If the Draft Doesn't Go According to Plan...

[206Fan]

This is what C-Webb had to say about WCS.

Said he's not going to be DeAndre because WCS is a lighter. Not really talking him down, but saying people put high expectations on incoming rookies. I think it might be unrealistic to expect WCS to come in the NBA and dominant on defense the way DeAndre Jordan does or the way Tyson Chandler did.

 

[9x1x6]

My dream scenario is us winning the lottery and taking KAT or

1) Lakers pick falling to 6(76ers get this pick).
2) 76ers end up with the 3rd or 4th

That way, I'd trade our #1 overall for Philly's 3rd pick + Lakers 6th pick. 3rd overall we can draft Russell or Mudiay. 6th pick would be convo we're having now.


OR another scenario...

End up with #1 overall pick and Philly has the #2 overall pick. Trade #1 overall pick for #2 overall pick and Noel.


Win win situations all over the board if we win the lottery.

You wouldnt get 3 & 6 for 1. Maybe 1 + Ben + couple of 2nds.

 

[The_Jamal]

WCS isn't going to be a star. He isn't going to ever put a team on his back and win games. What he almost certainly IS going to be is an incredibly versatile defender who immediately helps with rim protection, weakside help, pick and roll defense, transition defense, defensive communication and even transition offense as a big that can rebound, throw the outlet pass and then motor down the court. I don't think he's a top potential talent in this draft but I think he's a really nice fit next to Cousins. But with Karl looking to institute the dribble drive offense and trying Rudy at the 4 I wonder if they'll even be looking at him hard.




If the Kings jumped up to #1 and Philly got bumped down to #4 or #5 it's a really interesting idea. But hard to say whether Hinkie would think Noel was a reasonable price to move up 3 or 4 slots. They'd really have to be in love with Towns or Russell. I suppose maybe Okafor as well but makes zero sense with Embiid. Then again, the Sixers aren't looking to build a team, they are fishing for a superstar and they've got lots of bait. Noel and Mudiay (if he were to drop to 5) would be a huge haul. I can't see it happening, but boy would I love to see the Kings have a huge influx of talent.

It SHOULD be an interesting offseason.

This is mainly why I think we'll be after Johnson hard. IF you are going to play Rudy at the 4, then a big physical 3 like Johnson is an excellent compliment to that. And its not like Johnson is a 23yr old senior either.. dude is still just 18 years old and probably has some growing left in him physically.

Johnson's ceiling is in the vein of being a Leonard, World Peace, Draymond type of player. The ability to be an elite defensive player with excellent offensive upside, although not a lead option. And if we want to actually be competitive with Rudy at the 4, we need that sort of SF on the team to be effective.

 

[The_Jamal]

This is what C-Webb had to say about WCS.

Said he's not going to be DeAndre because WCS is a lighter. Not really talking him down, but saying people put high expectations on incoming rookies. I think it might be unrealistic to expect WCS to come in the NBA and dominant on defense the way DeAndre Jordan does or the way Tyson Chandler did.

Webb isn't wrong, but is forgetting the fact that DeAndre is blessed with the best PnR PG in the league to score his points. For guys like Chandler, DeAndre and eventually WCS, they depend on playing with a strong playmaker to get buckets.

 

[funkykingston]

This is mainly why I think we'll be after Johnson hard. IF you are going to play Rudy at the 4, then a big physical 3 like Johnson is an excellent compliment to that. And its not like Johnson is a 23yr old senior either.. dude is still just 18 years old and probably has some growing left in him physically.

Johnson's ceiling is in the vein of being a Leonard, World Peace, Draymond type of player. The ability to be an elite defensive player with excellent offensive upside, although not a lead option. And if we want to actually be competitive with Rudy at the 4, we need that sort of SF on the team to be effective.

Ideally a SF that defends, rebounds AND hits the three. Although the last one is a bit less important since Rudy is a decent 3pt shooter at the 3 but a good one at the 4. Still, he's a poor rebounder as a PF so that slack would have to be picked up if this experiment continues.

It'll be interesting to see what direction the Kings go.

 

[Gilles]

Actually those were good comments by C-Webb, and he should repeat them, every time he can, because that lowers WCS value - would be nice to get #6 pick, be able to trade down and still pick WCS, plus another asset in the process. That's, why I wrote, that the best thing for WCS coming into the League would be slotted into PF defensively and be a sidekick to center with strong offensive game on the other end.
Jordan averaged under 8 points in 20 minutes for Texas A&M, his offensive game hasn't change since, except for slowly polishing his very limited college skill set, so I don't think, he would score more as a junior. And, if WCS played center for Duke next to 4 perimeter player, who all can shoot and pass to various degree, he would probably dunk his way to 15 points at least instead of 10. Instead he plays for a team, that faces packed paint more often than not, because that's the only prayer-chance, the other team has to beat them.

People forget, that Jordan needs to be thrown a ball near the basket to re-route it in. You can throw ball to WCS, when he's on the move, he can actually make one dribble and not lose it or has to slow down, and then put it in the basket. Solid spot shooting is probably the best improvement, you can hope for from WCS during his career, but then again Reggie Evans still scores from under the basket every now and then.

Not talking about top3, that at this point seems set with KAT, OK4 and D'Russell:
Mudiay - 1) does not have a complete game at this point with shooting problems, and might not be that good of a fit anyway due to ball dominance; 2) PG is not really a problem for Kings
Justise - 1) cannot do anything off the dribble, and that's not a skill, you expect a player to pick up easily with hard work; 2) set shooting looks better, but FT is still only .630 - no one knows, how he reacts to expanded arc plus quicker defenders; 3) looks great against college 4s, not sure you can project, what he does as NBA SF - with his tools and willingness to work he is going to be a good defender with elite transition and weak side defense, but being a stopper is not a guarantee, which you probably want from a lottery pick, who cannot create offense.
SJohnson - 1) probably top3 scorer in the draft, and certainly most ready one, but finishing inside is a potentially limiting problem as he botched too many transition finishes, than the guy with his physicality should. Still he's probably the best bet to eventually move into Rudy's #2 option slot with his versatile offensive game; 2) SJ was measured taller and with longer wingspan than Winslow in US basketball camp, but with his wide shoulders this translates to only 8'7" reach, which is rather low in NBA, so I wouldn't bet on more than him becoming a good defender - elite may not be on the cards.
Porzingis - 1) is not even close to being ready for NBA physicality: under 50% finishing around the rim, given amount of dunks he had, means something like 25-33% on contested finishes. Shies away from contact in Europe, so will be completely intimidated in the NBA. Plus he has very narrow shoulders, so at this point all you can project is John Henson with ability to shoot. Produces at similar levels as Bargnani in the middle of 2000s, when Italian league was still 1b to ACBs 1a.
Hezonja - 1) mostly spot shooter with some moments off the dribble game, lighter and weaker, but quicker, than Winslow and Johnson, so he's SG/SF, rather than clear SF, but might struggle defensively at both positions at first. Can really score, mostly from perimeter. Might be the best fit next to Cousins offensively as he's an off the ball, mostly perimeter threat with ability to become #2 option. Longer Klay Thompson maybe. Looks selfish, and that really stands out in Europe, reminds Kobe in attitude, where confidence turns into cockiness.
Turner - 1) struggles with physicality, and though he's much closer to NBA, than Porzingis, he's also slower. Recently I saw a Grantland podcast with Doug Collins, where he talked about physical changes in guys with late growth spurts, that lead to changes in the way they move, which means lack of mobility might be here to stay. At this point he should probably looked at as center, and he has much less physicality for that, than WCS, and it likely takes his off the dribble game with strong potential off the table.
Taking WCS is still dominantly preferred course of action, but Kings might go for one of 3 SFs as well.

 

[The_Jamal]

Ideally a SF that defends, rebounds AND hits the three. Although the last one is a bit less important since Rudy is a decent 3pt shooter at the 3 but a good one at the 4. Still, he's a poor rebounder as a PF so that slack would have to be picked up if this experiment continues.

It'll be interesting to see what direction the Kings go.

Johnson hits all those criteria IMO.

Not just directed at you, but everyone. What do people think of Kaminsky? He's got that elite floor spacing ability we've been wanting, but isn't just a typical tall dude chucker. Very sophisticated offensive game and can see some cool high/low action type of stuff with him and Cuz. Also like the fact that he's a pretty good rebounder and has some defensive upside as well. Been a decent rim protector too, although not near the level of WCS or Towns.

Pretty good video of Kaminsky against the best offensive big in the country. Gets beat a few times as you'd expect Okafor to do to anyone, but plays him to a virtual stand-still. And its utterly apparent what his range does to the Duke defense the entire game after hitting a few early 3s; opens up the paint and Okafor has to play away from the rim.

I like Johnson and WCS more for us, but I'd much rather go the Kaminsky route than either of the euro guys.

 

[captain bill]

To answer the question in the OP, if we don't hit on this pick we are going to be pretty boned. We have 3 reliable players and, while we have some cap space, it's going to hard to rely on whoever we can sign. And we won't have a future first to trade.

 

[LPKingsFan]

Ideally a SF that defends, rebounds AND hits the three. Although the last one is a bit less important since Rudy is a decent 3pt shooter at the 3 but a good one at the 4. Still, he's a poor rebounder as a PF so that slack would have to be picked up if this experiment continues.

It'll be interesting to see what direction the Kings go.

That's a good point. If you're going to go small, you need to at least get spacing out of it.

 

[ilmago]

I prefer Justise to Stanley.
I think the first one's got better def. skills right now and he can improve his offense under Karl.
We already have DMC+Gay (+ Ben or even Collison) as scorers, so I think we need a huge upgrade on D. And Winstlow matchs perfectly this need.
WCS would be a nice pick, but I'll draft him only if we fall down during the draft :S

The suggestion: #1 pick for Noel + 6/10 pick will be amazing.

 

[206Fan]

Johnson hits all those criteria IMO.

Not just directed at you, but everyone. What do people think of Kaminsky? He's got that elite floor spacing ability we've been wanting, but isn't just a typical tall dude chucker. Very sophisticated offensive game and can see some cool high/low action type of stuff with him and Cuz. Also like the fact that he's a pretty good rebounder and has some defensive upside as well. Been a decent rim protector too, although not near the level of WCS or Towns.

Pretty good video of Kaminsky against the best offensive big in the country. Gets beat a few times as you'd expect Okafor to do to anyone, but plays him to a virtual stand-still. And its utterly apparent what his range does to the Duke defense the entire game after hitting a few early 3s; opens up the paint and Okafor has to play away from the rim.

I like Johnson and WCS more for us, but I'd much rather go the Kaminsky route than either of the euro guys.

Kaminsky is such a nice player. My top 3 favorite players of the final four are Winslow, Kaminsky, and Dekker.

Kaminsky is such a great offensive player..I adore the hell out of his game. I can imagine high low action between him and Cousins all game looong. He can score in so many ways and I think his ability to play outside of the paint helps make room for Cousins. He's also a decent defender so I don think he'd be a huge major problem on that end. But he's not the shot blocker we've been looking for. I think down the road, he can emerge as a rim protector though.

 

[Amit149]

This is what C-Webb had to say about WCS.

Said he's not going to be DeAndre because WCS is a lighter. Not really talking him down, but saying people put high expectations on incoming rookies. I think it might be unrealistic to expect WCS to come in the NBA and dominant on defense the way DeAndre Jordan does or the way Tyson Chandler did.

With all due respect, C-Webb is flat out wrong on this one.

If you compare DeAndre, Chandler and WCS pre-draft this is what you get:

1. WCS (6' 11.25") is actually considerably taller than DeAndre (6' 9.75") and almost as tall as Chandler (6' 11.5")- all heights w/o shoes.
2. WCS (240) is heavier than Chandler (224) and just 10 pounds lighter than DeAndre (250) who has a higher body fat precentage (7.5 to 6.4).
3. WCS jumps better than both- equal to Chandler in no step Vert at 31, way higher than DeAndre (26). Way better than both at Max Vert with 37 against Chandler's 33.5 and DeAndre's 30.5.
4. WCS Wingspan and Standing reach (7' 2" and 9' 2") is almost equal to Chandler's (7' 3" and 9' 2") and lower than DeAndre's (7' 6" and 9' 5.5").

So basically I don't see any base for what C-Webb is saying. that is especially true talking about WCS ability to score in comparison to DeAndre who scored less points (7.9 against 9.1) blocked less shots (1.3 against 1.7) a much smaller amount of steals (0.2 against 1) and turned the ball over more (1.6 against 1.2) to go with his abysmal FT shooting (43.7% against 61.7% both at 3.4 attempts).

C-Webb's analysis got ludicrous the moment he mentioned not being able to post up as something that will stop him from becoming a guy like DeAndre, a guy who's shot chart look like this to this day:


And out of 601 shots he took last season:
only 33 were hook shots most of them few feet away from the basket which he made 36.4% of.
only 48 jump shots which he made only 31.3% of (again just terrible). and 3 Special jump shots (not sure what that means) which he made all 3!

so basically all of the other 517 shots he took (86% out of all his shots) were Dunks (129), Layups (101), Tips (100) and Alley oops (187)- so much for polished post up player DeAndre C-Webb was talking about.

And I'll end this with that- if Jordan was so much better than WCS out of college and there is no way WCS will ever get to his level, why was DeAndre picked in the second round at 35?
Although I Don't really like the comparison I can't see how someone may claim that at their respective age DeAndre was better than WCS.

 

[Siranthony]

I will say we should be prepared. I remember when Robinson fell to us. I knew nothing about him because I thought he was a lock in the top three. I'm not saying our front office wasn't familiar with him but I don't think they had him in for a workout. Ended up being a big miss for this franchise. We can't afford that.

 

[hrdboild]

I will say we should be prepared. I remember when Robinson fell to us. I knew nothing about him because I thought he was a lock in the top three. I'm not saying our front office wasn't familiar with him but I don't think they had him in for a workout. Ended up being a big miss for this franchise. We can't afford that.

Looking back, with the exception of the Jimmer debacle, Petrie's probably gotten more flack than he deserved over his later draft picks. He was right about Whiteside, the team just didn't have the resources at that time to deal with him. That or Hassan just refused to be helped (which sounds fairly likely) and would have flamed out anywhere. The talent was clearly worthy of a second round pick though. I don't think Robinson was a terrible pick either -- the poor job our front office did of scouting other prospects in that draft was the bigger problem. I wasn't familiar with Lillard but Drummond and Barnes are exactly the players they were projected to be. Robinson has taken longer than expected to develop, but there aren't a lot of other players from that draft tearing up the league either.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Looking back, with the exception of the Jimmer debacle, Petrie's probably gotten more flack than he deserved over his later draft picks. He was right about Whiteside, the team just didn't have the resources at that time to deal with him. That or Hassan just refused to be helped (which sounds fairly likely) and would have flamed out anywhere. The talent was clearly worthy of a second round pick though. I don't think Robinson was a terrible pick either -- the poor job our front office did of scouting other prospects in that draft was the bigger problem. I wasn't familiar with Lillard but Drummond and Barnes are exactly the players they were projected to be. Robinson has taken longer than expected to develop, but there aren't a lot of other players from that draft tearing up the league either.

that was 2 drafts back to back the magoofs botched. they vivek'd the draft and went w/ jimmer then being broke put petrie in a bad position to choose a scrub slipping. it didn't help that the lameduck nellie ball HC had a hard on for 'working hard' or 'motor' players either. what would the team be like if it were cuz, drummond, kawhi, beno reke?

 

[Tetsujin]

Looking back, with the exception of the Jimmer debacle, Petrie's probably gotten more flack than he deserved over his later draft picks. He was right about Whiteside, the team just didn't have the resources at that time to deal with him. That or Hassan just refused to be helped (which sounds fairly likely) and would have flamed out anywhere. The talent was clearly worthy of a second round pick though. I don't think Robinson was a terrible pick either -- the poor job our front office did of scouting other prospects in that draft was the bigger problem. I wasn't familiar with Lillard but Drummond and Barnes are exactly the players they were projected to be. Robinson has taken longer than expected to develop, but there aren't a lot of other players from that draft tearing up the league either.

To be fair, Lillard would have been the pick had the Maloofs not made it seem like they weren't willing to pay for JT, thus leaving the Kings PF-less.

 

[ilmago]

To be fair, Lillard would have been the pick had the Maloofs not made it seem like they weren't willing to pay for JT, thus leaving the Kings PF-less.

Yep, you're right. Lillard and Drummond were the only "top 10 prospect" that did a pre-draft workout with us..
We picked T-Rob just as an "insurance" against the JT's departure...

 

[Dime Dropper]

I love Webb but I hope he never becomes a GM. That evaluation of WCS is so basic and over-simplified that I'm dumber for having watched it.

 

[206Fan]

Turner has pretty much everything we want, even draws comparisons to Ibaka and Bosh, though very, very raw. Extremely high risk for extremely high reward. He'd be top 3 next year if he spent another year developing in college.

I feel like if we're looking at Turner, we HAVE to consider Porzingis too. Porzinigs is starting to grow on me a bit. He's a mix of Anthony Davis and Dirk. High risk high reward type of player too. I think he's becoming a better shot blocker. He shows nice anticipation for balls around the rim. He moves so well for a 7'1 big. I remember AD was fragile as heck, but he's grown a lot. Porzingis is 7'1 220lbs and only 19. He can add more muscle.

 

[9x1x6]

I feel like if we're looking at Turner, we HAVE to consider Porzingis too. Porzinigs is starting to grow on me a bit. He's a mix of Anthony Davis and Dirk. High risk high reward type of player too. I think he's becoming a better shot blocker. He shows nice anticipation for balls around the rim. He moves so well for a 7'1 big. I remember AD was fragile as heck, but he's grown a lot. Porzingis is 7'1 220lbs and only 19. He can add more muscle.

Yeah, I've tried to watch whatever there is on him, all his problems seem to be of his own downfall, but I can't fault him for laxxing a bit some games, half the games I've seen him play in were in empty arenas (literally). Imagine an NBA game in an empty arena, haha.

But yeah he's lite as ****, but man he showcases some deep range. Europeans are typically better shooters in my opinion, and his over the shoulder turnaround could easily be his deadly go to move, it's beautiful.

Aparently he is still growing to, might be 7'1.75-7'2 come draft day.

 

[Gilles]

1. Look at wide shoulders Dirk/Davis had/still have - Porzingis will struggle to get enough strength
2. Look, how effortlessly both move - they are agile guards after growth spurt, Porzingis moves like Shawn Bradley.
3. He's not getting on the floor in the next 2-3 years - might as well trade the pick for a solid role player - much more help for Boogie.

 

[206Fan]

1. Look at wide shoulders Dirk/Davis had/still have - Porzingis will struggle to get enough strength
2. Look, how effortlessly both move - they are agile guards after growth spurt, Porzingis moves like Shawn Bradley.
3. He's not getting on the floor in the next 2-3 years - might as well trade the pick for a solid role player - much more help for Boogie.

I agree. Unless the FO feels like he can come in and make an impact next year, I'll pass on both Turner and Porzingis

 

[hrdboild]

I agree. Unless the FO feels like he can come in and make an impact next year, I'll pass on both Turner and Porzingis

I don't know a lot about Porzingis, but Myles Turner was a part of the same freshman class as Okafor and Towns. He didn't play for Coach K or Calipari in college so he's a little behind, but he was comparable to both of them on a high school level so I don't think it's fair to dismiss him outright. Not unless you're prepared to dismiss all of the underclassmen for the same reason (which accounts for basically everyone in the top 10 other than Cauley-Stein). He's as talented as anyone in this class and he did shoot 84% on 112 free throws this season and block 89 shots in 34 games so its not like he doesn't have translatable skills.

 

[206Fan]

I don't know a lot about Porzingis, but Myles Turner was a part of the same freshman class as Okafor and Towns. He didn't play for Coach K or Calipari in college so he's a little behind, but he was comparable to both of them on a high school level so I don't think it's fair to dismiss him outright. Not unless you're prepared to dismiss all of the underclassmen for the same reason (which accounts for basically everyone in the top 10 other than Cauley-Stein). He's as talented as anyone in this class and he did shoot 84% on 112 free throws this season and block 89 shots in 34 games so its not like he doesn't have translatable skills.

well I was looking at players who are able to contribute next year. At least make an impact in the game. Turner is a very good prospect, but he's raw all around. He's not a very good athlete nor is he quick. I'm very skeptical that he'll be able to guard quicker PFs. He will struggle a bit vs bigger guys, but that's expected. I think he's fitted to guard Cs. This will force Cuz into a weird position. He's a good rebounder and nice shot blocker, but he's not a rim protector. At least not right now. He shoots very well from the ft line and has a good jump shot, but I wouldn't say he's a 3pt shooter. He has potential to improve as one in the NBA. However, that's his offense. It might be good for the kings because it'll give Cuz more room to work.

I think he's a very good prospect, but he's really raw. I would rather roll the dice on Porzingis if it came down to either him or Porzingis.

Even as the #2 overall recruit by ESPN, he's not even close to the best college player this year. I think going to Texas didn't do him any favors, but he's pretty raw even right now.

 

[gunks]

I'm on the Winslow or Johnson bandwagon.

One guy draws comparisons to Ron Ron, the other to Kawhi.... We can use that.

I have this feeling we're going to go with Kaminsky though, I dont know why... If Petrie were still GM I'd call it a lock. He's like Spencer Hawes without the estrogen. Interesting prospect, but not the direction I want this team to go.

 

[206Fan]

I'm on the Winslow or Johnson bandwagon.

One guy draws comparisons to Ron Ron, the other to Kawhi.... We can use that.

I have this feeling we're going to go with Kaminsky though, I dont know why... If Petrie were still GM I'd call it a lock. He's like Spencer Hawes without the estrogen. Interesting prospect, but not the direction I want this team to go.

I do too. If WCS is gone, I think we go with Kaminsky too..maybe draft BPA. I feel like the kings might really like Looney and Dekker too..just a weird feeling.

 

[hrdboild]

well I was looking at players who are able to contribute next year. At least make an impact in the game. Turner is a very good prospect, but he's raw all around. He's not a very good athlete nor is he quick. I'm very skeptical that he'll be able to guard quicker PFs. He will struggle a bit vs bigger guys, but that's expected. I think he's fitted to guard Cs. This will force Cuz into a weird position. He's a good rebounder and nice shot blocker, but he's not a rim protector. At least not right now. He shoots very well from the ft line and has a good jump shot, but I wouldn't say he's a 3pt shooter. He has potential to improve as one in the NBA. However, that's his offense. It might be good for the kings because it'll give Cuz more room to work.

I think he's a very good prospect, but he's really raw. I would rather roll the dice on Porzingis if it came down to either him or Porzingis.

Even as the #2 overall recruit by ESPN, he's not even close to the best college player this year. I think going to Texas didn't do him any favors, but he's pretty raw even right now.

We've already seen Cuz play well alongside a similar player in Samuel Dalembert. Even Jason Thompson is a similar height and body type (6'11" in shoes, 250lbs). I don't think we'd be asking Turner to guard bigger C's anyway. A couple years ago I might have been concerned about interior defense without a dedicated post defender at PF, but watching Cousins grow into a standout defensive player this year means we don't need another post defender so much as we need a mobile PF who can play team defense and swat shots near the basket. Turner's measurements are almost exactly the same as LaMarcus Aldridge who's played nearly his whole career at PF alongside bigger centers (Przybilla, Camby, Oden, Leonard, Lopez). Some people say Turner isn't mobile enough to guard PFs but he looks plenty mobile to me. He doesn't get up and down the court like some of the PFs in the NBA, but from the three point line to the post he's got long strides and long arms and slides well laterally. He had issues with his positioning at Texas this year but that's a coaching issue more than a physical limitation.

I'm only harping on this because I feel like players sometimes get unfairly criticized for playing in a poor system in college (and vice versa). Karl Towns is a fine prospect -- I would take him #1 this year -- but Turner actually has a higher defensive reb % and a higher block % this season. They're nearly the same size if you look at height, weight, and wingspan. Towns is very skilled for a bigman -- he can shoot a bit, he can pass, he's got post skills. Turner isn't in the same class passing the ball but he's an even better shooter and does have some post skills of his own -- a hook shot and a turnaround jumper. If we're picking at 6-8 we won't have a chance at Towns but we might be able to get a similar player in Turner mostly because he didn't play at Kentucky this year and struggled a bit at the college level playing for a coach who just got himself fired (deservedly so). There are a lot of players who would help us more than Turner next year, but most of them are going to be expensive to obtain if they're even available at all. If we can't move the pick for immediate help, there's worse things we could do with it than spend it on an elite 19 year old big prospect.

Remember that a lot of people dismissed Andre Drummond at UCONN a few years ago because he looked raw and unready for the next level and yet two years into his NBA career he was already an elite rebounder and shotblocker. I know it's become popular around here to act as if Cousins is going to explode next season if we don't win 50 games, but typically the draft is where you take the player on the board who you think has the best chance of being a very good NBA player in the future and then get to work on helping them reach their potential. There might not be immediate results, but that doesn't mean we should only be drafting low-ceiling upperclassmen either.

 

[206Fan]

We've already seen Cuz play well alongside a similar player in Samuel Dalembert. Even Jason Thompson is a similar height and body type (6'11" in shoes, 250lbs). I don't think we'd be asking Turner to guard bigger C's anyway. A couple years ago I might have been concerned about interior defense without a dedicated post defender at PF, but watching Cousins grow into a standout defensive player this year means we don't need another post defender so much as we need a mobile PF who can play team defense and swat shots near the basket. Turner's measurements are almost exactly the same as LaMarcus Aldridge who's played nearly his whole career at PF alongside bigger centers (Przybilla, Camby, Oden, Leonard, Lopez). Some people say Turner isn't mobile enough to guard PFs but he looks plenty mobile to me. He doesn't get up and down the court like some of the PFs in the NBA, but from the three point line to the post he's got long strides and long arms and slides well laterally. He had issues with his positioning at Texas this year but that's a coaching issue more than a physical limitation.

I'm only harping on this because I feel like players sometimes get unfairly criticized for playing in a poor system in college (and vice versa). Karl Towns is a fine prospect -- I would take him #1 this year -- but Turner actually has a higher defensive reb % and a higher block % this season. They're nearly the same size if you look at height, weight, and wingspan. Towns is very skilled for a bigman -- he can shoot a bit, he can pass, he's got post skills. Turner isn't in the same class passing the ball but he's an even better shooter and does have some post skills of his own -- a hook shot and a turnaround jumper. If we're picking at 6-8 we won't have a chance at Towns but we might be able to get a similar player in Turner mostly because he didn't play at Kentucky this year and struggled a bit at the college level playing for a coach who just got himself fired (deservedly so). There are a lot of players who would help us more than Turner next year, but most of them are going to be expensive to obtain if they're even available at all. If we can't move the pick for immediate help, there's worse things we could do with it than spend it on an elite 19 year old big prospect.

Remember that a lot of people dismissed Andre Drummond at UCONN a few years ago because he looked raw and unready for the next level and yet two years into his NBA career he was already an elite rebounder and shotblocker. I know it's become popular around here to act as if Cousins is going to explode next season if we don't win 50 games, but typically the draft is where you take the player on the board who you think has the best chance of being a very good NBA player in the future and then get to work on helping them reach their potential. There might not be immediate results, but that doesn't mean we should only be drafting low-ceiling upperclassmen either.

I think Turner is a very good anticipator when it comes to blocks. It's an elite skill he has, however i don't think he's a rim protector like Towns or WCS.

Just from my eyes, he looks more like a center because he's not as mobile as PF nor is he as athletic as a lot of them. That's why I have him a bit at C. He does run a little awkward, but it don't think that's a huge knock on him.

I think Turner can develop a very nice 3pt shot. shot, but I don't think he has one now. He's shown the ability to hit from there, but not very consistent at all. I believe it's around .270%? He hung around a lot at the perimeter, but I think it might have more to do with Texas's scheming.

I think 45 wins is where the kings should be next year. There's too much disappointment in this and the last season to be even near 35 wins.


The past two drafts, we've drafted very nice young SGs, but they aren't panning out for us very well. It's probably the FOs fault for not getting a vet SG, but we're trying to build towards the future with those 2 draft picks. I think a lot of kings fans expect WCS because he is pro ready with defense that this team needs.

WCS, Kaminsky, and Justin Anderson sound like those low ceiling upperclassmen.

I have greatly questioned WCS's offensive fit next to Cuz. I know we should never let a player dictate personnel moves, but I'd want the FO to ask Cousins what type of player he'd prefer to play next to.

 

[hrdboild]

I think Turner is a very good anticipator when it comes to blocks. It's an elite skill he has, however i don't think he's a rim protector like Towns or WCS.

I guess I just don't understand what you mean by rim protector here. Turner averaged 4.7 blocks per 40 mins this season. Cauley-Stein averaged 2.7 blocks per 40 min. Karl Towns averaged 4.4 blocks per 40 min. I understand that shot blocking is not the be-all end-all of post defense, but isn't an elite shot blocker the very definition of a "rim protector"?

This is how I see that defensive front line playing out... Nobody is backing down Cousins and scoring over him near the basket. That's our primary post defender. If Turner is playing PF next to Cousins, his 9'2" standing reach is going to make it hard for most PFs to score over him (similar to the advantage Jason Thompson has matched up against Blake Griffin or Kevin Love) and his shot blocking instincts are going to deter guards and smaller forwards trying to finish inside. The only players we really have to worry about matchup-wise are stretch fours who like to take long jumpers or face-up and drive to the basket. And even there we would have two capable shotblockers down low so one of them is going to be free on the weak side to deter drives.

I have greatly questioned WCS's offensive fit next to Cuz. I know we should never let a player dictate personnel moves, but I'd want the FO to ask Cousins what type of player he'd prefer to play next to.

I don't think this is as difficult as a question as you think it is. We have two high usage scorers in Cousins and Gay. What we want in a PF is somebody who can contribute to the game in ways that don't involve scoring. That means a relatively low usage player who excels at rebounding, shotblocking, and overall defensive acumen. Ideally they can also pass the ball without turning it over, shoot a midrange jumper, and catch and finish reliably in space. In 4 of those 6 skill areas, I think Myles Turner is a better option than Cauley-Stein (rebounding, shotblocking, midrange J, catch and finish). Karl Towns ticks all of the boxes, but that's why he's going top 3. Nerlens Noel also ticks all of the boxes but we'd have to give up a lot to convince Philly to let him go.

 

[ParniValjak]

I think this pick gets shopped more than any other pick in recent times. We will be looking to trade that pick for veteran help so don't be surprised in the slightest it this pick gets flicked to team like Denver for Faried and/or Lawson.

If we keep this pick it will be because we have to been able to find a taker for it that also happens to help us. I would say unless the pick is top 3 (and even then it wouldn't surprise me) the player that gets picked by us will not be playing for us next season.

This hierarchy will want veterans that provide immediate impact. Another kid is not going to help this team improve dramatically over the offseason.