2014 NBA Draft Prospect Workout: Tyler Ennis and Co.

Tyler Ennis works out for the Sacramento Kings. (Photo: Jason Wise/Kings.com)

After a star-studded first workout Monday morning that included top prospects Noah Vonleh and Marcus Smart, Sacramento hosted four more prospects later that afternoon.  Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis headlined a group that included three fringe NBA prospects.  Local kids Brendan Lane and Stephen Holt made appearances and center John Bohannon out of UTEP rounded out the workout.

Tyler Ennis

  • Age: 19
  • Position: Guard
  • College: Syracuse
  • Height: 6-2
  • Weight: 180 lbs.
  • Draft Express Top 100 Ranking: 12
  • Quick Breakdown: Ennis is probably the best pure point guard in the 2014 NBA Draft, but is he good enough to move into the top 10 where the Kings are selecting?

Analysis: If the Kings are after a pass first point guard, they could look to trade down five or six picks and land their man.  At 19-years-old, Ennis is mature beyond his basketball years.  He has international experience playing for Team Canada, including a 42-point outburst in a triple-overtime victory over China.  He is a leader and in a weaker draft, maybe even a lottery pick.

Like every Syracuse prospect, there are questions about his ability to defend at the NBA level.  Ennis has good size, but not great size for the position and he shot just 41 percent from the field in his lone college season.  If the Kings are looking to move out of the top 10 and away from Isaiah Thomas, Ennis is an option, but not a likely one.

Brendan Lane

  • Age: 23
  • Position: Forward
  • College: Pepperdine
  • Height: 6-9
  • Weight: 235 lbs.
  • Draft Express Top 100 Ranking: NR
  • Quick Breakdown: A perimeter threat with shot blocking ability from the four.

Analysis: The former Rocklin High star spent three seasons at UCLA playing limited minutes before graduating with a degree in economics and moving to Pepperdine.  He showed an impressive perimeter stroke and has the build of Ryan Anderson, another Sacramento product.  As a senior, Lane averaged 13.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 29.2 minutes game.

The Kings threw Lane a bone by bringing him in for a workout, but he shot the ball well and has the look of a player that may have slipped through the cracks at the college level.

this guy’s gonna be a stud
this guy’s gonna be a stud”

John Bohannon

  • Age: 22
  • Position: Center
  • College: UTEP
  • Height: 6-10
  • Weight: 210 lbs.
  • Chad Ford’s Top 100 Ranking: NR
  • Quick Breakdown: The Kings need a defender with length, but Bohannon is pretty far down the list of prospects.

Analysis: The big man out of UTEP finished with solid numbers as a senior, averaging 11.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game.  But it wasn’t enough to get him into the top 100 prospects in a deep 60-man draft.

“Marcus is a physical player,” Bratz said.  “Elfrid Payton is tough and he did very well (against Smart).  Those are two really good guards.  Elfrid had a really good workout.” – See more at: http://cowbellkingdom.com/2014/06/02/sacramento-kings-evaluate-nba-hopefuls-marcus-smart-noah-vonleh-tyler-ennis-and-elfrid-payton/#sthash.fx3iGLd4.dpuf

Stephen Holt

  • Age: 22
  • Position: Guard
  • College: St. Mary’s (CA)
  • Height: 6-4
  • Weight: 195 lbs.
  • Draft Express Top 100 Ranking: NR
  • Quick Breakdown:  A score-first guard with shooting touch. The local product was brought in to match up with Ennis.

Analysis: Like the two big guys in this workout, Holt’s career is a on basketball life support.  Holt finished up at St. Mary’s averaging 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 37.5 minutes a game.  He can shoot and he has size, which makes him slightly intriguing, but his road to the NBA will likely begin overseas or at the D-League level.

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