10.2%), Markieff Morris (10.2%).

2011 NBA Draft Combine Video



2009 NBA Draft Combine

The 2009 NBA Draft Combine is now the only real major gathering of NBA draft prospects with team and league executives. Pretty much every player who hopes to be selected in the NBA Draft is expected to be there.

The last few years, the event was held in Orlando, Florida. The event featured games that everyone watched. Only, the top 15-20 players (well, the guys who believed themselves to be in that group) almost never played, so the games mostly consisted of players expected to go second round.

This year, the pre-draft camp has changed into the NBA Draft Combine. It's not a good look. There are no actual games. Just warmups and drills. So, reporters and columnists are basically flying to Chicago to watch shooting drills and interview players. Not as good as getting to see actual real basketball.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Kevin Tatum, May 29) reports: The two-day NBA draft combine returned yesterday to its previous home after being held the last three years in Orlando, and along with the change in venue came a different format. Instead of evaluating the invited players in five-on-five scrimmages open to the media, the assembled league front-office personnel and coaches limited the proceedings to watching the prospects go through various drills in sessions that are closed to the press. This marked the first year that full-court scrimmages were not conducted. Teams are also having sit-downs with targeted players, and getting official heights and weights. The feeling of some observers who have been around the game is that the NBA's new approach was driven by player agents, who in the past may have seen their clients' stock fall after they did not play particularly well at the combine.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Charles F. Gardner, May 30) reports: Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn measures 6-foot and 3/4, according to the official results issued during the NBA draft combine this week. Despite his size, the 20-year-old Flynn impressed NBA scouts and general managers during the drills conducted at Attack Athletics on Chicago's west side. He could be a tempting pick for the Bucks in the No. 10 slot in the June 25 draft, if he lasts that long. It appears he could be one of the first point guards to be selected, along with Spanish star Ricky Rubio and 6-4 1/4 UCLA freshman Jrue Holiday, also consider a fast riser in this draft.

SportingNews.com (Dave Curtis, May 29) reports: Q: What NBA player do you compare yourself to? Gerald Henderson: There’s a guy I like to watch, Brandon Roy. Just with his athleticism and the way he gets his shot and to the basket. Maybe it’s him the most. Q: What are you feeling as the draft nears? Gerald Henderson: There is pressure put on you to do well in these workouts. It’s fun, though. I love the game. I love competing. You put a lot of work in these last few months to see how good you are. You just go to these workouts and show them what you’ve got. Q: How would you describe your relationship with Wayne Ellington? Gerald Henderson: Wayne is my best friend. I played with him in high school (in Philadelphia). He had a great career at North Carolina. We came out of high school in the same year, and now we’re going to the next level at the same time. It’s cool to have him in this process by my side... Q: Do you see yourself as a shooting guard in the NBA? Gerald Henderson: Definitely. A lot of that depends on what position you can guard. And I think I can guard the two position really well. Offensively, I can do a lot of things that they’re looking for in the NBA.

PhanaticMag (John McMullen, May 27) reports: Sixers Director of player personnel Courtney Witte: "In the last couple years at the camps in Orlando and Chicago, there were roughly 75 players invited. Out of that 75, the Top 30 players perception-wise did not participate in that camp. Instead the top players would conduct separate skill workouts. That was the reason the changes for this year was instituted. Being a basketball purist, I would love to see the top players competing in that venue but it’s just not feasible. I think you can gain a lot from it. It’s a cumulative process. We’ve seen all these players multiple times. If you could just add another 3-4 days of evaluation, I think you’re going to make a better informed decision on that particular player’s strengths and weaknesses."

PhanaticMag (John McMullen, May 27) reports: Sixers Director of player personnel Courtney Witte: "There are a lot of things you can learn. One of the things most people don’t think about is a player being able to take instructions from a new coach in a different environment with every team in the NBA watching and then execute. How quickly can you pick up a drill or instruction from a coach? That’s one of the important things our staff will be looking for is how quickly a player can adapt to change. Primarily these players have been doing the same things. And there will be plenty of shooting drills, which is always important. Now that the collegiate season is over, these players have been working with individual instructors and they’re working on improving their physical strength and conditioning. They’ve also been working on some of their weaknesses as well. Just watching them shoot from the NBA range is quite a difference from watching them shoot from the college 3-point line."

ESPN's Jay Williams felt Stephen Curry stood out in Day 1 of the 2009 NBA Draft Combine. ESPN's Steve Lavin agreed, and also liked Demar DeRozan, praising his high-flying ways. Chad Ford liked both those guys, and reported that while many top bigs aren't participating, DaJuan Blair was there and looked in great shape.

The San Francisco Chronicle (Rusty Simmons, May 29) reports: The five-day combine, which started with player interviews Wednesday and ends Sunday, is an important component in the draft evaluation process as evidenced by front-office personnel from all 30 teams showing up. Few, though, appeared satisfied with the most drastic change in the event - conveyed by cameras often catching NBA brass chatting instead of watching the drills. The "combine" used to be known as a "pre-draft camp" and included the all-important 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 scrimmages. The new version includes only a series of light drills run by NBA assistant coaches, strength and agility testing and physicals. "The new format makes it so challenging to evaluate these players," said Steve Lavin, ESPN analyst and former UCLA coach. "There can be a big difference between practice players and players who can perform in games when the lights are on." ... NBA teams have already spent countless hours watching video of the prospects playing games and having already accrued miles upon miles of airline freebies on their paths to get first-hand looks at prospects in games. Little can be gained from watching fastbreak or shooting drills against assistant coaches, and, obviously, even less can be gleaned about the guys who refuse to participate.

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald (Mike McGraw, May 28) reports (via blog): "In the past, the projected top 15 picks would be measured, checked out medically and tested in several drills, but not expected to play in the games. This year, all players invited to the camp will be given that treatment. From what I’ve heard, NBA teams were frustrated by how the league handled invitations to the camp. The projected top 15 picks were welcome to go through the tests and measurements only. Then invariably, 15 or so other players who believed they were destined to be first-round picks would refuse to play in the games at the draft camp. The league, trying to make a point that those players should be take part in the games, wouldn’t invite them to the camp at all. That meant teams would get no information on a huge chunk of players that were first-round candidates. Meanwhile, the games became less meaningful because so few of the best players participated."

Bulls.com reports: Blake Griffin on his game: “A lot of people have the idea that all I can do is dunk and make layups. Hopefully I can show them I’m a little more versatile than that. I can score a little bit from the outside, dribble, and be more than a one dimensional player."

Bulls.com reports: Tyler Hansbrough on participating in the NBA Draft Combine: “It’s good to come out here and get a chance to show all these teams different aspects of your game that you may not get to show them during the regular season. It’s good to come out here and get some competition too.”

NBAdraft.net reports: Day one of the NBA Draft Combine from Tim Grover's Attack Athletics gym in Chicago, IL was a chance to get to see a majority of the players who will be drafted in a controlled environment. The new combine format was successful in getting most of the top talent in front of the NBA GMs and scouts. Unfortunately it was at the expense of seeing players in a game setting. The biggest positive of this format is that it gives GMs and scouts a chance to analyze player's shooting forms and their demeanors. Player's passing, ball handling, defense, and rebounding were not on display. Teams also enjoy the opportunity to get a 30 minute interview with 18 of the players of their choosing during the 2 day event. Here are notes on each player after the first day of the event.

NBADraft.net reports that on Day 1, the following players were invited but not in attendance: Jon Brockman (Washington), Tyreke Evans (Memphis), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), James Harden (Arizona State), DeMarre Carroll (Missouri), Jordan Hill (Arizona), Hasheem Thabeet (Connecticut).

NBA DRAFT COMBINE PLAYERS INVITED
May 14, 2009

Jeff Adrien, Connecticut
Rodrigue Beaubois, Cholet (France)
DeJuan Blair, Pitt
Jon Brockman, Washington
Derrick Brown, Xavier
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Nick Calathes, Florida
DeMarre Carroll, Missouri
Omri Casspi, Maccabi Elite (Israel)
Dionte Christmas, Temple
Earl Clark, Louisville
Darren Collison, UCLA
Dante Cunningham, Villanova
Stephen Curry, Davidson
Austin Daye, Gonzaga
DeMar DeRozan, USC
Toney Douglas, Florida State
Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Tyreke Evans, Memphis
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse
Taj Gibson, USC
Danny Green, North Carolina
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
James Harden, Arizona State
Gerald Henderson, Duke
Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga
Jordan Hill, Arizona
Jrue Holiday, UCLA
Joe Ingles, Melbourne South Dragons (Australia)
Damion James, Texas
James Johnson, Wake Forest
Gani Lawal, Georgia Tech
Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Eric Maynor, VCU
Jack McClinton, Miami
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Jodie Meeks, Kentucky
Patrick Mills, Saint Mary's
B.J. Mullens, Ohio State
Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State
A.J. Price, Connecticut
Tyler Smith, Tennessee
DaJuan Summers, Georgetown
Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
Marcus Thornton, LSU
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Terrence Williams, Louisville
Sam Young, Pitt