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Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns not attending NBA Draft combine

By Cody Williams

Mar 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) celebrates with guard Matt Jones (13) and guard Tyus Jones (5) during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) celebrates with guard Matt Jones (13) and guard Tyus Jones (5) during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns will not participate in the 2015 NBA draft combine.

Despite widely being regarded as the two top prospects in the draft, forwards Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns were nowhere to be found on the list of attendees for the 2015 NBA draft combine that was released on Tuesday, per SI.

Okafor is coming off of his lone season at Duke where he helped coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils capture the NCAA National Champisonship. Meanwhile, Towns is coming off his freshman season where he and the Kentucky Wildcats were vaunted as unbeatable prior to ultimately being taken down in their national semifinal matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers.

After enjoying a great deal of team and individual success as vaunted freshmen at their respective programs, there’s no doubt that both big men are coveted by the teams lurking at the top of the NBA Draft lottery. However, both Okafor and Towns could have used the draft combine, scheduled for May 12-17 in Chicago, to help boost their stock even farther.

For Okafor, the combine would have been a great time for him to showcase more than just his raw power. At the college level, his size and strength allowed him to outmuscle almost any big man that was set in front of him. That’s not to say he never struggled, but it was clear that he was more physically imposing than any of his counterparts.

In the NBA, he’s not likely going to be able to bully opposing big men in the post like that and will certainly need to develop a variety of moves to get his shot off. The combine would have allowed him the opportunity to show that he has an arsenal of moves and the skills to pull off adding to that move-set as his career in the NBA continues.

Towns has already impressed virtually every pro scout with his potential physically and offensively. Yet the combine could have provided him the opportunity to address some of the minor concerns that scouts have regarding his all-around game.

For one, Towns was limited in terms of his minutes in his one season under John Calipari. That was due to the deep talent-pool that the Wildcats had on their roster, but being able to prove that he has the conditioning to perform at a high level for long stretches would have been a good thing for Towns. Moreover, scouts would have likely wanted to see how Towns could develop as a defender as he was inconsistent during his freshman campaign on that end of the floor.

Not attending the combine likely won’t affect the stock of Okafor or Towns in the draft. The smart money says that the two big men will be the first two off the board on June 25 at the 2015 NBA Draft. However, they could have done a great deal to solidify their position as the top two prospects if the were to attend.

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