2025 NBA Draft Combine: Scrimmage takeaways (Day 1)
Evaluating the first day of 5-on-5 scrimmages at the 2025 NBA Draft combine with thoughts on 18 prospects.
The 2025 NBA Draft combine is underway, with the 5-on-5 scrimmages portion kicking off on Wednesday.
The level of play and effort was generally high. Maybe more prospects could’ve chosen to play, but I was pretty satisfied with the rosters and then the actual live action competitiveness. I don’t put too much stock into the combine (measurements and scrimmages) following years of tape, but it’s certainly useful to see prospects in a different setting and evaluate how they maximize their skillsets in this environment.
Here are some thoughts on 18 different prospects from the first day of scrimmages on who stood out and who I need to see more from:
🇨🇳 HANSEN YANG | CENTER | QINGDAO (China) | JUNE 26, 2005
I currently view Hansen Yang as a long-term developmental gamble worth drafting in the mid-late second round for teams with a trustworthy structure for young, international players.
A realistic, median outcome for the Chinese big is as a sparkplug scorer and drop big off the bench. A low-end scenario sees him returning to China, carving out a long career in the CBA, and starring for the Chinese national team. A top 1% projection is that Yang’s production at his age and outlier feel leads to him becoming a high-usage, primary option hub while overcoming his athletic+defensive limitations.
Didn’t look outmatched from a skill level. Made the most of his minutes. Played hard. High-fived his teammates.
Used as a hub in the post. His game translated on offense. Had a couple of nice passes. Scored on an iso vs. Yanic Niederhauser turning baseline and finishing through contact for the +1.
Needs to be careful with passing accuracy. Going to need to make his reads faster in the NBA. It’s not that he kills the ball, but he still needs long possessions in the post right now a bit too often. Can get crowded more easily or his intentions can get spotted.
Footspeed and general athleticism will always be a question on defense. Slow first jump. Decently quick hands (had a steal) and obviously huge, but reaction time needs to be quick enough.
Probably strictly a drop big. Used more at the level here sometimes, but backline help didn’t really exist (not his fault). Teams are going to target him in the future no matter what in the pick-and-roll and switches.
Made a spot-up three. Has soft touch, but doesn’t shoot from range in-game. yet. Also took two other threes (one was a grenade). I’m not really looking for or expecting conversion, but the willingness and braveness in this setting is commendable.
🇦🇺 LACHLAN OLBRICH | FORWARD/BIG | ILLAWARRA HAWKS | DEC. 30, 2003
Lachlan Olbrich played in the same scrimmage game as Maxime Raynaud. In fact, he was often paired up against the French prospect. Raynaud deservedly got plenty of praise, but I thought Olbrich was just as good while being younger and relatively more unknown. That said, it’s worth remembering that the Aussie prospect was at UC-Riverside for a season and named the Big West Freshman of the Year before returning to his home country. Since then, he has two seasons of pro experience in the NBL under his belt.
Olbrich made the main draft combine after receiving a call-up from the G League Elite Camp. He played like a second round pick with his assertive decision-making, soft touch at the basket, and overall motor. Olbrich was all over the floor on both ends. I’ll be diving into his tape more in detail soon, especially after Wednesday’s performance, but I consider the 21-year-old to be a priority undrafted free agent right now with chances of moving up my board.
Decisive attacking closeouts. Fluid putting the ball on the floor and soft with his touch.
Connective with his decision-making. Made the right passes even when his process was improvable. Moved the ball on time. Previous tape in this regard is positive.
Motor and ground coverage stood out. Was everywhere on both sides of the ball. Repeatedly made multiple efforts. Would rebound, screen, and run the floor in the same play.
Disciplined and under control. Played within himself on both ends. Showed good body control with his closeouts. Didn’t force the issue offensively and played within his limitations.
Slightly a tweener. Not truly sized like a 5. Has ball skills, but maybe not the shot, to be a 4. Needs to define role better, but an NBA team can help with that.
🇬🇷 NEOKLIS AVDALAS | WING/GUARD | PERISTERI (Greece) | FEB. 4, 2006
This was the first flash of Neoklis Avdalas against NBA Draft competitors. He was intriguing on offense thanks to his blend of ballhandling and size, but remains very green on defense. Neo looked completely lost off the ball a few times. Honestly, he’s still unpolished on the other side of the floor for NBA standards, as well, but less so.
Avdalas’ total package and experience until now is interesting enough for me to start looking at him in the very late first-to-early second range, but I’d probably prefer to see him play against college competition first. The mentions he gets alongside Egor Demin and Kasparas Jakucionis aren’t totally unreasonable, though. I’ll have more long-form content on the Greek prospect if he stays in the 2025 draft.
Needs to reduce dribbles, especially when acting as the pick-and-roll ballhandler. Still takes too long and too much work to get to his spots.
Ballhandling and passing feel is evident. Can leverage his size to see over the top. Makes some ballscreen reads.
Shot looks fluid. Better spotting up than pulling up right now, probably. Comfortable with a midrange turnaround.
Looked lost defensively in this setting. Wasn’t sure where to go or what to do off-ball. Upright on-ball. Has the size to defend wings, but not the strength.
🇭🇷 MICHAEL RUŽIĆ | FORWARD/BIG | JOVENTUT | FEB. 25, 2002
Michael Ružić was measured at 6-foot-11 (no shoes) with a 7-foot-0¾ wingspan and a 9-foot standing reach, which means that he can be considered a center prospect now. That’s a big development, since I perceived him as caught between the 3 and the 4 a few months ago. Now, if the upside exists for him to play the 5 while keeping his shooting, the Croatian prospect’s highest-end outcome goes up considerably.
However, it seems like it’ll take time for Ruźić to fully acclimate to his new body. Due to this, it’s also TBD how his shooting (which looked good at previous levels) reacts. Plus, the Joventut forward will need to develop his rim protection much more. He did have a couple of offensive rebounds and rolls, though. If Ruźić stays in the 2025 draft, I think he’s worth a look in the late first to early second range. I want to see Ruźić be more assertive on day 2 of scrimmage action.
DINK PATE | WING/GUARD | MEXICO CITY CAPITANES (G League) | MARCH 10, 2006
Dink Pate never convinced me throughout this draft cycle, and his showing at the combine didn’t do anything to change that. He had a handful of decent moments, but the 19-year-old largely showed what we’ve seen throughout this season. Pate can’t make decisions on the ball, and he doesn’t add genuine value off the ball or as a defender. He will find a home in the G League, although I think he should consider going overseas, but will continue requiring years of development before potentially getting real minutes in the NBA.
Unforced turnovers that cannot happen as an on-ball decision maker. Does not create advantages as a scorer or passer. Gets rushed vs. pressure. Can’t separate off the dribble. Doesn’t make others better.
Can probably only tangibly play off-ball right now, but there are a lot of other guys I’d rather draft to do that. Okay spot-up shooter. Can theoretically use size to move and finish.
What is his role? Still unanswered after two years of G League development. It feels like he still plays high school basketball in that setting. Harsh, but I would not draft him because I cannot see a timeline where he contributes to an NBA team on his first contract.
Played as a point guard for most of the game. Tried one-handed, live dribble passes in transition.
ALIJAH MARTIN | GUARD | FLORIDA | DECEMBER 26, 2001
Alijah Martin is a heady guard who puts pressure on the rim and dunks a lot for his size, but he’s small, can’t really shoot off-ball, isn’t a reliable on-ball facilitator, and ultimately isn’t a good enough defender either. He can be a G League/Exhibit-10/Summer League acquisition in undrafted free agency.
Missed some makeable spot-up threes which should go in if he’s an off-ball player.
Unforced turnovers if he’s a point guard.
Size limitations were apparent.
Played typically hard. Strong, powerful athlete.
JALON MOORE | WING | OKLAHOMA | APRIL 10, 2003
Jalon Moore has solid positional size at 6-foot6¼ barefoot with a 6-foot-10¼ wingspan. He’s a good mover and capable spot-up shooter, but needs to show that he can do more on offense. The Oklahoma wing is also relatively young (turned 22 in April) for a senior, and he made 41% and 38% of his threes over the last two seasons. He's worth a G League look and such.
Made decent reads off the catch but failed to finish a couple of times. Only made 47.6% (60/126) of his half-court layups this season.
Didn’t shoot in this game but can make catch-and-shoot (38.2 3P% on 42-for110 this season). Volume from downtown will need to go up, but his free throw shooting is encouraging.
Needs to make better decisions when he puts the ball on the floor in spurts. 3.8 AST%, per Bart Torvik, is almost disqualifying. 0.3 A/TO is really bad.
YAXEL LENDEBORG | FORWARD | UAB/MICHIGAN | SEPT. 30, 2002
I’ll have more content on Yaxel Lendeborg if he stays in the draft rather than fully transferring to Michigan (he’s already committed there after moving from UAB). My current range for him is the late first/early second.
I love Lendeborg’s feel and how he can make plays with the ball in his hands while being big, long, strong, and productive. At the combine, he immediately looked like one of the best players on the court. Lendeborg is a solid rebounder and a skilled playmaker who will take the mantle from Danny Wolf in that department should he play for the Wolverines. He is seeking a guaranteed contract to stay in the 2025 draft.
MACKENZIE MGBAKO | WING | INDIANA/TEXAS A&M | NOV. 18, 2004
I believe it’s in Mackenzie Mgbako’s best interests to play another college season after transferring to Texas A&M, but the former five-star recruit has taken full advantage of combine week. Mgbako was called up to the main combine from the G League Elite Camp and unloaded the clip.
The pitch on the 20-year-old is centered around his three-point shooting, but he cannot do much else besides that right now as a playmaker, defender, or athlete. If Mgbako stays in the draft, he should be in the G League for the foreseeable future, but I guess he could be a late second round swing for teams who value high school pedigree and really prioritize shooting.
Shot a bunch of threes and hit some pull-ups. Let the ball fly in this setting. I didn’t mind since that’s his biggest strength, but he’s very one-dimensional right now.
What else does he do besides shoot threes? For the most part, only ever looks to score. Passing is the last resort. Had one possession where he went nowhere and then gave his teammate a grenade.
Below-average athlete. Doesn’t blow past defenders or finish above the rim/through contact. Couldn’t finish in traffic even when he got a pair of offensive rebounds.
Late/inactive as an off-ball defender. Can he add value on defense? Hasn’t been the case throughout career.
MILES BYRD | WING | SAN DIEGO ST. | SEPT. 8, 2004
I've written about Miles Byrd before, and he can even get first-round looks. I have the San Diego State wing in the mid-late second round range because I'm unsure about the functionality of his athleticism and offense (career 30.4 3P%, 45% on all 62 attempted layups this season). I really like his defense, though, which was on display at the combine while encouragingly making a handful of catch-and-shoots.
Byrd’s NBA future is as an off-ball wing who can make threes, make decisions off the catch, and defend 1-3.
TAHAAD PETTIFORD | GUARD | AUBURN | AUG. 4, 2005
I’ve also covered Tahaad Pettiford on here: “Pettiford’s biggest limitation is ultimately just his size. Look around the league and recent drafts — there are few guards his size who have truly excelled. As a scorer, he’s largely overcome this deficit in college through his pull-up shooting.”
The Auburn prospect looked like the best point guard at the draft combine, which is great given that he’s a freshman. Pettiford made pull-up threes, as he usually does, but also displayed that he can make catch-and-shoots from deep. The 19-year-old made his teammates better while running the point, which is exactly what I want to see in a combine-type setting from a 1.
Pettiford can be a sixth man-type point guard who dynamites a team’s second unit. His size will be a big limitation as a finisher and defender. I feel most comfortable using an early second round pick on him, but that hasn’t been a great landing spot for college freshmen recently, so Pettiford could still return to Auburn.
JAVON SMALL | GUARD | WEST VIRGINIA | DEC. 19, 2002
Javon Small played well in the first day of scrimmages and I want to see more. He added value on- and off-ball, which is great for a guard. He’ll need that versatility to stick in the NBA. The West Virginia prospect didn’t make any home run plays, but he was steady in the pick-and-roll as a scorer and passer, composed as a whole, and was generally productive. Small looked like a mid-second rounder and the 22-year-old made me want to dive into his tape.
Decent pick-and-roll passing. Guided bigs to their spots. Turned the corner. Created advantages.
Willing shooter without forcing the issue. Made and missed a pull-up three. Drilled a spot-up triple. Missed a pull-up two stepping back to his left.
Disruptive defender. Got a steal in transition. Active hands in general. Engaged.
🇦🇺 ALEX TOOHEY | WING | SYDNEY KINGS (Australia) | MAY 5, 2004
I was itching to evaluate Alex Toohey against fellow NBA Draft prospects, and he didn’t disappoint at the draft combine. I’m high on the Australian wing’s connectivity and defense as an off-ball wing who can play the 3 and maybe the 4 — as long as he can make enough threes to survive on the floor. If he drills shots from downtown, I think the 21-year-old has the decision-making and ancillary skills to do more than just shoot threes.
Toohey is a very early second rounder for me right now. I would prioritize him in the 30s if I had a draft pick there. He made two threes in the scrimmage, made decisions off the catch, tipped in a rebound, moved the ball on time, and used his size on defense. The Sydney Kings prospect really maximized his minutes.
🇨🇭 YANIC KONAN NIEDERHAUSER | CENTER | PENN STATE | MARCH 14, 2003
The Penn State center will keep rising up draft boards after the combine, which he was called up to after the G League Elite Camp. Niederhauser no doubt looks like an NBA center, and he can play above the rim like one. He’s also shotblocker, although I’m not overly high on his defensive instincts. I also don’t really think the Swiss prospect does much besides screening, rolling, and finishing plays — but there is always a room for that in the NBA. I have Niederhauser as a late second rounder or undrafted free agent.
Play finisher. Rolls and dunks. Won’t do much more on offense. Doesn’t need to both now, nor in the NBA.
Above-the-rim athlete. Rebounds, blocks shots, catches lobs. Can he constantly play in traffic?
Limited skillset with a low ceiling. Won’t really do more than the above. Always going to be reliant on someone else to set him up. He’s 22, which isn’t old, but not sure how much he can keep improving. Probably sentenced to be a back-up big even in the best of scenarios.
Shotblocker with decently functional athleticism. Moves relatively well for such a big body. Not a stiff. Size will always give him margin for recovery, but needs to be on-point with his angles, body positioning, etc.
KAM JONES | GUARD | MARQUETTE | FEB. 25, 2002
Kam Jones has been falling on my board into the mid-to-late second round. He remains a steady backup guard bet, but my concern is that Jones isn’t a high enough level ballhandler, scorer, passer, or defender to truly thrive in that capacity.
I thought the Marquette guard’s passing numbers overstated his actual craft as a playmaker, and his passes during the first day of scrimmages lacked accuracy. Jones really struggled to get to his spots off the bounce, and his below-average run+jump athleticism was also apparent near the rim.
Update (May 16): ESPN is now reporting that “Jones checked himself out in the fourth quarter of his scrimmage while holding his hamstring. His agent told ESPN that Jones will sit out Thursday's scrimmages and receive an MRI, but it's not expected to be a serious injury.”
🇫🇷 MAXIME RAYNAUD | FORWARD | STANFORD | APRIL 7, 2003
Maxime Raynaud is a really fun 7-footer to watch, and he was very good during the first day of scrimmages. I see him as a late first rounder right now given his size, production, history of improvement, soft touch, flashes of three-point shooting, and connective decision-making. The Frenchman is also scalable in most contexts, which helps his draft stock, but I prefer him going to a team that is in win-now mode.
I’ve previously covered Raynaud and there will be more content on him very soon. I’m unconvinced about his NBA outlook on defense. I don’t think Raynaud is a natural rim protector despite his size, and I’m not sure that he has the footspeed to keep up with ballhandlers on the perimeter despite being a decent mover as a whole. He needs to add more physicality to his game on both ends, as well.
SION JAMES | WING/GUARD | DUKE | DEC. 4, 2002
Sion James is in my top 40 thanks to his defense and connectivity. The Duke playmaker will need to shoot on some level in the NBA, but he did well in this scrimmage outside of one catch-and-shoot where he hesitated, jabstepped, and missed. James reminds me of Toumani Camara with his defensive output, which was on display on this game with stops, deflections, and steals.
JAMIR WATKINS | WING | FLORIDA STATE | JULY 6, 2001
Jamir Watkins turns 24 in July, so he isn't a high-upside pick but he can still carve out an NBA role. The Florida State wing defends, makes threes, and shows okay enough instincts as a passer. I like Watkins' attitude on the floor a lot, and he has the necessary means to be a role player in the NBA. The mid-to-late second round for a playoff team seems appropriate as long as he makes threes.
Locked in on defense off-ball. Can switch across guards and wings. Got a huge helps-side block. Also deflections.
Engaged and pesky on-ball. Guarded Ryan Nembhard or Neoklis Avdalas alike.
Needs to make threes. Shaky percentages throughout college career on low volume. Shot a career-high in attempts this year, but conversion went back down, so still a test for him.
Capable passer. Won’t be on the ball nearly as much as in college, but should be able to make decisions off the catch if his shot is falling.
Nice positional length for a swingman, although not strong, with plenty of experience. Measured at 6-foot-5 with a very long 6-foot-11¼ wingspan.
Feel like Neoklis has a lot of the stuff you can’t teach…young but has some really intriguing upside