Next week, the NBA Combine begins in Chicago. Most of the projected second round players who received invites will participate in a couple of 5-on-5 format workouts, but the top 20 or so players can opt out of the 5-on-5. As a result of the combine, we probably won't see tons of movement at the top of the rankings, but we'll see a few "workout wonders" fly up the boards from seemingly nowhere. We'll also see a few guys slip a little if they're not standing out among their peers.
Last month, I posted my second set of "collective" rankings. These rankings consist of averaging the rankings of my three favorite NBA draft big boards (DraftExpress.com, NBADraft.net, and ESPN's Chad Ford). Shockingly, the entire top 12 players are still averaging out to be slotted in the same order as last month! The three draft boards have individually shifted a bit, but they've cancelled one another out in my aggregate table. Let's take a look:
| Player | Average | Std. Dev |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 1 | 0 |
| Jahlil Okafor | 2 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Mudiay | 3 | 0 |
| D'Angelo Russell | 4 | 0 |
| Justise Winslow | 5 | 1 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 6 | 2 |
| Mario Hezonja | 8 | 1 |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | 8 | 3 |
| Stanley Johnson | 9 | 2 |
| Kelly Oubre | 11 | 1 |
| Myles Turner | 11 | 2 |
| Sam Dekker | 13 | 1 |
| Trey Lyles | 14 | 4 |
| Frank Kaminsky | 15 | 6 |
| Jerian Grant | 16 | 2 |
| Kevon Looney | 16 | 6 |
| Devin Booker | 16 | 3 |
| Bobby Portis | 16 | 1 |
| Cameron Payne | 17 | 3 |
| Montrezl Harrell | 21 | 2 |
| Tyus Jones | 22 | 3 |
| Christian Wood | 23 | 4 |
| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | 24 | 2 |
| Delon Wright | 25 | 2 |
| RJ Hunter | 25 | 4 |
| Justin Anderson | 26 | 2 |
| Terry Rozier | 27 | 5 |
| Jarell Martin | 28 | 3 |
| Chris McCullough | 28 | 9 |
- Spots 1-4: Even though there seems to be a consensus among the draft experts, there is not much separating these players from one another. Perhaps the biggest reason Karl-Anthony Towns (1) is at the top is because of his size and two-way potential. If Jahlil Okafor (2) was a rim protector, if Emmanuel Mudiay (3) could shoot, if D'Angelo Russell (4) was more of an athletic leaper, the landscape would look much different here at the top.
- Spots 5-9: This is a pretty interesting group. The biggest risk might be taking Kristaps Porzingis (6), as he's got a long way to go to be able to contribute in the NBA. The safest pick might be Willie Cauley-Stein (8), as everyone is confident in what he can do and what his role can be in the league. The three wing players in Justise Winslow (5), Stanley Johnson (9) and Mario Hezonja (8) have been jostling for position on draft boards throughout the season. Winslow had such a great tourney, Johnson really asserted himself (as a freshman) on a great team, and Hezonja showed tons of heart, shooting and skill in limited minutes in Europe. Any team in need of a wing (picking outside of the top ten) would be ecstatic to get any one of the three.
- The rest of the board is fairly closely grouped, considering these are just opinions of different experts. Two notable variations are Frank Kaminsky (15) and Kevon Looney (16). NBADraft.net is down on Kaminsky, which is understandable if you focus too much on his age and what he can't do. Kevon Looney, on the other hand, has been high on Chad Ford's big board for a while. It seems some scouts like his age and what he can't do (yet).
There's a lot of pieces about to fall into place the next couple weeks. We'll be anxiously awaiting the combine next week and the draft lottery the following week to see how things shake down. Enjoy!
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