Players To Watch: The Draft Combine

With the creases in his team-issued gear still fresh, Sixers President and General Manager Sam Hinkie will hit the ground running this week. Hired by the team on Tuesday, he will travel to Chicago Wednesday for the NBA's annual draft combine, at which the nation's top prospects are poked, prodded, measured, and interviewed by representatives from all 30 franchises.

Tentatively holding the 11th-overall pick as well as two second-round selections in next month's draft, Hinkie and the Sixers will have a slew of options come draft night. 

In the first round, a handful of intriguing prospects highlight the crop of players expected to be available, should the Sixers remain at #11 after next week's draft lottery. That group includes mammoth French big man Rudy Gobert, Patriot League phenom C.J. McCollum, 18-year-old super-athlete Archie Goodwin, and many more. 

In all, 63 of the nation's best young players will be in Chicago this week.

So who, you might ask, are the ones you should be paying attention to this week? Here are a few to get you started.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Height: 7-1, Weight: 235, Best Case: Tyson Chandler, Worst Case: Hasheem Thabeet, Projection: Lottery Pick

Who Is He?

20-year-old French Center Rudy Gobert is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year's class. Standing 7-1 with a projected 7-9 wingspan, he is a force on the defensive end, locking down the painted area and forcing opponents to alter their offensive strategy when on the floor. On the offensive end, he is still raw, but creates extra possessions with his rebounding and must be accounted for at all times because of his ability to finish inside.

In just 22.7 minutes of action per game playing for French club Cholet this season, Gobert is averaging 8.4 points on 71.8% shooting, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, numbers that would put him on pace to notch 14.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per 40 minutes.

What He Can Prove in Chicago

For Gobert, perhaps the most important aspect of his trip to Chicago will be whether or not the massive size of his reported wingspan holds up during combine measurements. If it does, expect executives and coaches of lottery teams to salivate over the opportunity to develop him and maximize his outstanding potential. If it does not, some of his luster as a prospect could be lost.

Height: 6-3, Weight: 192, Best Case: Damian Lillard/Steph Curry, Worst Case: Jannero Pargo, Projection: Lottery Pick

Who Is He?

With the recent success of mid-major point men-turned-NBA stars Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard, Patriot League product C.J. McCollum appears to be the next prospect to come out of one of Division I's lesser-known conferences and make an immediate impact in the NBA.

Under-recruted out of high school because of his lack of size – he stood just 5-2 in his freshman year at GlenOak High School (OH), McCollum grew late in his senior year and entered Lehigh as a 6-2, 170-pound combo guard. He immediately took the Patriot League by storm, averaging 19.1 points (45.9 FG%), 5.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game and becoming the first freshman to ever receive the conference's Player of the Year honors. 

In 12 games last season, his senior campaign, he averaged 23.9 points (49.5 FG%, 51.6 3P%), 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game but saw his season cut short by a broken left foot.

What He Can Prove in Chicago

McCollum missed the final 19 games of the 2012-13 season due to a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot; he is expected to make a full recovery. 

However, because he played in the Patriot League, there remain concerns about his ability to produce consistently against high-level competition. With the top players in the nation all converging upon Chicago this week, McCollum will have an excellent opportunity to show teams what he can do against his future NBA peers. 

Height: 6-5, Weight: 195, Best Case: Poor Man's Russell Westbrook, Worst Case: Shannon Brown, Projection: Top-20 Pick

Who Is He?

At just 18 years old, freshman guard Archie Goodwin has more untapped potential than perhaps any player in this year's draft. Standing 6-5 with a projected 6-10 wingspan, he is cat-quick and explodes off the floor in a way that reminds many of All-Star guard Russell Westbrook. In his first and only year at Kentucky, he averaged a healthy 14.1 points (44.0 FG%), 4.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in just under 32 minutes a game. 

His game-changing potential on both ends of the floor paired with his unrefined skill set make him a player with a very wide projected draft range – possibly as high as the top-10 and potentially as low as the late-first.

What He Can Prove in Chicago

As previously stated, Goodwin is an incredibly raw prospect, at this point lacking the ball-handling and shooting skills required of his position at the NBA level. However, as such a young prospect, he has plenty of room to grow and can improve his stock greatly with a strong combine performance and solid pre-draft team workouts. If he is able to show teams that he has made strides since the end of Kentucky's disappointing 2012-13 season, don't be surprised to see a lottery team take a shot at him on draft night.

Height: 7-0, Weight: 240, Best Case: Greg Monroe w/ Less Length, Worst Case: Josh McRoberts, Projection: Lottery Pick

Who Is He?

A 20-year-old big man with a great all-around game on offense and the ability to guard multiple positions defensively, Cody Zeller could step in right away and contribute within an NBA frontcourt rotation. 

Zeller put together a very productive two-year career at Indiana, and averaged 16.5 points (56.2 FG%), 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game in his final season with the Hoosiers. In terms of his output on the court, there should be no question about the seven-footer's body of work. The potential limitations of his actual body, though, raise concerns. 

Despite a impressive height and a solid build, Zeller's projected 6-8 wingspan and lack of ideal strength are red flags. For professional basketball players, it is expected that one's wingspan at least match one's height, in most instances, though, it is a few inches greater. The Indiana native's lack of length showed in two seasons in Bloomington. 

Zeller blocked under a shot and a half a game during his college career. Additionally, his lack of functional strength hurt his ability to defend similarly sized players in post-up situations.

Still, Zeller is a that brings the toughness, rebounding prowess, and refined game that coaches and executives like to see in potential draftees.

What He Can Prove in Chicago

If Zeller's wingspan comes in larger than expected and if he can put together a solid performance defensively in combine drills, it could help to negate some of the concerns some teams might have about his lack of upside.

Most importantly, though, will be that he maximizes the strengths in his game, of which he has a great deal. Zeller is a very good shooter, is an impressive athlete, and is considered one of the more mature and focused underclassmen in this year's pool, which should show in interviews.

Height: 6-6, Weight: 185, Best Case: Klay Thompson, Worst Case: Rashad McCants, Projection: Top-20 Picks

Who Is He?

Sophomore shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's presence on the offensive end of floor must be accounted for at all times. One of the best pure shooters in the nation, the lanky Georgia native shot 37.7% from beyond the arc last season, while attempting over half of his shots from long range (7.0 of 13.4 attempts per game). 

But Caldwell-Pope isn't just a three-point specialist. In addition to leading the Bulldogs in scoring last season (18.5 PPG), the 20-year-old also pulled down 7.1 rebounds per game, an impressive number for a perimeter-oriented player. Additionally, he was able to get to the free-throw line 5.2 times per game as a sophomore after doing so just 2.5 times per game the year prior. His efficiency from the line improved, as well, from 65.4% to an impressive 79.7%.

His efforts last season earned him SEC Player of the Year honors.

What He Can Prove in Chicago

Right now, Caldwell-Pope's biggest weaknesses are his lack of refined ball-handling skills, which may make him somewhat one-dimensional offensively at the next level, and his lack of strength, which raise concerns about his ability to defend larger wing players at the next level. 

That said, he could still provide good value right away as a microwave scorer off the bench, providing quick offense in a pinch. The most important thing he can show this week is that his scoring instincts are truly elite and that he has the ability to provide value in that regard, while the rest of his game continues to develop.

You can catch live Draft Combine coverage on ESPNU beginning Thursday, May 16, at 10AM (EST). We'll have you covered with interviews, updates, and more.

Posted: 4:56 PM, May 15, 2013

For an in-depth look at this year's draft, including dynamic prospect profiles, frequently updated rankings, mock drafts from around the web, and more, check out the 2013 SIXERS.COM DRAFT CENTER 

For a look ahead to May 21st's NBA Draft Lottery, check out WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: THE DRAFT LOTTERY