John Blackwell redeems himself after a rocky start to his NBA Draft Combine

One of the most polarizing players and prospects at this year's NBA Draft Combine is former Wisconsin Badger guard John Blackwell. The 6-foot-4 guard was once beloved by Badger fans, as his dynamic scoring ability made him a household name in the Wisconsin athletics world. However, after committing to Duke and entering his name into the NBA Draft, many fans felt as if Blackwell had betrayed the school that gave him everything, leaving a sense of disdain surrounding his name entering this week.

This negative narrative only continued to grow, this time with draft fans, as Blackwell’s subpar physical measurements and run-of-the-mill athletic testing left many disappointed. He was by no means expected to take the world by storm, but his showing was still underwhelming nonetheless.

With that said, Blackwell was given a prime chance to redeem himself with actual on-court play, as a strong showing in the scrimmages could sway the narrative. Although his first game wasn't perfect, Blackwell did show that, at the very least, he still belongs and is one of the better players on the court in a group of guys who all have a similar goal in mind: reaching the NBA.

Solid Showing

In his first game as part of Team Adams, Blackwell showed what makes him great, scoring 16 points and snatching 5 rebounds — three of which came on the offensive glass. He was efficient as well, shooting 54.5% from the field, 50% from three and 100% from the free throw line, proving that he is still the same level of scoring talent he was at Wisconsin regardless of competition level.

Blackwell was solid on defense as well, although the numbers don’t exactly reflect it. Despite not recording a single steal or block, he passed the eye test on that end, giving All-Conference guard Bruce Thornton a plethora of problems as a point-of-attack defender, along with logging a couple of deflections in the passing lanes.

Blackwell wasn't perfect, however, as the lack of playmaking prowess was once again very apparent. He finished the game with four turnovers and just one assist, struggling to find his rhythm as a table setter. Blackwell was able to protect his dribble fairly well and handle opposing defensive pressure, but his lack of chemistry with his teammates and some shaky decisions made for an ugly outing in that department.

All in all, it was a solid bounce-back performance for the 21-year-old, but there is still plenty of work to be done if he wishes to firmly stamp his name into this year’s draft.

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