NBA draft prospects hope to get noticed at Portsmouth
Every year 64 college seniors participate in the Portsmouth Invitational, which splits participants into teams to compete in a four- day tournament. With representatives from every NBA team in attendance, the tournament can be a good place for fringe NBA prospects to make a positive impression in the minds of executives around the league.
While many future NBA players have competed at Portsmouth in the past – from Jeremy Lin, to Jimmy Butler, to Landry Fields – the tournament has become more known of late for the people who decline to attend. This year's non-attendees are Frank Kaminsky, Delon Wright, or Jerian Grant.
Still, there's quite a bit of talent at Portsmouth, and with so few opportunities left for some of these guys to play competitive, team-oriented basketball before the draft, the tournament could be vital for some to leave a lasting impression.
There are a few players in particular who have the talent to be drafted and who could use the stage, and increased offensive freedom, to improve their draft stock.
Treveon Graham, SG, VCU
A three-year starter for Shaka Smart at VCU, Graham has led the Rams in scoring in each of the past three seasons. After shooting 33.7% during his junior season, Graham returned to form as a senior, connecting on 38.1% of his attempts, the most accurate he's ever been from three-point range.
The reliability of that shot, and whether he can extend that out to the NBA's three point line, will be a key for Graham over the next few months.
Wayne Blackshear, SF, Louisville
Spending his college career on deep Louisville teams, Blackshear has been the definition of a role player: playing tough defense, moving off the ball, and stationing around the perimeter for open catch and shoot opportunities.
While Blackshear was able to play that role well for coach Rick Pitino, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament could present an environment where Blackshear can enjoy a little bit more freedom than he normally has, and perhaps try to prove to decision makers that he still has more room to grow as a player.
Le'Bryan Nash, SF, Oklahoma State
A very highly rated recruit out of high school, Nash struggled to live up to this expectations at Oklahoma State early in his career. Nash turned that around, averaging 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists his senior season, all career highs.
Nash attempted 118 three-pointers during his first two seasons, shooting 23.7% on those attempts. His attempts dropped significantly as a junior, attempting six, and as a senior with 20 attempts. That made him a more efficient forward, and one who made more of an impact around the basket and at the free throw line for the Cowboys.
That is a bit of a double-edged sword for Nash's draft stock, however, as he'll likely need to improve from the perimeter in order to succeed as a small forward in the NBA.
Darrun Hilliard, SF, Villanova
Over his past two seasons at Villanova, Hilliard proved to be a reliable outside shooter, connecting on nearly 40% of his 373 three point attempts during that time.
Where Hilliard also showed progress over that time was as a decision maker, committing only 1.2 turnovers per game as a senior despite an increase in his ball handling responsibilities. Hilliard's not going to create a lot of offense for either himself or for his teammates at the next level, but having shown that he will make sound decisions with the basketball will be sure to help his stock.
These types of ad-hoc tournaments tend to favor perimeter players, especially those who can shoot from deep, and it could be a setting where somebody with Hilliard's skill set can really shine.