Vanderbilt guard Wade Baldwin has been one of the fastest risers throughout the pre-draft process since he measured in at 6-foot-4 with a 6’11.25″ wingspan at last month’s NBA combine. He was among the group of six that visited the Nuggets as Denver hosted their third pre-draft workout of the offseason.
Last season, Baldwin averaged 14.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 42.7 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent from three. He also averaged over a steal per game and shot 79.9 percent from the free-throw line in 33 games for the Commodores.
After Vanderbilt lost the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Wichita State, Baldwin declared for the draft and was looked at as a late first-round pick.
Things have changed a bit since then as the point guard who models his game after Russell Westbrook started shooting up mock drafts after the combine and continues to rise as he visits teams for both individual and group workouts.
“I’ve been told I’m in the 10-18 range,” Baldwin said after his workout in Denver.
The 20-year-old looks to have the total package needed to run the point effectively at the next level. He’s a polished shooter, especially in catch-and-shoot situations and a stout defender when he wants to be. He also appears athletic enough to play point guard in the NBA, something that’s been questioned by evaluators leading up to next month’s draft.
“People question my athleticism, that just funny to me. It’s just humorous,” Baldwin said. “If you’re in the gym watching while I dunk the ball or the vertical jump that I have it just doesn’t match that description. This lane agility stuff, people said I couldn’t move laterally that quick. I think I finished top three [at the combine] in that category too. People doubted me athletically and I think I showed everybody wrong.”
Baldwin, in fact, did have the second fastest time in the lane agility drill and registered a healthy 38-inch maximum vertical at the combine. He says what separates him from other point guards in this draft is his versatility and competitiveness.
“I’m a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard. I can play back to the basket, I can step out and shoot an outside jump shot, [I’m] athletic,” Baldwin said. “I think my competitive edge is just a notch above everybody else. Defensively, using what I have and just being a sponge and just an honest person outside of the court.”
Bentil visits Nuggets
Ben Bentil, who is one of the more improved players in the country from last season, also worked out in Denver and put his diverse skill-set on display.
The 6-foot-8, 230-pound four-man is a versatile offensive player who can step out to three and bang inside. Like Baldwin, he’s been preaching his versatility as one of his strengths to teams throughout the pre-draft process.
“I’m very competitive, versatile, I can stretch out to the 3-point line and shoot, off the dribble,” Bentil said. “I can guard one through five, I did it in college. So that’s what makes me stand out.”
Bentil, 21, fits the mold of a modern-day power forward, offensively. He has picturesque form on his jumper, can get by his man off the dribble and even has a solid repertoire of post moves down low. Defensively, he’s still a work in progress but is trying to prove to teams that he’s making strides on that end of the court. He models his game after Draymond Green, Paul Millsap, Wilson Chandler, and Kevin Garnett.
“I feel like the thing I had to prove was I can guard from one to five, so that’s one thing,” Bentil said of what he’s been trying to show leading up to the draft. “Through this whole process, I’ve been trying to get better. At the end of the day I just want to be myself, just do what I do. That’s [what] got me out there.”
Bentil, who was born in Ghana but moved to the states when he was 15-year-old, prides himself on hard work. He’s a gym rat who’s always wanting to get more shots up or look for an excuse to stay on the practice court. It’s that type of dedication that helped him take home Big East Most Improved Player honors last season. Bentil went from averaging 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds his freshman year to 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds last season.
“Hard work, the little things,” said Bentil on how he was able to improve so much in just one year. “One thing I put myself through during the offseason – if I’m about to get in the shower, why not just go get 200 shots up then get in the shower?”
Bentil is a versatile four-man who could sneak into the first round with an impressive showing in pre-draft workouts.
Credit: Harrison Wind, BSN Denver
