After looking at the measurements and the agility testing, the third major component of the NBA combine is the shooting drills. Even fewer players took part here than in the agility testing, but for those who do take part and perform well, it can be a good sign that teams will have increased interest. A point guard who can knock down the long-range jumper is becoming a bigger part of the game, as is the stretch power forward position, or stretch 4.
For those who did take part, there are five drills which make up the testing:
Spot up NBA 3 and Spot up College 3 – spot up shots behind the respective three-point lines;
Off Dribble Left, Right, Top 15 – Dribble jumpers from 15 feet;
On the Move College 3 and 15 feet – 35 seconds to attempt as many shots as possible from the chosen spot.
All players took part in the spot-up shooting drills, while some opted into and out of various non-stationary drills, often based on what position they play, or what their prior skill set is.
As in the other two portions, this is still just a limited view on the prospects, though shooting is an actual skill, and one that translates well to the NBA game.
Point Guards
| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Spot Up NBA 3 | Spot Up College 3 | Off Dribble 15 Left | Off Dribble 15 Right | Off Dribble 15 Top | On the Move College 3 | On the Move 15 Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Boatright | PG | 5’11 | 169.6 | 68% | 76% | 87.5% | 75.0% | 62.5% | - | 75.9% |
| Quinn Cook | PG | 6’2 | 179.0 | 68% | 100% | 62.5% | 75.0% | 50.0% | 69.4% | - |
| Olivier Hanlan | PG | 6’4.25 | 185.8 | 60% | 88% | 100% | 87.5% | 62.5% | 67.4% | - |
| Andrew Harrison | PG | 6’5.5 | 213.2 | 40% | 60% | 75% | 50% | 62.5% | 61.5% | - |
| George Lucas | PG | 6’5.5 | 197 | 44% | 64% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 62.5% | - | 42.9% |
| TJ McConnell | PG | 6’2 | 187.8 | 52% | 68% | 62.5% | 50% | 62.5% | 76.6% | - |
| Cameron Payne | PG | 6’1.5 | 182.8 | 56% | 76% | 12.5% | 75% | 62.5% | - | 59.5% |
| Chasson Randle | PG | 6’1.5 | 178.8 | 60% | 56% | 87.5% | 50% | 75% | 68.9% | - |
| Terry Rozier | PG | 6’2.25 | 190.2 | 88% | 76% | 62.5% | 75% | 62.5% | - | 80.9% |
| Keifer Sykes | PG | 5’11.75 | 167.2 | 40% | 68% | 50% | 62.5% | 50% | 75.0% | - |
| Marcus Thornton | PG | 6’2.75 | 177.4 | 52% | 44% | 25% | 62.5% | 75% | 62.2% | - |
*Jerian Grant, Delon Wright, Tyus Jones and D’Angelo Russell did not participate in shooting drills.
Most of the point guards who took part impressed with their shooting ability. All but three, Andrew Harrison, George Lucas and Keifer Sykes, hit above 50 percent from the NBA three-point line, while all but one, Marcus Thornton, bested that mark from the college three-point line. Ryan Boatright, Quinn Cook, Olivier Hanlan, Chasson Randle and Terry Rozier all put up impressive numbers, with Cook hitting all 25 shots from college three-point range, as well as 68 percent of this NBA threes. Rozier also hit an extremely strong 88 percent from NBA three-point range.
More than almost any other position, hitting the 15-foot shot off the dribble is an important part of a point guard’s game. All of the players were impressive, with some minor slip-ups by Thornton and Cameron Payne on the left side. The same goes for the on-the-move portion, where all who took part doing well, with the minor exception of George Lucas, who still hit an okay 43-percent.
Shooting Guards
| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Spot Up NBA 3 | Spot Up College 3 | Off Dribble 15 Left | Off Dribble 15 Right | Off Dribble 15 Top | On the Move College | On the Move 15 Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Anderson | SG | 6’6.25 | 230.6 | 36% | 64% | 87.5% | 75% | 75% | - | 66.7% |
| Anthony Brown | SG | 6’7.25 | 211.0 | 84% | 84% | 62.5% | 75% | 75% | - | 68.2% |
| Pat Connaughton | SG | 6’5.25 | 215 | 68% | 76% | 75% | 50% | 25% | 46.9% | - |
| Michael Frazier II | SG | 6’4.25 | 199.4 | 68% | 80% | 50%** | 75%** | 62.5%** | 72.3% | - |
| Aaron Harrison | SG | 6’6 | 209.2 | 40% | 64% | 25% | 50% | 62.5% | 51.2% | - |
| Tyler Harvey | SG | 6’4 | 181.4 | 52% | 80% | 50% | 75% | 75% | 57.8% | - |
| Terran Petteway | SG | 6’6 | 209.2 | 72% | 52% | 87.5% | 75% | 87.5% | 67.4% | - |
| Norman Powell | SG | 6’4.25 | 215.4 | 44% | 64% | 100% | 62.5% | 75% | 61.9% | - |
| JP Tokoto | SG | 6’6.25 | 195.8 | 36% | 52% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 50% | 59.6% | - |
| Rashad Vaughn | SG | 6’5 | 198.6 | - | 64% | 83.3% | 100% | 66.7% | - | 70% |
| Dez Wells | SG | 6’4 | 208.8 | 36% | 60% | 50% | 50% | 87.5% | 63.0% | - |
| Joseph Young | SG | 6’2 | 182.2 | 64% | 84% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 50% | 65.9% | - |
*Devin Booker, Michael Qualls, RJ Hunter and Corey Hawkins did not take part in shooting drills.
** Frazier took his off-dribble shots from the college three-point line and not 15 feet like the rest of the group.
As you’d expect, the shooting guards put up good spot-up numbers from NBA and, especially, college three-point range. Every player taking part in the shooting drills hit at least half their three-point attempts from the college line, with four, Anthony Brown, Michael Frazier, Tyler Harvey and Joseph Young hitting at least 80 percent. Even the two lowest numbers from the college arc weren’t all that surprising, as JP Tokoto and Terran Petteway weren’t very good from that range in college.
The NBA three-point line is a little trickier, as it really is a big adjustment for college shooters, even those who were known as strong shooting skills. Anthony Brown impressed, knocking down 84 percent from the NBA line, though nobody was expecting Petteway to hit 72 percent, though it bodes well for him if he gains some confidence in that shot. Noted strong shooters, Frazier, Young and Pat Connaugton, all hit over 60 percent, with Harvey the only other player from the group hitting at least half his shots. Obviously, teams will hope some of these other players will adjust to NBA range sooner rather than later, but not being able to put up good numbers here is not always indicative of what a player can do.
Most of the group did very well in the off-the-dribble and on-the-move drills. Some noted players who underperformed were Connaughton and Aaron Harrison. Connaughton was the only player in this group to hit less than half of his on-the-move shots, while Harrison seemed to struggle in a couple of the off-the-dribble portions. Overall though, the group performed up to expectations here.
Small Forward
| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Spot Up NBA 3 | Spot Up College 3 | Off Dribble 15 Left | Off Dribble 15 Right | Off Dribble 15 Top | On the Move College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treveon Graham | SF | 6’5.75 | 219.4 | 72% | 56% | 50% | 25% | 75% | 78% |
*Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Sam Dekker and Justise Winslow did not take part in the shooting drills.
We are down to just one small forward taking part in the shooting drills, and it’s the one guy who really needed to take part and impress. Treveon Graham played mainly at the power forward position for VCU, so the perimeter is a bit foreign to him, but his shooting numbers were pretty good, especially as a spot-up shooter from NBA three-point range. Other than shooting off the dribble on the right side, the non-stationary numbers were good as well, and Graham should be happy with his performance in this area.
Power Forwards
| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Spot Up NBA 3 | Spot Up College 3 | Off Dribble 15 Left | Off Dribble 15 Right | Off Dribble 15 Top | On the Move College | On the Move 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Ashley | PF | 6’8.5 | 228.0 | 44% | 68% | - | - | - | 62.5% | - |
| Rakeem Christmas | PF | 6’9.75 | 242.6 | 36% | 64% | 62.5% | 25% | 37.5% | 61.4% | - |
| Branden Dawson | PF | 6’6.75 | 230.2 | 52% | 40% | - | - | - | 53.2% | - |
| Jonathan Holmes | PF | 6’9.25 | 242.2 | 68% | 88% | 62.5% | 50% | 87.5% | - | - |
| Richaun Holmes | PF | 6’9.5 | 242.8 | 36% | 56% | 75% | 12.5% | 62.5% | 59.6% | - |
| Vince Hunter | PF | 6’7.5 | 208.4 | 36% | 40% | 62.5% | 75% | 12.5% | - | 30.8% |
| Jordan Mickey | PF | 6’8.25 | 238.0 | 44% | 56% | - | - | - | 59.6% | - |
| Larry Nance, Jr. | PF | 6’8.5 | 226.6 | 64% | 56% | 87.5% | 75% | 62.5% | 65.9% | - |
| TaShawn Thomas | PF | 6’8 | 240.2 | 32% | 40% | - | - | - | 59.1% | - |
| Chris Walker | PF | 6’9.25 | 208.0 | 40% | 44% | 25% | 62.5% | 62.5% | - | 21.4% |
| Aaron White | PF | 6’8.75 | 219.8 | 40% | 44% | 50% | 25% | 87.5% | 57.8% | - |
| Alan Williams | PF | 6’8.25 | 261.4 | 4% | 52% | - | - | - | - | 41.7% |
*Christian Wood, Trey Lyles, Kevon Looney, Bobby Portis, Jarell Martin, Cliff Alexander, Montrezl Harrell and Chris McCullough did not take part in the shooting drills.
As I mentioned in the post on the agility drills, the power forwards are a tough group to analyze as a whole since they fall into a couple of different distinct types of player. The stretch 4’s you would expect to be able to hit consistently from the college and NBA three-point line, while the lengthy athletes and classic power forwards may all have different skills based on how they played in college. Jonathan Holmes and Larry Nance, Jr. came away as the best shooting prospects in this group. Both shot very well from both three-point lines, with Holmes putting up the second best number, 88 percent, in the whole combine from the college three-point range. In college, Holmes was known a bit more of a perimeter shooter than Nance, but both seemed to have worked hard since the end of the season to improve. Branden Dawson was the only other player to hit more than half of his NBA-range threes. Some of the classic power forwards, players along the lines of Alan Williams, Rakeem Christmas and TaShawn Thomas obviously have a lot more work to do from the NBA line, but their numbers from the college line were better than I expected. Jordan Mickey was also somewhat of a surprise, hitting 44 percent from NBA range, and 56 percent from college range, after not showing all that much from the perimeter in college other than some mid-range jumpers.
The off-the-dribble and on-the-move numbers were respectable, especially since many of these guys rarely shot anything more than a spot-up shot in college. The players who opted for the on-the-move from the college three-point line all shot well, though the three players who opted for the on-the-move from 15-feet struggled.
Center
| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Spot Up NBA 3 | Spot Up College 3 | Off Dribble 15 Left | Off Dribble 15 Right | Off Dribble 15 Top | On the Move College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouhammadou Jaiteh | C | 6’10.5 | 246.8 | 48% | 44% | 75% | 62.5% | 62.% | 51.9% |
*Frank Kaminsky, Myles Turner, Willie Cauley-Stein, Robert Upshaw and Dakari Johnson did not take part in shooting drills.
After being down to just two centers for the agility testing, only one remained for the shooting portion as Dakari Johnson joined the others in not taking part. In a way, it is understandable that the centers don’t feel a need to take part in shooting drills, though with more and more becoming inside/outside threats, this may change in the future. On a good note, Mouhammadou Jaiteh’s shooting numbers are very good, especially when he did it in front of a group of NBA personnel, many who may not know much about him.
The NBA is all about being able to shoot the ball now, and not being able to shoot from almost any position is a likely sign that a player may not be long for the league. It’s important to not get too discouraged with the NBA-range numbers for a lot of these players, especially the forwards, as many of them have just been working on it for six to eight weeks since their seasons ended.
