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Former Vols Scotty Hopson and Tobias Harris were two of 54 prospects in Chicago on Thursday to showcase their talents for scouts during the 2011 NBA Draft Combine.
Harris, who dropped his body fat from 13 percent to 8 percent since the NCAA tournament loss to Michigan, met with management from the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. The Bobcats hold the 19th pick in the draft, any may consider Harris should he still be available.
Harris also interviewed with the Nets, who hold the draft’s 28th pick (although GM Billy King has talked about moving up), and are looking for a small forward.
Tobias told HoopsWorld his game translates well as a small forward in the NBA.
“People are getting cleared up after I played power forward in college that I can hold my own at small forward,” Harris said. “They see a lot of my skill set now and they’re impressed by that.
“I feel like (my game) translates in the right way. I’m a three man that can put the ball on the floor, shoot it well and create plays for other guys. I do a fine job of working hard to get better.”
Even if he ends up out on the perimeter exclusively, Harris doesn’t plan on completely abandoning his low post arsenal.
“It’s another option for me, being able to back someone down and making shots over them,” Harris said. “I have a pretty good post up game. That’s another weapon for me.”
Former Vol assistant coach Tony Jones traveled to the Windy City to support his former players and shared his thoughts with Knoxville radio host Tony Basilio. [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][listen here]
The mock drafts have Harris unanimously pegged as a first-rounder, the only question is how high he will be selected. The Indiana Pacers hold the 15th pick and Tobias won’t slip past Larry Bird at that spot if he’s still available, according to Jones.
Hopson’s situation is a bit more unclear.
Raw talent has never been an issue for the former McDonald’s All-American, and based on the numbers, Hopson has improved in each of his three years at Tennessee. His game isn’t without holes, however, and Scotty hasn’t proven he can perform consistently at a high level.
But Tony Jones is certain Hopson will get drafted.
“A lot of NBA people think Scotty is a lottery pick as far as his talent and his skill set is concerned. They want to see him in this type of format. They want to see him in individual workouts when they bring him in, and they want to interview him. They want to talk to him; they want to see what’s inside his head. But there’s no doubt in my mind that people at the nba level really are intrigued with Scotty and there’s no question that he’s going to be an nba draft pick.”
Hopson needs to prove he can play one-on-one defense on the perimeter, knock down the open jump shot, and handle the basketball — areas where he struggled at Tennessee due to a lack of focus according to Jones.
VolNation member Boogieman was evidently also on hand at the event. He posted his take on the board:
Just watched Tobias Harris workout at the Nba Draft Combine
He looked good.. Had a nice dunk where he dribbled passed someone on the 1-1 drill.
Also had a nice lay-up over Kyle Singler.
Shot the ball pretty well.
Didn’t look very fast in the running drills though.
The draft is scheduled for 7:00 pm on June 23rd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
UPDATE [5/20 @ 8:36 PM]: Andy Katz spoke to Tony Jones at the combine and wrote that Jones is headed to South Korea for a potential coaching job. If that doesn’t work out, he may try to work in the first division in Germany.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
5 responses to “Hopson and Harris showcase their talents at NBA combine”
I wish both Harris and Hopson well. I think if Hopson had worked on his ball handling he would have been special here, and maybe that is what he has done since leaving. I know Harris practiced long hours, but I think the coaching staff failed on conditioning since Harris dropped 5% body fat in just 2 months. I think the comparison between Harris and Battier is spot on. I would put Battier at a late first round grade too. Just my opinion. Good luck guys! GBO!
Thanks for the comment volnpowell. I think Harris attributed the weight loss more to diet than conditioning. He apparently cut out sweets and limited his bread intake, consuming mostly fruits and vegetables.
i hope the best for both scotty and tobias,im a philly fan if philly could trade a couple of the several guys around tobias size.it would be nice for a ut player to play for the sixers.only one of the current sixers is among my all time 76ers team igoudala who probally want be back in philly
Looks like the 76ers have the 16th pick. Harris could definitely still be avaialable, unless, like Tony Jones, you believe he won’t be around past the Pacers at 15.
If the Pacers take Harris I would have to think they see him as a 4. I don’t see them drafting him as a 3 with Granger and George at the 3 position already. I think he is more of a 3 who can play the 4 in situations. But I’m no expert.