There are shooters. There are defenders. There are athletes.
There just aren’t a lot of projected first-round picks who will be at the NBA Draft combine tomorrow and Sunday at the Nets’ practice facility in East Rutherford. The combine, jointly hosted by the Nets, Knicks and Rockets, is expected to feature 44 draft-eligible players. They will be on display in front of scouts, coaches and front office personnel from 27 NBA teams.
The hands-down, no-doubt lottery and high first-round picks typically decline invitations to such workouts on the advice of agents and out of fear of injury. But the players who will attend are seen as mid-to-late first rounders or, more likely, second rounders.
The Nets’ lottery pick is owned by Utah through the Deron Williams trade, but the Nets still have a first-round selection as they own the Lakers’ pick at 27. Additionally, they have their second-round pick, the 36th selection overall. So they will be more than interested hosts at the combine. The Knicks pick 17th. The Lakers have their second-round selection.
Among those working out tomorrow are point guard Reggie Jackson of Boston College, who some project as a late first rounder; Seton Hall Prep product Ashton Gibbs, who brought his standout shooting skills to Pittsburgh; defensive and clutch shooting guard DeAndre Liggins of Kentucky; athletic Tennessee tweener Scotty Hopson, and athletic Georgetown sophomore forward Hollis Thompson.
Tomorrow’s group has another outstanding shooter in Ohio State guard Jon Diebler, who could be on the Nets’ radar; College of Charleston shooter Andrew Goudelock; Mount Vernon’s Kevin Jones, who impressed as an undersized (6-foot-8) four at West Virginia; Syracuse’s underrated 6-foot-9 forward Rick Jackson, and two talented players who ran into suspension troubles, Mississippi State forward Ravern Johnson and Baylor scorer LaceDarius Dunn.