The 2017 NBA Combine Begins May 9 through May 14 in Chicago, Illinois. Which prospects will the Philadelphia 76ers have their eyes upon?
The NBA Combine is not nearly as headlining as the NFL Combine. On one hand, perhaps it’s a smaller number of invitees. On the other hand, perhaps its the fact that many of the nations top talents simply pass on the event. For the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s the WalMart of NBA scouting. Everything under one roof, even if the results are not as specialized.
As recently as last year, the “who didn’t attend” included Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons, Los Angeles Lakers Brandon Ingram, Oklahoma City Thunder Domantas Sabonis, and San Antonio Spurs Dejounte Murray. In fact, that failure to attend did not seem to hurt their chances of selection in the 2016 NBA Draft.
As a result, you can expect some of the bigger names in this year’s NBA Draft to avoid showing up for the competition as well. But there will be NBA executives attending, as well as plenty of press, so that makes it almost obligatory for all players to put in appearances. After all, it’s never too soon to get on the good side of the press.
Many Invited
While there are only 60 NBA Draft slots, more than 60 players are invited to the combine. Not only does that afford all players who might hear their name have the opportunity to attend, but the attendees may revoke participation in the NBA Draft if they have NCAA eligibility remaining and they have not hired an agent.
Those who attend and are still on the fence can use the NBA Combine to focus their work in NCAA Men’s Basketball. After returning to collegiate competition, they can return the next year improved – both in skillset and in draft projections.