2022 NBA Draft: #37 Jaden Hardy (6' 3", 6' 9" WS) to DAL | two 2nds to SAC

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otes from the Athleticism

LaRavia Madness
The draft community buzzed with speculation following Jake LaRavia’s choice to not play five-on-five action, wondering if the [b][b]Wake Forest[/b] forward had a promise following a strong first day at the combine. He measured out at 6-foot-8, he tested well athletically for what was expected, and he was one of the best players to participate in the shooting drills. He also posted one of the best scores in the lane-agility drill, a surprising result for a player whose main concern for teams revolves around his ability to defend guards out on the perimeter when in switches.[/b]
Ultimately, LaRavia pulled out of the rest of the events simply because he and his agency are comfortable with his general range, not because he already has a specific destination. The goal was to show that he could shoot and that he was more athletic than expected, and that mission was accomplished by the time Wednesday night rolled around. LaRavia should be expected to hear his name called somewhere in the top 35 on draft night and has a very good chance starting at pick No. 20. Size, shooting and elite feel for the game are a tough combination to find, and a lot of contenders have real interest in him within those final 10 picks of the first round.



Measurement guys

• [b][b]Mark Williams[/b][/b] (Duke) came in at 7-foot-2 in shoes with a 7-foot-7 wingspan and a 9-foot-9 standing reach. That standing reach is actually the second-biggest of all time behind [b]Celtics[/b] legend Tacko Fall. Williams has a very good chance to hear his name called in the lottery on draft night by the end of the process.
  
  
  
• Likely lottery pick Dyson Daniels (G League Ignite) backed up his rumored growth in terms of height, measuring 6-foot-7 1/2 in shoes as a guy who plays about half of his time as a lead guard. He also has a 6-foot-10 1/2 wingspan and an 8-foot-10 standing reach that is among the elite for combo guards in the last decade. NBA teams had been hearing for weeks that Daniels had grown over the last year, so getting this down on paper for him was enormous. He’s likely to hear his name called in the top 10.
  
  
  
• Wisconsin guard [b][b]Johnny Davis[/b][/b] did himself some good by coming in at more than 6-foot-4 without shoes, when some teams had some very real concerns that he’d be about that height with shoes. At 6-foot-5 3/4 in shoes with an 8-foot-7 1/2 standing reach, Davis looks well-suited to playing either wing position now as opposed to coming in with measurements that would leave him position-locked as a two.
  
  
  
• [b][b]Tari Eason[/b][/b] (LSU) measured as well as expected at 6-foot-8 in shoes with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. The thing that popped off the page though was his 11-inch hand-width. That’s essentially a [b]Kawhi Leonard[/b]-like mark, as the former [b]San Diego State[/b] forward had 11 1/4-inch hands when he was at the combine back in 2011. Eason had the biggest hands at this combine. It’s hard to come up with a more ideal frame for a combo forward than Eason’s.
  
  
  
• Overtime Elite forward Dom Barlow has drawn real interest from NBA teams throughout this process due to his size, athleticism, length and shooting ability. He’s definitely a project, but his measurements confirmed why he’s a project that’s worth the investment. Barlow came in at 6-foot-10 in shoes with a 9-foot standing reach and a 7-foot-3 wingspan. That’s even bigger across the board than what teams expected, along with 10 1/2-inch hands. The hype with Overtime Elite all season has been centered around Jean Montero. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Barlow actually be the first OTE player selected.
  
  
  
• A couple of other perimeter players with great length/enormous hand combinations: Justin Lewis at Marquette was 6-foot-7 1/2 with a 7-foot-2 1/2 wingspan, along with 10 1/2-inch hands. NBA teams already had Leonard Miller’s measurements from Nike Hoop Summit, but he also came in again at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and 10 1/2-inch hands. Guys with these kinds of frames and perimeter-style games tend to figure it out at the NBA level at some point in their trajectory. Think O.G. Anunoby, Jerami Grant, [b]Christian Wood[/b], [b]Pascal Siakam[/b] and others. These guys all went outside of the top 20, but made it work at the next level. Don’t be surprised if the Barlows, Lewises and Millers of the world end up being the next ones to do so.
  
  
  
• Some other surprises: Drew Timme came in with a plus-six wingspan, although as referenced previously he did come in just a touch shorter than hoped at 6-foot-9 …[b]Baylor[/b] wing [b][b]Kendall Brown[/b][/b] came in a bit shorter than expected with a 8-foot-7 standing reach, meaning he’s much more of a three than a four size-wise, even with his athleticism. … Purdue center [b][b]Trevion Williams[/b][/b] was just 6-foot-8 in shoes, but he came in with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and a 9-foot-1/2 standing reach that will give him a shot to stick as a smaller, skilled center. He also was slimmed down a bit more than expected, which was a good sign for his continued physical improvement. … Arizona wing [b][b]Dalen Terry[/b][/b] only measured, but he did so outstandingly with a 6-foot-7 height in shoes and a near-7-foot-1 wingspan that will give teams hope on his developmental pathway as a bigger guard that can slide down to the wing.