Former Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon has spent most of the last month preparing for this weekend’s NBA Draft Combine. Throughout the 2016-2017 season he jumped all over draft boards, with some people claiming he’ll be a lottery pick and others dropping him out of the first round. A lot of questions surround Lydon as the draft nears, and the Draft Combine is the first chance to answer some of them. Here’s how Lydon has fared in Chicago so far.
Shooting
Shooting is where Lydon hopes to bump up his draft stock. He’s advertised as a long big who can score inside and out, and he supported that claim with his performance Friday. On standing NBA three pointers at five spots around the arc from left to right, Lydon shot 80 percent, 80 percent, 100 percent, 40 percent and 60 percent, respectively. The three percentages he put up on the left side and at the top of the key were all at least tied for the second-best among forwards, but only 12 players have done the drill so far. From the college line, he shot 80 percent, 60 percent, 80 percent, 80 percent and 80 percent at the five spots from left to right. Those numbers are good enough to prove to NBA teams that Lydon’s shooting numbers are no fluke, and he also made a good case that his play to transfer well to the next level.
Off the dribble, Lydon was less impressive. He made 50 percent of 15-footers off the dribble from the left and right wings, and just 37.5 percent from the top of the key. Those were middle-of-the-pack numbers among forwards, and players such as Isaiah Hicks and Nigel Hayes — who Lydon will be directly compared to on draft day — shot better.
Agility
Lydon’s most impressive number of the day won’t come from his shooting, but the shuttle run. His time of 2.81 seconds is third-best among all players so far, not just forwards. Unfortunately, it was the only good number that came from Lydon’s agility testing. His three-quarter court sprint (3.46 seconds) was one of the worst times of the day, but the most damage was done in the high jumps. Lydon wants teams to think he’ll be able to hold his own on the boards, but his standing (29.5 inches) and max (33.5) vertical leaps were average among forwards and a good seven inches below the leaders.
Body Measurements
Lydon was measured at six feet, 8.25 inches, with a wingspan of seven feet. His standing reach was measured at eight feet, 11.5 inches. Not bad numbers, but numbers we already knew. The shocker was body fat percentage. Lydon was at 13.6 percent, the highest at the combine by 1.6 points. He told Syracuse.com’s Donna Ditota he couldn’t believe the number, and we’ll see how much it affects his draft stock going forward.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
