The 2005 draft combine was equally as pointless. One struggled to average double figures this past season in France, one starred in the Israeli league, and another is currently playing in the Dominican Republic. Rickey Paulding, Timmy Bowers and Luis Flores were all declared amongst the top 10 athletes in the draft. That same Andre Iguodala who was robbed of the slam dunk championship a few months ago, only recorded a 34 inch vertical leap, one inch more than J.J. Kirk Snyder came out as the top overall athlete, while players like Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng and Al Jeffersons draft stock supposedly took a hit by measuring out as relatively poor athletes. Huh? Anyone that has ever seen him play would tell you that he is one of the fastest players in the NBA, if not the fastest. In that same year, TJ Ford measured in as being slower in the various footspeed tests than Chris Kaman, Kirk Penney and Carmelo Anthony. Dwyane Wade, possibly the best overall athlete in the NBA today, ranked 14th. Who was (supposedly) the 2nd best athlete in that draft? Brandon Hunter, an eventual late 2nd round pick who toiled in the CBA this past season before being picked up late in the year by a team in Italy. If Bell were eligible this year, he most likely again would be deemed the top athlete in this years draft too. Bell measured a 41 inch vertical leap (which would rank 2nd in this years combine), ran a 3.06 in the ¾ court sprint (would rank 1st), and bench pressed the 185 pound bar 17 times (first amongst guards). Bell was affectionately nicknamed Troy Airbell by ACB Spanish league fans he horrified with the air-balls he jacked up playing for Real Madrid, and has struggled to earn a living playing basketball since. But in fact, it was 6-2 shooting guard Troy Bell, who did not make it past his rookie contract before being cut by the man who reached badly to draft him in Jerry West. Who was the top athlete in the 2003 draft? Thinking logically about that draft, youd probably assume it was a toss up between Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. Lets just forget irrelevant things like how many points and rebounds a player averaged, what kind of drive he has to improve or how many games he helped his team win, because those obviously have no bearing on a players success. That guy is a better prospect because he bench pressed 185 pounds 19 times instead of the 8 someone else did. This player is superior to that player because his standing reach is two inches longer. Instead we focus on superficial things that have proven again and again to have very little correlation with actual success in the NBA. Its that time once again, our favorite time of the year of course ten days before the draft when everything logical in regards to analyzing basketball gets flushed down the toilet. But can he shoot? Dribble? Catch a rebound? Play? Do we even care? He jumps out of the gym with a 39 inch vertical, bench presses 185 pounds 24 times and runs a 3.3 in the three quarter court sprint. He has a 7-6 ¾ wingspan, and a 9-3 ½ standing reach.
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