cali2wyo said:
Draymond green sure is productive for being the same "disappointing" height and weight... 6'7" 230
Rudy Gay isn't too shabby either... 6'8" 230
Interesting comp, but Green was measured at almost two inches shorter and ten pounds heavier. And Green is a physical player despite the smaller size. Nance relies more on athletic ability than power, and he's not going to have that same advantage in the NBA.
Gay is a SF, so I'm not entering him into the discussion.
The initial comparison I made in my head is a different Spartan: Adreian Payne, another athletic PF with range. He's got 1.5 inches and 13 pounds on Nance, but maybe that's all the difference will be between where Payne went (mid 1st) and where Nance will likely end up (2nd).
For the record, I wasn't implying that these measurements mean he'll be a bad NBA player. However, I do believe they can impact his draft stock. During the season, I had hopes that he could sneak into the end of the 1st round like how the Spurs drafted George Hill. However, seeing a PF weigh in at 227 can cause some concerns, especially as a four-year college player with a perceived limited upside.
Looking at the DraftExpress measurements database, one interesting comp in all the numbers we have so far is Dante Cunningham, who actually saw a bunch of time at SF this season over PF. I can see similarities in their skillsets, though Nance has better post game and I don't know if Nance will/can play any SF. Cunningham was the 33rd pick. At this point, I think that'd be a stretch for Nance, but there have been huge jumps in draft stock before.
However, if you want an encouraging comp, Nance's numbers are nearly identical to those of Tristan Thompson. Identical height and weight, Nance 0.25" longer wingspan, Thompson 0.5" longer standing reach, Thompson body fat 0.2% lower, Nance longer hands by 0.25" and wider by 0.5". Obviously, Nance isn't going 4th overall, though, just an interesting observation.
The TV portion of the combine begins at 1 p.m. Wyoming time on ESPN2, both Thursday and Friday. Nance is competing in the 5-on-5 team stuff, so he should hopefully get decent TV time. The games Nance's team is in are scheduled at 1:30 both days.
Sorry about the length, but the NBA is actually a bigger passion of mine than NCAA, and with the Timberwolves as bad as they've been, I put a lot of time and energy into draft discussion. Add to that Nance's involvement, and my interest climbs even higher.
(Note: Even though I follow the NBA more than NCAA, let it be known that I have more Wyming Cowboys gear than I do Minnesota Timberwolves gear)
