NBA Combine: Agility Testing

While most who attend the combine take part in the measurements, once we get to the agility testing, you start to see players decline to participate, usually on their agent’s advice, though sometimes due to injury. Twelve players did not take part in the agility testing, some lottery picks, many of them likely first-round picks, though a couple were curious decisions.

For those who did take part, there are five drills which make up the testing:

The Lane Agility drill is used to test body control, change of direction, and speed as the players work their way around the lane, sprinting forward, backpedaling and moving laterally around cones;

The Shuttle Run drill has the players start in the middle of the lane, move laterally to one side of the lane, then laterally across to the other side of the lane and finally, back to the starting point;

The ¾ Court Sprint is a timed sprint from the baseline to the ¾ point of the court;

The Standing Vertical Leap is exactly that – a no-step jump;

And finally, the Max Vertical Leap, in which the players are allowed a few running steps into their jump.

As with the measurements, it’s important to remember that this is basically a limited view on the prospects, and concrete determinations aren’t made solely on how they do in these drills. However, when you start to take this information combined with the measurements discussed before, you can start to develop a more well-rounded profile of the player.

Agility Testing: Point Guard

Player	Pos.	Height	Weight	Lane Agility (secs.)	Shuttle Run (secs.)	¾ Sprint (secs)	Standing Vertical Leap (ins.)	Max Vertical (ins.)
Wade Baldwin IV	PG	6'4	201.8	10.45	3.01	3.19	32.5	38.0
Isaiah Cousins	PG	6'4.5	194	10.79	2.97	3.24	30.5	37.0
AJ English	PG	6'3	182.2	12.27	3.27	3.28	29.5	35.5
Kay Felder	PG	5'9.5	177.2	11.52	2.90	3.15	35.5	44.0
Demetrius Jackson	PG	6'1.25	193.8	10.81	2.87	3.25	37.5	43.5
Patrick McCaw	PG	6'6.75	180.8	11.01	2.97	3.30	30.0	38.0
Marcus Paige	PG	6'1.75	163.8	10.82	2.69	3.15	33.5	39.5
Gary Payton II	PG	6'3	183.8	11.57	3.17	3.23	31.5	38.5
Melo Trimble	PG	6'2.5	191.8	10.57	2.77	3.20	26.5	35.5
Tyler Ulis	PG	5'10	149.2	10.80	2.88	3.20	32.5	38.0
Isaiah Whitehead	PG	6'4.5	210	11.65	3.21	3.34	27.5	35.5

*Cat Barber and Kris Dunn did not participate in Agility testing.

The NBA is filled with quick, athletic point guards, and you can get a sense from the testing of how some players may perform at the next level, especially on the defensive end, with the lane agility and shuttle run testing, as well as the ¾ sprint. While it is usually the smaller guards who perform extremely well on these tests, it was 6’4” guards Wade Baldwin and Isaiah Cousins who put up some of the best numbers, including Baldwin posting the fastest time in the lane agility drill. The smaller guards did their part as well, with Kay Felder, Tyler Ulis, Marcus Paige and Demetrius Jackson all performing well. A.J. English posted disappointing numbers in these three drills, posting the slowest numbers in the lane agility and shuttle run drills. Patrick McCaw, almost 6’7”, posted impressive numbers for his size, putting up some of the best numbers in this group in the three drills.

In the vertical leaping drills, it was the smaller guards who impressed, with two guards, Jackson and Felder, posting max vertical leaps over 43 inches. As a whole, the group performed well, though English, Isaiah Whitehead and Melo Trimble were on the low end, though Trimble did handle himself well in the first three drills.

Agility Testing: Shooting Guard

Player	Pos.	Height	Weight	Lane Agility (secs.)	Shuttle Run (secs.)	¾ Sprint (secs)	Standing Vertical Leap (ins.)	Max Vertical (ins.)
Ron Baker	SG	6'4.25	212.4	10.77	2.96	3.45	30.0	35.5
Malcolm Brogdon	SG	6'5.5	223	10.77	2.64	3.31	30.5	35.5
Josh Hart	SG	6'5.5	203.6	11.15	3.15	3.20	29.5	38.5
Michael Gbinije	SG	6'6.75	204.6	11.00	3.19	3.12	33.5	37.5
Sheldon McClellan	SG	6'6.25	198.2	10.45	3.04	3.26	35.0	41.5
Malik Newman	SG	6'3.5	182.2	10.88	3.11	3.28	30.0	35.5
Malachi Richardson	SG	6'6.25	199.6	10.56	3.25	3.33	33.0	38.0
Denzel Valentine	SG	6'5.75	210.4	10.51	3.22	3.46	27.0	32.0

*Wayne Selden, Buddy Hield, Malik Beasley and Caris LeVert did not take part.

Four shooting guards did not take part in agility testing, led by likely lottery pick Buddy Hield. Caris LeVert is still dealing with an injury that cut his season short, though it was a bit surprising to see Wayne Selden and Malik Beasley not take part. As a whole, those who did take part did well, especially on the lane agility, with all but two players putting up sub-11-second times. Malcolm Brogdon, coming out of a strong defensive program at Virginia, had the lowest time in the shuttle run, while also timing well in the lane agility drill. Sheldon McClellan, one of the tallest members of the group, put up strong times in all three agility tests, a good sign for him going forward into workouts. Malachi Richardson, who recently decided to keep his name in the NBA Draft, didn’t really stand out in the agility drills, though as he matures, his ability to move on defense should come along. Josh Hart and Michael Gbinije didn’t show great quick, lateral movement in the lane agility and shuttle run drills, but put up the best two times in the group in the ¾ court sprint.

As a group, the shooting guards didn’t put up great vertical leaping numbers, other than McClellan, who put up very strong numbers in both standing vertical leap and maximum vertical leap. Syracuse teammates Gbinije and Richardson also showed off their athleticism in the vertical leaps, finishing only behind McClellan and Hart. One final note, mainly in regards to how the results of the testing can be misinterpreted in some ways; Denzel Valentine made a good name for his defensive ability in college, though he didn’t really test well. Playing defense isn’t always about athletic ability; you still need to know what you are doing, which Valentine certainly does.

Agility Testing: Small Forward

Player	Pos.	Height	Weight	Lane Agility (secs.)	Shuttle Run (secs.)	¾ Sprint (secs)	Standing Vertical Leap (ins.)	Max Vertical (ins.)
De’Andre Bembry	SF	6'5.75	206.6	10.90	2.87	3.17	32.0	38.0
Jarron Blossomgame	SF	6'7.25	213.6	11.53	3.26	3.20	35.0	41.0
Dorian Finney-Smith	SF	6'7.75	212.6	11.01	3.04	3.27	38.5	41.5
Daniel Hamilton	SF	6'8	197.0	11.48	3.20	3.40	26.0	29.0
Nigel Hayes	SF	6'7.25	245	12.11	2.90	3.20	31.5	34.5
Justin Jackson	SF	6'8.25	193.4	11.32	2.96	3.26	29.5	34.5
Jake Layman	SF	6'9.25	208.6	11.35	2.82	3.24	33.0	39.5
Taurean Prince	SF	6'7.75	220.2	10.96	2.80	3.24	34.0	36.0
Troy Williams	SF	6'6.75	217.8	10.72	3.08	3.35	30.0	36.0

*Jaylen Brown and Elgin Cook did not take part in the agility drills.

Possible lottery pick Jaylen Brown did not take part in the agility testing, but most of the rest of the small forward group did take part, to very mixed results. On the good side, De’Andre Bembry timed very well in all three of the agility drills, finishing near the top of the group. Baylor senior Taurean Prince also showed off his quickness with strong times across the board for a 6’8” player.

Florida senior Dorian Finney-Smith put up good times in the agility testing, and then shined in the vertical leaping portion, putting up some of the top leaps in both standing and maximum vertical leaps. Jarron Blossomgame didn’t do as well in the agility testing, but also joined Finney-Smith as one of two small forwards to put up a maximum vertical leap of over 40 inches. Maryland senior Jake Layman also performed well in the vertical leap, showing a near-40-inch maximum vertical for a player over 6’9”. Nigel Hayes, who has 25 pounds on the next heaviest player put up the slowest time in the lane agility, but did fairly well in other areas.

Agility Testing: Power Forward

Player	Pos.	Height	Weight	Lane Agility (secs.)	Shuttle Run (secs.)	¾ Sprint (secs)	Standing Vertical Leap (ins.)	Max Vertical (ins.)
Ben Bentil	PF	6'8.25	229.2	11.16	3.10	3.30	29.0	33.0
Joel Bolomboy	PF	6'9	224.4	10.26	2.86	3.17	37.5	40.5
Robert Carter, Jr.	PF	6'8.5	250.6	11.97	3.15	3.65	24.5	30.5
Marquese Chriss	PF	6'10	233	11.93	3.05	3.26	32.5	38.5
Cheick Diallo	PF	6'9	218.6	11.24	3.30	3.26	31.0	35.0
Perry Ellis	PF	6'8.25	217.8	10.73	3.03	3.13	32.0	38.0
Brice Johnson	PF	6'10.5	208.6	11.88	2.94	3.20	33.5	38.0
Dedric Lawson	PF	6'8	224.8	12.48	3.39	3.65	22.5	28.0
Marcus Lee	PF	6'10.25	211	11.68	3.19	3.25	28.5	35.5
Thon Maker	PF	7'0.75	216	11.15	3.09	3.33	32.0	36.5
Isaiah Miles	PF	6'7.75	219.6	11.76	3.25	3.39	24.0	31.5
Georges Niang	PF	6'8.5	230.8	11.64	3.17	3.49	25.0	31.0
Pascal Siakam	PF	6'9.5	226.6	11.25	3.09	3.41	30.5	36.5
Caleb Swanigan	PF	6'8.5	246.6	12.80	-	-	26.0	29.0
Jared Uthoff	PF	6'9.75	214.4	11.52	3.03	3.50	29.0	34.5
Kyle Wiltjer	PF	6'10	242.8	11.35	3.04	3.48	27.5	35.5

*Deyonta Davis, Skal Labissiere and Henry Ellenson did not take part in the agility drills.

Three possible lottery picks, Deyonta Davis, Henry Ellenson and Skal Labissiere, did not take part, still leaving a large group of power forwards to test. With the power forwards being divided between more perimeter-oriented players and more classical power forwards, the wide range of scores were expected. Weber State senior Joel Bolomboy was the most impressive across the board, testing well in both the agility and leaping testing. Kansas senior Perry Ellis also surprised with strong times in the agility testing, as well as a strong maximum vertical leap of 38 inches. Thon Maker used his thin frame well to perform well on the agility testing, and even his 36-inch maximum vertical was impressive for a seven-footer. Potential lottery pick Marquese Chriss, known for his athletic ability, didn’t really stand out in the agility testing, but showed some good hops in the vertical leaping.

As expected, the drills really aren’t suited for the big-bodied forwards, whose games rely on being physical anyway. Of that group, Robert Carter, Jr. did post some good numbers for his size, especially in the agility testing. Purdue freshman Caleb Swanigan didn’t perform well in any portion of the testing he took part in, and he may want to consider returning to school. Dedric Lawson from Memphis also disappointed across the board, showing neither agility or leaping ability.

Agility Testing: Center

Player	Pos.	Height	Weight	Lane Agility (secs.)	Shuttle Run (secs.)	¾ Sprint (secs)	Standing Vertical Leap (ins.)	Max Vertical (ins.)
Damian Jones	C	6'11.5	243.6	11.35	3.12	3.20	36.0	37.0
Chinanu Onuaku	C	6'10	245.2	11.65	3.00	3.50	27.5	33.5
Zhou Qi	C	7'2.25	218.2	11.27	2.90	3.46	31.5	32.0
Diamond Stone	C	6'10.25	254.4	12.02	3.22	3.50	27.0	29.5
Stephen Zimmerman	C	6'11.75	234	12.08	3.16	3.43	30.0	35.0

*Jakob Poeltl did not take part in the agility drills.

Likely lottery pick Poeltl didn’t participate, but the other four big men did, to mixed results. Damian Jones impressed all across the board with good numbers in all five drills. Chinese prospect Zhou Qi used his lanky frame to perform well in the lane agility and shuttle run, and even his vertical leaping numbers are fine, considering he is over 7’2”. Diamond Stone has never been known for his athletic ability, and his scores across the board confirm this, including sub 30-inch vertical leaping scores. Stephen Zimmerman was on the low end of the scale for agility drills, though impressed some with his leaping ability. Louisville big man Chinanu Onuaku did as would be expected with his build, though did show good movement in the lane agility and shuttle run.

Like the measurements, it’s important not to overreact to these numbers out of context. During training, a lot of guys are focused on doing all they can to just maximize their performance, and there’s no guarantee that it will ever carry over to game situations. Still, when you take all of the information together, you can get a basic sense of a player’s athletic ability.