Every year, ESPN attends individual workouts for prospects as they prepare for the NBA draft.
Two weeks ago, I filed a report from Chicago and New York on Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, Thon Maker and others. Then I saw Buddy Hield, Kris Dunn, Marquese Chriss and Henry Ellenson.
This week featured Ben Simmons, Dejounte Murray, Malachi Richardson and Malik Beasley and more prospects working out in Cleveland and Las Vegas, as well as conversations with NBA scouts and GMs.
Here's what I've seen:
Ben Simmons, F, Fr., LSU
Simmons has remained very quiet since he played his last game at LSU three months ago.
Shortly after his season ended, he packed up, signed with agent Rich Paul and moved to Cleveland to prepare for the draft. He didn't show up at the combine and even declined an invitation to attend the lottery selection.
Some have read Simmons' reluctance to interact with teams and the media as antisocial or even arrogant. But after watching him in Cleveland last week, I don't think that assessment is fair. Instead, Simmons appears to be incredibly focused on his NBA career.
His routine is the same every day. He gets up in the morning and heads to the gym, where he's spending time putting up shots, doing ball-handling drills, working on his transition game and change of pace -- the whole works.
The workout I saw in Cleveland looked like the drills most teams put guards through. That Simmons looked comfortable in that setting explains his appeal as the No. 1 pick in the draft. Guys who are 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, move as effortlessly as he does on the court and are as comfortable as he is with the ball just don't come along ... really, ever.
Simmons' jump shot has been the major source of concern about his game. But the indications are, while he's no Kevin Durant, his jumper is not broken.
He shot just three 3s all season at LSU. I saw him get up roughly 100 NBA 3s in the workout. His outside shot is getting better -- or maybe it was solid all along, and he just seldom used it.
In college, he could get to the rim almost at will. He knows that in the NBA he's going to have to force defenses to guard him on the perimeter. It's an area he needs to continue to work on, but it was hard -- in this setting, at least -- to be overly concerned about it, especially given all the other skills he brings to the table.
"The one thing that almost always gets better from college to the pros is a guy's jumper," one NBA GM told me Tuesday. "It's a fixable problem, and frankly, I'm not sure how much of a problem it really is. LeBron [James] couldn't shoot when he came out. Lots of guys couldn't. They get better."
After the morning gym workout, Simmons headed to the weight room, primarily to work on his core and do pool workouts. He has added muscle, and his body is lean, chiseled and explosive.
Then he was back in the gym in the afternoon -- and one more time at night. Three-a-days for the first month, then two-a-days the past month. On the weekends, he's got yoga, boxing and Pilates for balance and focus.
Simmons' work ethic the past two months has been extraordinary. It's a counter-narrative to whispers in the media that Simmons didn't care at LSU, isn't competitive or doesn't want it badly enough. Everything I saw on the court looked like a player who doesn't just want to be the No. 1 pick -- he wants to be great.
"Being the No. 1 guy, they're going to put that target on your back," Simmons said. "But you've got to be prepared for it. It comes with the territory. ... There's always going to be talk about who should be 1 or 2 in the draft. But my focus is just getting ready for the next level. I'm not worried who goes where."
Simmons seems unconcerned about where he goes. His agent has yet to commit to his working out anywhere, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. It likely won't matter. Sources say the Sixers are strongly leaning toward taking Simmons No. 1. If they don't, the Lakers will jump on him at No. 2.
But Simmons is concerned about being ready for his first real game in October. That's the difference. While most prospects are trying to get the job, Simmons is already working on getting the promotion.
"It's an 82-game season. You have to prepare for that," he said. "I'm worried about playing against Paul George, Kevin Durant and LeBron James next season. Once you get drafted, you're at the bottom. You have to start all over again. People don't care where you were drafted. They just care whether you can play.
"This is my job now. This is the main focus for me. I have to come in every day and put the work in. This is a great job. I love doing it. Every day, the goal is to get better."
Dejounte Murray, G, Fr., Washington
Simmons began the season No. 1 on our board. Dejounte Murray? He wasn't even in the top 100.
He was ranked by our ESPN recruiting gurus as the 49th player in the freshman class and the 16th-best shooting guard prospect.
Once he stepped on the court at Washington, things changed quickly. Our own Kevin Pelton, a Washington Huskies aficionado, texted me early in the season about Murray and Marquese Chriss (who was ranked 60th out of high school). The more I watched, the more I saw two of the most underrated players in the draft.
Fast-forward to June, and Chriss is looking more and more like a top-five pick. Now, many teams have Murray ranked as the third-best point guard in the draft, behind Kris Dunn and Jamal Murray. Last week, we moved him to No. 10 in our Mock Draft 8.0.
How did Murray make the leap so quickly? It starts with his elite size for the position. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Murray is huge. He's a good athlete, tough despite a relatively thin stature and an elite rebounder for a guard. He also has what some scouts refer to as simply "the juice."
The juice is that feel for the game that allows a player to play instinctively. They feel the game; they don't overthink it. Watch Murray in games or in these workouts, and there's an almost playground-like feel to his game. That can be a good and bad thing. Players who play uninhibitedly are usually a step ahead of more cerebral players who have to problem-solve before they act. They also can be a careless, bordering on wild with the ball.
Both qualities apply to Murray. His quickness and reflexes allow him to get anywhere he wants on the floor. He sees plays before they develop, which can lead to spectacular passes and finishes. It can also get him in trouble, as it can lead to bad shots under duress and turnovers.
His jump shot is still a work-in-progress too. He shot just 28 percent from 3 and 34 percent on his 2-point jumpers. The shot goes in some, but looks streaky. He can knock down open shots and did so with regularity in the workout I saw.
As one long-time scout put it, Murray is still "helping both teams out there." But Murray is 19, and that's to be expected.
Put in game film of Kris Dunn at 19 -- when he was averaging 5.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, and 1.9 turnovers per game in 27 MPG -- and it isn't even close. At the same age, Murray is considerably better. Comparing him to Dunn, who has two more full seasons under his belt, isn't fair. If you project Murray with two more years at Washington, he'd likely be the first point guard off the board on draft night.
The question is whether teams are willing to be patient as he continues to hone his game. The transition from college to the pros is toughest for young point guards. The speed and physicality of the game change everything, and it takes a while for them to get their feet underneath them. For a team willing to be patient, Murray has the potential to be the steal of the draft.
Malachi Richardson, SG, Fr., Syracuse
Richardson was late to the conversation as a potential one-and-done, but since he has committed to the draft, more and more teams have come to see him as top-20 pick. His combination of size -- 6-foot-6 with a huge, 7-foot wingspan -- NBA body and quickness makes him an attractive wing.
What scouts love most about Richardson is his ability to get his own shot off the bounce. He's one of the few guards in this draft who can really create offense for himself getting to the rim.
It's his jump shot that raises questions. He shot a solid 35 percent from 3 as a freshman but just 22 percent on 2-point jumpers. His workout on Tuesday in Vegas was designed to try to quiet the skeptics. He shot extremely well, going 13-for-15 from the NBA 3 in one drill and 20-for-25 in the second. He also shot well in 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 action.
Teams have concerns about his defense, but it's almost totally based on the NBA's discomfort with Syracuse's zone defense schemes, as they just don't translate to the NBA. Richardson will face a learning curve there.
For the most part, however, teams don't seem to be turned off. From my canvassing of the gym, most had him in the No. 12-22 range. The Jazz, Bulls, Celtics, Nuggets, Pacers, Hawks and Hornets are showing significant interest. Richardson has already worked out with the Jazz and Hawks and has the Suns on Wednesday and Denver later in the week. I think his floor will be Philly at No. 24.
Malik Beasley, SG, Fr., Florida State
After Jamal Murray and Buddy Hield are off the board, Beasley likely has claim to the title of best shooting wing in the draft. Given the NBA's obsession with the 3-pointer right now, that's a very good claim to have.
But Beasley is more than just a shooter. He's an elite athlete who plays with a terrific motor. If he were two inches taller, he'd probably be a lock for the lottery.
The challenge for Beasley right now is a stress fracture in his right leg. He injured his leg last summer and played on it all season at Florida State. The pain flared up again midway through the season, and after going through medical testing at the combine, he decided to have the leg surgically repaired.
When I saw him, he was the court for the first time in three weeks Tuesday, going through only shooting drills. Despite the layoff, his shot was true. However, he won't be cleared for contact drills for another three weeks, which essentially keeps him out of workouts with teams. He will go visit teams for interviews, but the lack of competitive workouts might hurt his stock.
The long-term prognosis for Beasley is good, though. He might miss summer league, but the expectation is to be totally healthy by training camp. He's getting looks as high as the Jazz at No. 12. The Hornets at No. 22 or the Sixers at No. 24 should be his floor.
Brice Johnson, F, Sr., North Carolina
Johnson was hoping to ride the senior wave that Hield and Denzel Valentine were on all year into the first round. He had a terrific final year at North Carolina and, for the first time, looked the part of an NBA player.
Johnson's athleticism is his primary calling card. He's bouncy, long and active. He has developed a really nice midrange jumper that he showcased effectively in his workout Tuesday in Vegas. Johnson is money from 15 to 20 feet.
However, concerns remain. He didn't take a 3 in his entire career at UNC, and he didn't shoot them in any of the drills Tuesday. And though he has significantly improved his body the past few years, he still lacks the strength to defend 4s.
A few teams are seriously looking at Johnson as high as the mid-first round. Most have him projected as a late-first to early second-round pick.
Isaiah Whitehead, G, So., Seton Hall
Whitehead is a scoring machine who is carrying a terrific Big East tournament performance against Villanova into the draft. When he gets going, he's one of the best scorers available, especially when it comes to getting to the basket.
Whitehead also has a knack for passing the ball. He sees the floor very well for a 2-guard and averages 5.1 APG. He has a ready-made NBA body.
Questions about his jump shot and efficiency are keeping him on the first-round bubble. I thought he played well in Vegas, especially in the scrimmages. He's not a drills guy, but he lights up when there's actual basketball being played.
A.J. Hammons, C, Sr., Purdue
Hammons is coming off a strong senior season that saw him improve his scoring, rebounding and shooting efficiency. His 31 PER was one of the best in college basketball.
Based on sheer talent, he's a first-round prospect all the way -- maybe even lottery-level talent. He is strong, moves well for a big man, is skilled around the basket (he shot 87 percent at the rim this year) and has a nice perimeter game (40 percent on 2-point jumpers). He's a solid rebounder and a very good shot-blocker. He's probably the most talented center prospect in the draft.
However, teams have worried about his conditioning and work ethic in the past. He doesn't always play hard. He disappears in games. He's already 23. Although he was in solid shape at the combine, I think teams want to see him in elite shape.
Scouts at the workout came away wanting to like him again. This draft doesn't have a great crop of center prospects, and Hammons has the tools to come in and help a team right away. But his effort and conditioning didn't exactly answer the questions that need to be answered.
If a team took a chance on him in the 20s, I wouldn't be shocked. In this draft, it's justifiable. But he could also slide deep into the second round.
Troy Williams, F, Jr., Indiana
Williams has freaky athleticism. Every night, he can make one or two plays that draw a gasp from the crowd. Unfortunately, those are sometimes followed by a play or two that draw a groan.
Williams looks really good in a setting such as this. His athleticism -- both explosiveness and quickness -- shows in drills. His jump shot also looked more than solid in the workouts. He shot 35 percent from 3 as a junior, and it looks like he can continue to improve that in time.
Williams is hoping to land with a team as a 3-and-D-type player, and he could fall anywhere from the early second round to out of the draft (undrafted). The talent is there if teams will be patient.
Kaleb Tarczewski, C, Sr., Arizona
Tarczewski looks the part of an NBA center -- I'll give him that. As one scout said when he walked on the floor, "Put a cape on that dude, and he could be starring in a Marvel movie."
Tarczewski has been on the radar since his freshman season, when he came into college as a top-10 high school senior. His body and athleticism are both great for his position. But his production in four years at Arizona leaves you wanting so much more. His on-court instincts still seem a step slow.
In four seasons at Arizona, he never really got much better, and not once did he average more than 10 PPG. He did, however, improve his rebounding and shot-blocking considerably as a senior, and that holds some hope for him. Guys with his size and athleticism don't come along very often. If he can carve out a small role on a team as a rebounder and defender, he might stick.
Egidijus Mockevicius, C, Sr., Evansville
Mockevicius drew some interest from his play in Vegas. He was an elite rebounder in college and averaged 14 RPG in his senior season for Evansville. He is relentless on the defensive boards and has the strength to carve out space in the paint. He is also a proven shot-blocker, though his lack of elite athleticism vertically and laterally gives teams some pause about how all of it will translate to the NBA.
He rarely shot the ball at Evansville and showed more aptitude at the Vegas workout than in college. His play was good enough in the scrimmages that multiple teams flagged him as someone they wanted to see either in draft workouts or in summer league. Given where he was prior to the combine, that's a win for him.
Wang Zhelin, C, China
Lastly, I was able to obtain some video of Chinese big man Wang Zhelin from when he was working out in L.A. a few months ago. Zhelin played in the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit and was once considered a rising star in China and potential first-round prospect.
Injuries plagued him this year, and he's just now getting back into basketball shape. Zhelin is a strong, traditional center who has really nice touch around the basket. His lack of elite athleticism is the major issue for him, especially as the NBA moves to featuring more versatile, mobile bigs. His shot looked nice in the workout video I saw, but given that he was just coming back from injury, he is, at best, a late second-round draft-and-stash candidate right now.