5 players who helped their draft stock most at the NBA Draft Combine

Kyle Kuzma, Utah

Kyle Kuzma is an intriguing prospect whom DraftExpress has projected as a mid-second round prospect. He is an intriguing mix of size and athleticism. He just may not have all the pieces put together to make it as a modern NBA power forward.

Last year at Utah, he averaged 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He was certainly the right kind of big for the college game. But that may not be the right big for the pros.

But athleticism matters and Kuzma displayed that at the Combine this week.

He was grouped with the guards and had the longest standing reach among that group at 8-foot-11 and the second biggest wingspan at 7-feet. He had the fourth-fastest time in the lane agility drill (a drill where players run forward down the lane, side step across the lane, run backward to the top of the key and sidestep to the other side before repeating the process back to the start).

What was clear about Kuzma is that he is a great athlete with tons of agility and size. What is still unclear about him is his shooting ability and work in games.

He scored 20 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, shooting 8-for-10 from the floor, in the scrimmage game Thursday. After that performance, he backed out of the game Friday (a minor injury was the official reason).

It was a good couple of days for Kuzma. He put together a good game and showcased his athleticism. That will be enough to get him a look at the NBA level.