Shock, Soar, and Spotlight: NBA Draft Combine Delivers Drama as Cooper Flagg Grows, Bailey Shrinks, and Hidden Gems Emerge
The lights of the NBA Draft Combine burned bright in Chicago this week, and under their glare, legends began to take shape — while a few myths quietly unraveled.
Winner: Cooper Flagg — Growing Into a Franchise
It was a movie moment for Duke’s crown jewel, Cooper Flagg. Monday began with a surprise: Flagg had grown. Nearly a full inch taller than his listed Duke height, now measuring 6-foot-7.75 barefoot and weighing in at 221 lbs, Flagg stood — quite literally — above the competition.
But the story didn’t end there.
As the sun set on Chicago, Flagg traded his sneakers for a suit, attending the NBA Draft Lottery. And like a scripted twist from Hollywood, the Dallas Mavericks — with just a 1.8% chance — won the No. 1 pick.
Flagg, the consensus top choice, is now on a collision course with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas, ready to grow into the face of a franchise. The combine was never going to shake his No. 1 status — but getting taller and stronger? That’s just rewriting the prologue of what could be an epic.
Loser: Ace Bailey — Hype vs. Height
Rutgers had him listed at 6-10. Scouts whispered it was generous. But when Ace Bailey stepped on the measurement floor, reality struck like a missed dunk: 6-foot-7.5 without shoes.
It wasn’t a freefall, but the revelation landed with a thud. Bailey’s appeal has always rested on being a supersized shot-creator, a wing with stretch-big potential. At 6-7.5, that aura dims. He’s still a scoring marvel — but now, the
air up there feels less exclusive.
For months, Bailey was penciled in as a top-3 pick. After Monday, his name is still in the top-five mix — but the grip on No. 2 is slipping. The measurements? Just more fuel for a fire that might send him sliding.
Winner: Cedric Coward — The Breakout Beast
Enter the Combine’s most electrifying plot twist: Cedric Coward.
Barely on the radar coming in, Coward left scouts scrambling for notebooks. 6-foot-5.25 barefoot, but with an absurd 7-foot-2.25 wingspan and 8-foot-10 standing reach. A plus-8 wingspan? Insane.
Then came Tuesday’s verticals:
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38.5″ max vertical
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32.5″ no-step vertical
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17-for-25 on the 3-point star drill
The Washington State transfer — bound for Duke — isn’t just a late bloomer. He’s a full-blown late-blooming wildfire. Once a whisper in the scouting community, Coward now looks like a first-round lock and rising.
Loser: Jase Richardson — Long Arms, Short Frame
Jase Richardson came in with high hopes — and big shoes to fill. The son of NBA vet Jason Richardson flashed a 6-6 wingspan and a 38-inch vertical — serious numbers for a guard.
But his height, 6-foot-0.5 barefoot, and his weight, 178 lbs, revealed the biggest gap between perception and reality in the room. Michigan State had him at 6-3, 185. The tape shows a baller. The tape measure? Not so much.
His top-10 stock may have just tightened. Now, his draft range stretches somewhere between 10 and 22.
Winners: The Wingspan Warriors
This combine has been a stretch — in the best way possible.
A handful of prospects dropped jaws with plus-sized wingspans:
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Khaman Maluach: +9″
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Thomas Sorber: +8.75″
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Cedric Coward: +8″
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Yaxel Lendeborg: +7.5″
These guys aren’t just long — they’re different. The kind of measurables that get GMs dreaming of defensive nightmares and positional versatility.
Winner: Drake Powell — Vertical Supremacy
UNC’s Drake Powell didn’t just show up — he lifted off.
He recorded the highest verticals of the week:
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43-inch max vertical
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37.5-inch no-step vertical
And while floating in mid-air, he also drained 10-of-10 free throws, dashed through the sprint drills, and looked like the fastest player on the hardwood.
With scouts still unsure if Powell will stay in the draft, he just made their decision a lot harder. He’s jumping up boards — literally and figuratively.
Closing Scene: The Plot Thickens
As the draft combine rolls on, the storylines only get deeper. The spotlight is harsh, but it’s revealing. For Flagg, it’s coronation. For Bailey, it’s recalibration. For Coward, it’s ignition.
And for fans, it’s clear: this draft class isn’t just full of talent — it’s full of drama.
Stay tuned.
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