Biggest Takeaways From the 2026 NBA Draft Combine

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:02]The NBA combine is fully underway and we have plenty of takeaways from seeing these guys in person. We're going to share it all, break it all down for you next on Locked on NBA Draft with no ceilings.

[00:00:17]You are a locked NBA draft with no ceilings. Your daily podcast on the future stars of the NBA, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day.

[00:00:31]I'm Tyler Maf. Welcome to Lockdown NBA Draft with No Ceilings. Joining me as always is my co-host Tyler Rucker. And we are live in Chicago at the combine.

[00:00:40]We got a ton of takeaways, including our biggest winner of the week so far through measurements and testing. Is this guard class really as impressive as us and many others have been saying all year? And but we got to start out looking at the big four. Darren Peterson, AJ Debansa, Cam Boozer, Caleb Wilson. So, Rucker, let's just start off there.

[00:01:01]What were your initial takeaways with seeing these guys in person through shooting drills, testing, measurements, all that good stuff?

[00:01:07]>> I think for me was the the hype is real, you know, and we expected that watching them on film, but it is something to be watching these guys, you know, a lot of us in those ceilings get to see them, you know, a couple of them in person throughout the year. And, you know, for me, it was my first chance to see Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson in person. and obviously Boozer since you know we got to see him at Hype Hoop Summit a couple years ago but um all of them physical specimens and I also think it they all stood out and popped in a big way when it came to like yeah there's a reason why we're considering them the big four and um you know I think a lot of people were very eager to see some of these numbers around them but um >> AJ's big AJ's big I think AJ's height you know I got to see him at the end of the year in Tucson very very big just keep every time you're like, man, he's jumbo size.

[00:01:58]>> Whoa.

[00:01:58]>> Whoa.

[00:01:59]>> Yeah. And I think also, you know, Darren Peterson, his frame is very impressive as well. I thought he was much more stronger than I was expecting. So, um, a lot of good stuff, Metap from the big four. What I didn't really leave there like with any annoyance, I guess, if you want to put it that way, or like feel bad about any of those guys. I just kind of left being like those are poor monsters.

[00:02:22]>> Yeah. I I thought it was really interesting that not a single one of them like dominated throughout. Like AJ looked I mean he dominated the vertical stuff.

[00:02:32]>> Um Camboozer like the shot looked really good. His lateral stuff ended up testing a lot better than it looked. Like when I was watching him he's a little like kind of on the other side of the gym but watching him is like man that looks clunky. Like it looks uncomfortable. He looks heavy footed. And then you see the times it's like oh he's the best of the four. I was like, "Okay, well, >> never mind." Uh Darren, like his testing was kind of mediocre across the board. I was hoping he'd be a little quicker, a little more explosive. He wasn't, but then you see him shoot and it's like, "Oh my god, that thing was created in the lab. Like that looks gorgeous."

[00:03:05]Caleb Wilson measured a little I think Wingspan may have measured a little shorter than people may have been anticipating given how he plays. Um, the lateral stuff was a little clunkier than maybe people were expecting, but I know the shooting results weren't outlandish, but I thought the form looked really good, especially on like the mid-range pullup, which is an area he was really good at in at UNCC this year. I thought the mechanics looked really consistent, really encouraging, and like there's a lot of room for improvement there. like realistic room for improvement, not just like, oh yeah, he could shoot hypothetical, but I thought all of these guys kind of had little different areas where they came away really impressed and didn't help anyone with the conversation for actual number one >> didn't help us at all. I I think the biggest thing like for for a lot of this we always say, you know, like we're not overreacting to these numbers. This is a data point. You're also trying to confirm what you've watched on tape throughout the year. So, you're also trying to confirm like a perfect example. We're going to talk about him later, but Kingston Flemings, we were all like, "Hey, we're a little shocked of the wingspan because he plays so much longer." Um, and then you see like it's a lot of confirmation like AJ with the bounce. We were like, "Yeah, it's it's good, but that was a big number." And you know, Darren, I'm I was right there with you. I thought athletically might have tested a little bit better. I think his max was around 37. It wasn't bad.

[00:04:27]It's just like it was like, "Okay, moving on." Like, it was one of those like I I wasn't like, "Eh, that's not good." I was just kind of like moving on like what next next drill. Um, but then seeing I think it was more important to see these guys shooting um, for a lot like Caleb Wilson. People might look at the numbers that come out and be like, "Hey, the the shooting numbers weren't great." But I I was watching I was like, "Shot looks pretty good." Like the shot looks good like it's trending in the right direction. For someone that didn't have a a high volume from outside or or you know a high percentage, I left encouraged saying like that shot's trending in the right way. And you know, it is funny the videos that go around on social media and everything. A lot of people were comparing like, "Hey, Caleb looks a little clunky in the uh Prolane drill." And I was like, "Man, he's covering a lot of ground." So, like, I think it's also important. We get to see these guys with their physical like ability and the, you know, the frame.

[00:05:19]And with Caleb Wilson, for example, his body still looks like it's figuring out how to get all on the same page. He moves so quick, but it just looks a little clunky. And I kind of compared it to like Giannis the first couple years.

[00:05:33]If you go watch him as rookie year, he moves kind of weird because he's so jumbo. And then his his mobility and and fluidity and like the flexibility kind of caught up. So, um, you know, we weren't expecting Cam Boozer to test great athletically. He didn't. So, we were like moving on. And then, um, >> he just to circle back, sorry to interrupt you, but >> No, no, go ahead. Um, and I I thought the fact that he was one of I think the best score of that top four like with the pro lane stuff and like like the lateral agility stuff despite weighing in heavier than he was listed at Duke.

[00:06:07]>> That was really I think eye opening for me because it's like in in high school I love the way that he slid his feet on defense and space. It's like okay this guy can you know defend on the perimeter a little bit.

[00:06:19]>> He couldn't at Duke. Like the defense was bad at Duke. There's no rim protection. He got blown by on closeouts and stuff. is like, man, he's his feet look heavy. And the fact that he's moving like that, despite weighing in at, I think 253, was listed at 250 at Duke. Is like, was he actually heavier at Duke? Cuz coming into this week, I'd be like, man, I'd love for him to come in at like 240 and really improve that lateral quickness.

[00:06:41]the fact that he showed that lateral quickness, that lateral agility, that ability to change directions really quickly or relatively quickly. Um, that made me more excited and kind of even further cemented my my belief that man, if this guy scales down to 245, 240, that is going to take his perimeter defense to a whole new level because I I know he measured pretty well overall. I still don't think there's a world in which he can play the five. And if he just drops 5 to 10 lbs and gets just a little more lighter on his feet, I think that's going to take his defense to a whole new stratosphere.

[00:07:18]>> Completely agree. I I think every time I've seen Cam in person, you're like amazed at the lower body power frame.

[00:07:26]There's so much size down there. Yeah.

[00:07:29]And that's why I think a lot of people think he's so heavy-footed, but it's more really just like he's just it's a tree on wheels. He just really is physically just eye opening. And um the measurements, you know, I think there's some people that thought like, hey, maybe the measurements were promising enough to where we can enter the small ball five conversation. I'm not there. I think I think he's going to be a jumbosized four that if you even get some, you know, rim protection ability behind him, that makes Cam even more >> Yes. It it takes his defense to another level because he can just use power while having a length behind you hopefully. So, I really left like with intrigued with all four of them. Um AJ the shot looked better.

[00:08:15]>> Yeah.

[00:08:16]>> It looked it looked way better than when I saw him at the end of the year. The arc is fantastic. We know um a couple of our guys got to see AJ work out in LA and um they were raving about that. And seeing it in person, I was like, "You guys weren't kidding." And it's tough when you hear that and you see like the comparison over the years and and fans might see the numbers and be like, "Well, he didn't shoot well." And it's like, "Yeah, but that looks like it's really on a good track." Like that.

[00:08:41]That's So, um, everyone showed good stuff. Darren shot it great. I thought Darren looked fantastic in shooting. So, >> a lot of good takeaways. Nothing really to be like, "Hey, I'm worried." I left there just like >> it's it's a more it's bigger headache time for all the four those four.

[00:08:57]>> Absolutely. And these four have been getting a ton of hype all year, but so have the guards, and we got plenty to talk to talk about with them right after this.

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[00:10:37]All right. So, we know we've known this class is really topheavy, but we also known that the point guard class is insane. because ample amount of depth, talent, high-end outcomes, potential.

[00:10:51]We're going to compounds around all over in this section. So, when you look at this point guard class, what what were your takeaways from testing and and measurements?

[00:11:00]>> This didn't get easier. I I and I I don't mean to sound like a, you know, a copout, but we left that all I think like, man, they all look good. They all look nice. and and um I think it made it more difficult because some of the guys tested better than we were probably dreaming of. And I think we were expecting I I was expecting one of them to kind of look noticeably like a bad day >> and um that didn't happen. So it was like I was like, "Hey, you know, I like Darius Auff. Um he's been so redot all year. It feels like it's just setting up for like the oh, he struggled at the combine shooting. Didn't happen. Just shot the lights out. So, >> they all look great. I think Kingston Flemings, I was also expecting like athletically he might test really well, but maybe the shot is where it kind of like, oh, he he test Nope. Just he shot the crap out of the ball. So, >> looked a little funky.

[00:11:56]>> It looks funky, but it goes in. Goes in.

[00:11:58]Exactly. That's why I was like, hey, you know who else it looked funky for?

[00:12:00]Tyrese Hallebert. And it goes in. So, >> I don't know, Muff. It it it and then Braden Buries I thought looked fantastic. He had a very very good day.

[00:12:08]So it in a weird way it got more difficult to figure out like what's your what's your preference and that's why I think if you're a team picking in that top 10 looking for one of these guards you're probably going to be happy no matter what. You're probably going to have two or three. You're like hey if we get one we're ecstatic. But um >> and I that's not even get touching on Michael Brown who who measured great uh who tested great who shot the crap out of the ball. Um him and Kingston Flemings had a little dunk contest going on after the drills and Michael's just like effortlessly throwing down one-handed windmills. It's like oh sick.

[00:12:42]Um and Keen Wongler I mean little low release might take a little bit of time to get off but that thing is smooth.

[00:12:50]That thing is pretty. The follow through is gorgeous. I mean he shoots a beautiful ball and he measured the tallest out of all of them. So and on top of that I his vertical was was fine.

[00:13:01]I thought it was a big win.

[00:13:03]>> I think it was like what 36 36 >> with max vert of 36. And I think a lot of people were like, "Well, that's not good." And I was like, "Are you kidding me? That's a big win because everyone was thinking he was going to have like a 30 inch vert." And I was like, "For for a 66 guy to have a 36 like at the point guard position or the combo guard, whatever you want to put." Like I thought that was a big win for him.

[00:13:22]>> Yeah. So I it's kind of messed up that all these guys decided to have a good day and the man life even more difficult for us. Uh because like I I I went into this week trying to find a reason to move one of them to the bottom and be like, "Oh, nope. This is number five of this group or whatever." And every time I looked over at Darius Seoff shooting, he was making it. And the form was consistent. It was and it was off the bounce. It was off the catch. It was off movement. It's like, "Okay, well, guess that shooting leap that he showed at Arkansas all year long looks legit."

[00:13:56]Uh Braden Bur it's like oh surely he'll have another cold day. It's like no I know he's always kind of been a streaky shooter but today's not one of those down days. And then you see the the weight and the power that he measured in at like okay well he's measure he's weighing in at like 215 which is bigger than some of these forwards. Um fine size, fine width or length. It's like none of these guys had a bad day. And if you're an NBA team, you're gonna have an absolute nightmare if you're looking for a point guard in that five through nine range. That the Bur stuff was the biggest thing for me because he measured in about 10 lbs over his listed weight for Arizona. And I was like when when the measurements came in I was like that that's going to be the one that that struggles with athletic testing and he was one of the best athletic testers.

[00:14:42]Like he had one of the best nostep verts which me personally that's the one that stands out the most because it's showing just raw power. He he beat COA Pete which we were like oh Pete had a fantastic number and we look up and we're like buries out jumped Pete like that. So um and then he ended up being like top five top 10 with no step vert then he had a 38 inch max. So like >> six he's going to be around 6'4 215 with that power and then I thought the shot I've got I've seen him multiple times in person. I thought the shot looked fantastic. It came off the hand beautiful rotation. It looks like it looks like someone maybe did a little tweaking, but it it looked so smooth, consistent. I thought he was fantastic.

[00:15:24]And like you said, him having a fantastic day was like, are you kidding me? Not one of these guys just not It's just a testament to the guard depth, the class. I know we love the big four, but after that, this guard class really seems like it has the special tools and potential to be like, hey, you can get really good starters plus um in this class and where we've only mentioned the like that top grouping like and even if we look further, you know, quoteunquote further down the board at guys like Leberon Phylon and Bennett Sters who had an incredible incredible week um and everyone seems to be very high on because and he shot incredibly Well, um he tested really really well. Um Christian Anderson, I was like, "All right, he surely he's going to be the guy that goes back." He shot the lights out of it, which we kind of expected, but then he had like a 40 plus inch max vert. And it's like, okay, where did that explosiveness go? Why was that not right? Why could you not create anything without a screen at tech this year? So, it's like, all right, so all of these guys are testing really well. They're shooting the lights out. We're about to go over and see Tyler Tanner play. Um, Ibuka Cory I thought was just kind of okay. Yeah.

[00:16:34]>> Um, but like even like that second grouping of guards, they had themselves a heck of a week.

[00:16:40]>> Starts was fantastic. Um, you know, we we kind of made the joke that you saw a lot of these guys after, you know, they do a shooting drills. So, it's it's a lot of shooting drills like stack stacked together and then you do a star drill where it's like you're getting the players out of their head and they're moving cuz um you know I I even mentioned to you guys I was like I love the star drill because the other drills you could see the the guys are very robotic like trying to be like okay off the dribble I just said one two shot like they're very focused and um trying to get their mechanics and footwork down and then the star drill gets them moving around the court. they got to get like get out of your head. And um every player seemed like they're huffing puffing and I think you mentioned to me like at one point they're like Sters doesn't even look like >> he looks like he just rolled out of bed.

[00:17:22]>> He just rolled out of bed. He's >> dry walking around like normal. Couple guys are like hands on.

[00:17:26]>> So like it was just amazing watching him shoot. It was like oh my gosh it is just like a artist painting right now. So Stur's had a great day. Um I think he's kind of a little bit of a sneaky bell of the ball right now around here. And um you know, like you said, like Phylon was solid. Didn't I don't think he was with those guys, but he was fine. Um >> like I I think if we had to pick a a quote unquote loser of the group, maybe it was him, but it's like he was just he was fine. He wasn't bad.

[00:17:55]>> Yeah, he wasn't bad, but everybody else was >> blow it out of the water. All these other guys.

[00:17:59]>> Um Exactly. So, I mean, and I don't even know if you know it was a negative. It was just more like he's he was fine. Um, and you know, you you brought up another one who I mean, serious >> Christian Anderson, man, like we we saw him in person the night of the lottery and and we were like, man, he he's still thin and then all of a sudden he goes out puts a 40 inch B and he was one of the I think he shot like 92% in one of his shooting drills and we were like >> he was like towards the top and basically all >> he just knocked it out of the park. So, um, it it's tough because you get to a lot of these guys and look, one of my guy favorite guys was a guard senior. I thought Ryan Conwell had one of the best days no one's talking about. Like, he he knocked it out of the park, too. So, really good guard class, really good depth. Um, and we still got, you know, a big withdrawal deadline coming up for guys like Christian Anderson who >> you never know. We're going to get really interesting with this class. I think there's going to be some names that might stay in that shock people.

[00:18:56]There's going to be some names that go back, I think, that are going to shock people, too.

[00:18:59]>> Yeah, it's going to get really messy.

[00:19:01]And I know we've just been heaping praise on all of these guys, but none of them were the biggest winner of the week, who we'll get to right after this.

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[00:21:05]We got to talk about the biggest winner in terms of measurements, testing, shooting. Um, number one in my heart, my sweet prince, national champion, Marz Johnson. What a what a day. What a week, I guess he's had. Um, start it off. I I can't I can't I can't do this right.

[00:21:23]It's This is your boy. You've been beating this drum since the beginning of the year. And it's it's always beautiful when I get to see you proud and the guy climbing up the board. He's just steadily been climbing. It's almost like people didn't want Metcap didn't have him early and it's like yes he did. So look great great eye by you but he he was unbelievable. So like start it off and then I'll I'll jump in and give my scent.

[00:21:48]>> Yeah. And he still has to prove to be a a really good NBA player for me for me to take a big victory >> l you know thing things are trending in a very good direction. Uh, so I for starters the the measurements, the wingspan, the height, the weight was incredible. And I he did he hit 250 for the weight?

[00:22:08]>> I believe so. I'm going pull it up right now.

[00:22:10]>> So, and he's right around 250. But then when you see him, it's like this dude is one of the most filled out athletic perfectly like proportional forwards, big men that you could dream of. And then you watch the testing, the vertical was near the top. the the lane agility was number one for most of the week and then I think he ended up third which is insane when you're talking about a 69 and a half 250 lb forward the fact that he's moving laterally like that is insane but then you go back to the film and it's like yeah that's how he defends that's why he's switching everything at the top of the arc that's why he's picking up guards full court that's why he's one of their point of attack defenders and why they won the national championship it is just it's another quantifiable data point for how versatile and dominant his defense was this year. And you know, we have all the qualitative film study that goes with it. There's some encouraging defensive metrics throughout the regular season.

[00:23:07]But now we have like legitimate testing data to be like, no, this dude is one of the best movers, not only at his size, but in this draft class in the open court. And at the start of the year, I was like, man, I I really buy the shot long term. the I saw him in warm-ups taking full speed stuff off movement, off the bounce, um like dripping sweat, shooting and making it and it was really consistent and we saw only like flashes of it this year, but it was also the first year he's really started shooting the ball. What we also saw was like a 10% leap in his free throw shooting and he was tremendous in the shooting drills, especially the movement, the catch and shoot stuff. Um, so I I I don't know how he could have had a better week from measurements, testing, shooting. Obviously, he's not going to he's probably not going to be a prolific three-point shooter. I'm not saying that. But like low volume, competent to above average pick and pop, catch and shoot, trail three type of guy, MZ Johnson, I think, not only solidified himself as staying in this draft, but as like a legitimate like lottery pick. Look, I I think a lot of fans out out there, and this is going to be a little bit of a hot take, but I think a lot of fans out there have been looking at the wrong big man at Michigan to be in the top 10. And I think this week kind of got cemented to that. And look, I I know that sounds crazy, but we're we keep saying we love all these guards. There's probably not going to be four straight guards drafted on the night of the draft in a row. So, there's probably going to be a position that gets a little bit of change and it might be a team coming up to get, you know, break that party up or it might be someone going, you know, getting out of there or, you know, both. But MZ was the moment he measured 69 barefoot. I was like huge humongous wing.

[00:24:51]>> That that was way bigger than I thought.

[00:24:52]I was going to be like 67.

[00:24:54]>> Yeah, I did too. So 6 69 barefoot 251 73 and a half wingspan. And then the biggest kicker was the 39 inch max bird.

[00:25:02]Like that was like a whoa. Like you're kind of did like a oh my goodness. Like that size human being getting up at 39 in was just a huge win. And look, I know people be like, "Hey, that's Danny Reach 81." I know there's always a little question. Okay, okay, fine. Let's say it's 38 inch max for still unbelievable number. Um, but you know, I was buying the shot this year from watching it on film. Seeing it in person, doubling down. Like it it looks >> he looks in a weird way, Metaf, he looks like he's on the trajectory up and it's like, oh gosh, next year it all might be falling into place and some team's going to be like, we struck gold and Yeah. But it's it's I'm buying the shot. My favorite thing of seeing in person this week was Morz was doing the off the dribble and I kind of elbowed you and I was like he's thinking >> he's thinking right now and every time he was doing off the dribble it was like he was trying to really be robotic with his mechanics >> and you could see every time he missed he'd be like >> annoyed >> the moment they did the star drill which is it's you literally you're doing a star on the court. You're running sideline, you come in, shoot. You run to the sideline or corner. It's three-point star drill is what it's called. So, it's it's literally a a star on the court.

[00:26:15]The moment he started doing that, couldn't miss. Like, it was just so fluid because he didn't have time to think about it. He was just shooting and I was like, he's going to be fine. He's he's going to be a floor spacer. Might not happen right away, but he is going to be on the path of adding that to his arsenal. So, a really good defensive player, a really smart, aware player on both sides of the court, and that shot's going to add. And I love his footwork.

[00:26:39]He is a machine in person, and it's not just like oversized power. It He is chiseled.

[00:26:48]>> Yeah. So, like he's 250, but not like in a robotic stat statue sense. It's like, oh, it's fluid and bulky and strong and functional. It's wild. He's two. He weighed 250 and I was like, he looks 225. And it's more because it's just so cut up, but his his broad shoulders, >> his frame was like, wow, 250 and that's what he looks like. Like it was a very very impressive day. And I think overall this week for MZ Johnson, I think that stock's going up in a hurry.

[00:27:20]>> Absolutely. Well, we're going to wrap it there. Uh we got scrimmages to go to get to. Uh, we'll have more covering those and so much more leading up to and past the draft. Uh, make sure you lock in with us. Until then, he is Tyler Rucker.

[00:27:34]You can follow him at Tyler Rucker. I'm Tyler McEaf. You can follow me at T-Mac11. Thank you for listening and watching and making us your first listen and watch uh, every day. See you.