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Pro day: Cheick Diallo, Deyonta Davis

jonathan givony
The Vertical

Agent Bill Duffy’s BDA Sports hosted more than 100 NBA personnel for a pro-day workout at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles to show off its 2016 NBA draft prospects. Pro days provide an opportunity for agents to put their clients in the best possible light and get lesser-known prospects NBA exposure.

NBA presence
Pat Riley, Adam Simon, Chet Kammerer (Heat), Rob Hennigan and Matt Lloyd (Magic), Trajan Langdon and Sean Marks (Nets), Gary Sacks and Dave Wohl (Clippers), John Hammond and Justin Zanik (Bucks), R.C. Buford and Brian Pauga (Spurs), Peter Dinwiddie (Pacers), Mitch Kupchak, Jim Buss and Jesse Buss (Lakers), Scott Layden and Tom Thibodeau (Timberwolves), Pat Connelly (Suns), Rich Cho and Chad Buchanan (Hornets), Jon Paxson and Gar Forman (Bulls), Brett Brown, Bryan Colangelo and Marc Eversley (76ers), Tim Connelly and Jared Jeffries (Nuggets), Mark Warkentien and Kristian Petesic (Knicks), Brian Wright (Pistons), Dell Demps (Pelicans), Dennis Lindsey (Jazz), Gianluca Pascucci (Rockets), Tony Ronzone (Mavericks), Troy Weaver (Thunder), Ed Stefanski (Grizzlies), Mike McNeive (Hawks), Tommy Sheppard (Wizards), Mike Zarren and David Lewin (Celtics)

Who participated?
Group 1: Cheick Diallo (Kansas) and Pat McCaw (UNLV), each on separate baskets.

Group 2: Stefan Jankovic (Hawaii), Nikola Jovanovic (USC), Daniel Ochefu (Villanova) on one end; Josh Adams (Wyoming) and Jimmy Gavin (Winthrop) at the other.

Group 3: Danuel House (Texas A&M) and Aaron Valdes (Hawaii) at one end; Jankovic doing individual work at the other.

Group 4: Deyonta Davis (Michigan State).

What did the players do?
Group 1
Diallo: Mid-range spot shooting, pick-and-roll finishes, short-roll shooting, catching and finishing along the baseline, dribble handoff finishes and jumpers, catching as the trail man and sprinting into a ball screen, and post work.

McCaw: Mid-range jumpers, dribble handoff and pick-and-roll shooting, spot-up 3-pointers, pick-and-roll drives into finishes and pull-up jumpers.

Group 2
Jankovic, Jovanovic, Ochefu: Ball handling, finishing around the rim while keeping the ball high, block-to-block finishes, short-range jumpers around the court, one-dribble pull-up jumpers, and post work.

Adams and Gavin: On-the-move shooting, dribble-handoff shooting, spot shooting around the court, pick-and-roll pull-up jumpers, one-on-one out of closeouts, and one-on-one from a standstill.

Group 3
House and Valdes: Spot shooting, off-the-dribble shooting, one-on-one out of closeouts, one-on-one from a standstill, and finishing at the rim.

Jankovic: More spot shooting with range out of pick-and-pop or trail situations and some post work.

Group 4
Deyonta Davis: Ball handling, Mikan drill, post work, drop-step finishes, grab the ball from a chair and shoot a mid-range jumper then drive, spot mid-range shooting around the court, one-dribble pull-ups around the court, and touch the rim twice then sprint to the corner 3 and back to catch a lob (three times on each side).

The performances
Diallo’s workout was designed to show his mobility, getting him on the move to the rim and to showcase his hands, length and touch, which he wasn’t always able to display at Kansas.

McCaw's workout was brief, but he made enough shots to show that he has potential. He also put his size, length and handle on display going to the rim and finishing.

Gavin, who was 5-foot-3 and 90 pounds as a 16-year-old and never played a minute of varsity basketball due to Crohn’s disease, impressed with his shooting touch and creativity with the ball and around the rim. The 6-foot-3 Gavin’s ascension has been remarkable – he played two years of Division II ball before landing at Winthrop as a grad transfer and averaging 18.9 points per game – and he certainly helped himself with a strong showing in front of NBA scouts. He likely earned himself a summer-league roster spot.

The 6-11 Jankovic, coming off a strong junior season, was able to put his shooting touch and mobility on display. He proved to be the most skilled big man at the event and appeared to have added some bulk to his frame.

House stood out from a physical tools and athleticism standpoint, playing above the rim and locking down defensively, thanks to his size and quickness.

Davis was the most physically imposing player because of the development of his frame over the last year or so. Davis knocked down plenty of college and NBA 3-pointers while warming up before the workout and also put his mobility on display.