Detroit Pistons: Surprises from the NBA Draft Combine measurements

The Detroit Pistons have the 5th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and will use all information at their disposal before making their decision.

That includes valuable information gleaned from the NBA Draft Combine, which was held last month.

Not all prospects take part, and some only partially, so it’s definitely only one piece of the puzzle for teams as they rank prospects on their big boards.

I always like to look at the measurements, as things like body fat, hand length, height (with and without shoes), standing reach and wingspan can give us more insight to work with and more accurate  comparisons.

It’s also a way to see which guys have been lying about their height, as there are always a few prospects who come in a few inches shorter than they’ve been listed.

This is why a lot of the top guys don’t get measured, as they would rather print the myth.

Cade Cunningham was one of them last year, as he was widely listed at 6-foot-8, when it turns out he is actually 6-foot-6 and the taller measurement was with shoes.

It didn’t ultimately matter, but I always find it interesting information, as you get to see which guys magically shrunk and which guys have some notable measurements.

Detroit Pistons draft: Surprises from the Draft Combine Measurements

Bennedict Mathurin

Mathurin is widely listed at 6-foot-7, but in the Draft Combine Measurements, he was shown to actually be 6-foot-4.5 without shoes. This is a fairly big change and one that has him profile more as a two-guard than a small forward in the NBA.

I don’t think it radically changes how teams will look at him, but he was often touted at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan, while the reality is that he is 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan.

He is one of the four guys most often connected to the Pistons and could somewhat change how they view him as a prospect.

Jake LaRavia

I wrote about LaRavia as a possibility for the Pistons in the second round, though he is now projected to be gone by the time they choose with the 46th pick. He is widely listed at 6-foot-9, but the Combine revealed that he is actually 6-foot-6.75, over two inches shorter.

Johnny Davis

Davis might be a reach for the Detroit Pistons with the 5th pick, but I did find it interesting that his is virtually the same height as Mathurin, though Davis does have a slightly shorter wingspan.

Shaedon Sharpe

Sharpe, like Mathurin and Davis, is listed at 6-foot-4, but boasts the biggest wingspan of the three at 6-foot-11, one of the reasons that some people consider him as the highest ceiling prospect outside of the top-3 guys. It’s easier to project him as an elite defender when he’ll be able to guard the entire perimeter with that length.

Tari Eason

One of my sleeper picks for the 2022 NBA Draft, Tari Eason was listed at 6-foot-6.75, shorter than the 6-foot-8 we’ve seen widely circulated. However, Eason has a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan, one of the reasons I think he’ll be a solid defender in the NBA right away.

You can’t tell how good a player is going to be by how tall they are, but these measurements do give us a better sense of how certain prospects might compare.