2014 NBA Combine Pre-Draft Measurements and Player News: Day One

The NBA 2014 Draft Combine officially got underway in Chicago, Illinois today, and the players from all position groups participated in measurements and drills.

The full list of measurements can be found here.

These are some of the players who really stood out for one reason or another:

Measurements

Noah Vonleh, PF, Indiana

Vonleh might have increased his draft stock even more (was already considered a top-10 pick) when he measured 6' 8" without shoes, with an incredible 7' 4.25" wingspan, a standing reach of 9 '0", and HUGE hands that measured 11.75" wide, and 9.75" long.  His 11.75" hand width is the second highest ever recorded at the combine...Some impressive measurables all around.

Jerami Grant, SF, Syracuse

Jerami Grant won the measurables for the wings with a long 7' 2.75" wingspan at only 6' 7.75" in shoes.  He also posted a standing reach of 8' 11".  James Young of Kentucky also turned some heads with an impressive 7' 0" wingspan at only 6' 7" in shoes.

Adreian Payne, PF, Michigan State

Although Payne couldn't participate in the drills, his measurements may have helped his case in proving he has plenty of size and length to play as a true PF.  Payne measured in at 6' 9" without shoes, with a very impressive 7' 4" wingspan...second under Vonleh for the power forward group and tied for third overall.  He also posted a standing reach of 9' 1", and weighed in at 239lbs at only 7.6% body fat.  Very solid numbers for Payne.

K.J. McDaniels, SG/SF, Clemson

McDaniels is not only one of the most athletic wings in the draft, he's one of the longest as well.  While measuring only 6' 4.5" without, and  6' 6" in shoes, he posted a long wingspan of 6' 11.25", and a standing reach of 8' 6".  This, along with his elite athleticism could help him make up for his lack of height, especially if playing at the three.

Patric Young, PF/C, Florida

On the plus side, Patric Young actually measured out slightly taller than expected, at 6' 10" in shoes.  He also measured in with a 7' 1" wingspan, which is good for his height.  His small hands are also a bit overstated, as he measured out at 9.25" in both length and width...not great, but not Kwame Brown worrisome either.  On the negative side, Young's standing reach was a mere 8' 7.5"...which is extremely short for a guy with his height and wingspan.

Doug McDermott, SF/PF, Creighton

McDermott, who was already considered a tweener, came in a little smaller than expected today...which may cause even more apprehension among some potential suitors.  McDermott came in at only 6' 6.25" without shoes...and an estimated 6' 7.5" with them (though no official measurement with shoes was listed).  His wingspan was also a fairly unimpressive 6 9.25".  Combine this with his less than stellar athleticism, and you can see why it could be concerning.  Still, the guy scored over 3,000 points in college, which is top-5 all-time...that has to count for something, right?

Jordan Bachynski, C, Arizona State

Bachynski measured in as the tallest player at the combine at 7' 1.25"  without shoes.  He also had the third longest wingspan (tied with Payne) at 7' 4".  Bachynski could be a player that slips into the late first round with those numbers, depending on how his workouts go.

Drills

Unfortunately, when you try to watch the combine on TV they continuously cut in and out with various player analysis pieces and other commentary, so it's difficult to keep any sort of track of who was hitting their shots.  Fortunately, the  NBA keeps track for us which you can find here (spot-up shooting) and here (non-stationary shooting).

Other News

One of the more interesting notes from today came from who the Phoenix Suns met with.  After a somewhat surprising meeting with Dante Exum yesterday, a potential top 5 pick, the Suns went all in once again with the point guards...meeting with Marcus Smart, Russ Smith, and Tyler Ennis, according to Alex Kennedy.

Now the Suns can only meet with 18 players total, and they may just be going through the positions one at a time...but it is interesting that they've only met with point guards so far...especially since all but one of them, Russ Smith, is mocked in the top 10.

Oh, and if you are suffering from a lack of Andrew Wiggins at the combine...here's your medicine!  Apparently, Wiggins held his own training session today where he was photographed showing off his incredible vertical.  No official measurements...but...just look for yourself.

More to come tomorrow with strength and agility testing.