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Chicago • The guys running Friday's vertical leap testing at the NBA combine had some reconfiguring to do after Aaron Gordon's first jump. The super-athletic Arizona forward maxed out on his first running jump. So the combine staff had to literally raise the bar, placing it on some stools to give Gordon a better measurement. In the end, Gordon finished with a 39-inch max vertical and a 32.5-inch standing vertical. The forward also had the best time in the shuttle run and the seventh-best time in the lane agility drill. "I felt like I could have jumped higher, but 39's not bad," Gordon said afterward. His personal best, he said, is 42 inches. The forward was one of the big winners of Friday's testing. I also came away impressed with UCLA's Zach LaVine and, of course, the Australian Dante Exum. LaVine edged Exum in the lane agility drill, with the pair of guards finishing one-two in the event. LaVine will need to add size and prove that he can truly handle the point guard position, as he sees himself at the next level, but his athleticism is undeniable. The teen proved that with a ridiculous 41.5-inch max vert. • Exum's leaping numbers were fine, but not overly impressive. He recorded a 34.5-inch max vertical and a 31.5-inch standing vert. • Noah Vonleh helped himself by putting up better numbers than Julius Randle. Vonleh and Randle had identical times in the lane agility drill (11.45). But the Indiana forward out jumped the Kentucky Wildcat by two inches (31 vs. 29) in the standing vertical and by an inch and a half (37 vs. 35.5) in the max vert. Vonleh is young. He won't turn 19 until August. But he's got some insane physical attributes. At the combine he measured 6-foot-8 without shoes but a had a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He said he's added about 30 pounds, mostly muscle, since his senior year of high school. Vonleh said he wants to show off his versatility leading up to the draft. "I can play different positions, cover different positions. I can handle the ball. Play inside and outside." Asked for a pro comparison, Vonleh offered up these names: "Some people say Chris Bosh because he can step out and shoot the three. Paul Millsap. I've heard a little bit of LaMarcus Aldridge too because he can play inside and out. But I'm just trying to be my own player. • Doug McDermott's 36.5-inch vertical surely helped his stock. • Glenn Robinson III has stayed in touch with his Michigan teammate Trey Burke as he wades into professional waters. And if there's one thing Robinson could take from the Jazz point guard, it would be his confidence. "Every second of the game, every minute Trey is confident. It didn't matter if we were down 20, 5. It didn't matter." Robinson showed off a little confidence of his own this week. Before he came to Chicago, Robinson was told he projected to be taken between the 20th and 40th picks in June. "I believe I can go higher than that," he said. Robinson did some favors for himself this week no doubt. He tied for the best standing vertical leap (36.5 inches) and had a 41.5 inch max vert. He also had the third fastest three-quarter court spring (3.15 seconds) — Aaron Falk
