2017 NBA Draft: Bryant, Anunoby take part in Day 1 of Combine

With the first day of the draft combine behind us, it’s noteworthy to catch up on the development of former Hoosiers OG Anunoby and Thomas Bryant. The two were the only players from Indiana to receive an invite to the Combine and both began their day recording their official measurements.

OG Anunoby:

Height with shoes: 6'7.75"

Weight: 232.4 pounds

Wingspan: 7'2.25"

Standing reach: 8'11.5"

Hand Length: 9.25”

Hand Width: 9.5”

Body Fat%: 6.8%

There are a lot of numbers to dissect in regards to pre-draft measurements, but the key really with Anunoby has always been his wingspan. One of the major keys to his game is his length and ability to guard up to four different positions.

Prior to the combine, we had heard rumors of a 7’6” wingspan out of Anunoby, but 7’2.25” should certainly do the trick. This leaves Anunoby at the 15th longest wingspan, and when you include centers in the discussion, it makes his size impressive.

In addition, it’s important to look at Anunoby’s standing reach which leaves him at 18th highest in the draft.

Thomas Bryant:

Height with shoes: 6'10.75"

Weight: 247.8 pounds

Wingspan: 7'6"

Standing reach: 9'4.5"

Hand Length: 9.5”

Hand Width: 10.25”

Body Fat%: 9.4%

While Anunoby’s measurements were impressive, they don’t compare to the level of Thomas Bryant. A lot of things standout with Thomas Bryant that might allow him to sneak into the first round.

I make that statement understanding that the NBA Draft focuses a majority of its energy on potential, sometimes to the point where it disregards college performance.

Bryant’s wingspan was the third-longest among all prospects, and his standing reach tied for second-longest at the combine. In addition to all this, the most important number with Bryant may be his body fat percentage. Bryant has spent the summer getting leaner, and with the direction the NBA is heading, that will only help Bryant adapt to a league focused on stretching the floor.

After performing at the combine, Bryant addressed the media and Mike DeFabo of CNHI Sports Indiana captured a few interesting tidbits.

First, Bryant did a nice job of showing everyone where his head was at prior to the draft. Bryant knowing he would stay in the draft once he declared means he is completely focused on the process ahead.

After that, Bryant discussed the teams he interviewed with. The most interesting facet of it all was finding out that he was start struck by Erik Spoelstra. Not exactly a sentence I expected to type out.

When looking at the draft order, there are some noteworthy takeaways. Both Detroit and Miami have only one pick in the draft with both being lottery picks. Utah has a late first (actually the last first-round pick) while Boston, New York and Charlotte all have picks from 37-44. The Clippers don’t have a draft pick, currently.

Finally, Bryant provided us with everyone’s favorite cliche.

On the side of Bryant’s conversation about himself, Thomas also took the time to talk about Devonte Green’s development at IU. Green and Bryant are both originally from New York.

In addition to all of this, Bryant also spoke with Draft Express a little over a week ago, about the improvements he has made since leaving IU.