5 players whose stock went up at the NBA Draft Combine

3. Wendell Carter, Jr.

Most of the prospects we’ve discussed helped themselves by measuring in with terrific height or length. This wasn’t the case for the Duke center. He impressed NBA executives by dropping his weight down to 251 pounds.

Sure, his height and wingspan were positives too. Carter, Jr. landed in the top 10 percent of all-time combine measurements. The conclusion here is that he has plenty of size to handle the center position on a full-time basis in the NBA.

That’s important because his college career made it pretty obvious he couldn’t make it as a power forward. He’s a classic center in a draft that seems to be more centered on big men who can stretch the floor. The good news is that Carter, Jr. also flashed the ability to move his feet on defense in college. That gives him a chance to stay on the floor against tough switches at the next level.

In workouts, Carter, Jr. will need to reinforce that notion for NBA teams. If he proves he has the foot speed to stick with guards and wings at the next level he can keep his draft stock high. If not, he could fall like a stone. No matter what, he impressed scouts with his conditioning at the Combine.