Every part of the NBA’s normal scheduling has changed in the wake of COVID-19. The league being put on hold for what will eventually be the better part of four months has had ripple effects in every aspect of the league.
One of the areas that has been most impacted with the fewest answers yet is the draft. Whereas during a normal NBA calendar year prospects would be working out for teams currently as the draft closes in at the end of June, present-day scenarios include Zoom interviews and at-home workouts with NBA teams instead left to game tape as the only way to see prospects in action.
In most seasons as well, a draft combine would have already been held with measurements gathered and drills completed, but the combine was another victim of the coronavirus stoppage. While the NBA has begun including plans for the 2020 NBA Draft, including setting dates for the lottery and the draft itself, a possibility of a combine had not yet been mentioned, let alone a date given.
DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony reported on Sunday, though, that the league has begun talks of something potentially resembling a combine.
Multiple team sources told ESPN that preliminary discussions are underway for some type of draft prospect gathering in Orlando during the last week of August. This would include medical testing, player interviews and, possibly, measurements. The exact format, including how many players would be invited, is still under consideration, though workouts or scrimmages would be unlikely.
Givony went on to note that the league is waiting to see how the NBA’s restart plan plays out before potentially bringing more prospects into the bubble inside Disney World. NBA teams have still been working under the expectation that, eventually, in-person interviews would be allowed which has meant fewer Zoom interviews for the top-level prospects.
Not having a combine or potentially individual workouts likely works against LaMelo Ball – as well as James Wiseman – in the competition for the No. 1 pick. Team workouts would have been the time for Ball to prove he is healthy and for teams to see him in-person rather than on a computer or TV screen halfway around the world.
Without in-person workouts or even a combine, Ball will be unable to answer questions about his game or put to rest any concerns about his health. Getting his measurements could be a further boost for Ball as his height has not been officially noted anywhere but has been speculated to be around 6’7″ or potentially even 6’8″. Those small things can add up against him in a tight race for the No. 1 pick.
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