Players to watch: 2016/17 college season.

Not sure they take Markkanen since they have Saric. Saric is the type of player a team would hope Markkanen could become, so I don't think they add another stretch 4. Markkanen is the better shooter, but Saric is more a talented and versatile offensive player. Since the month of Feb, Saric has been putting up 18pts 7.7rebs 3.4asts 1stl 0.4blk 3tos on 45.6/30.5/74.7

Monk could be a very good fit for them. Let Simmons develop his PG skills, while letting Monk defend the PGs. Monk could also become a combo guard down the road.
I remain unconvinced that Simmons and Saric will work well together but we'll have to wait and see.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
My guess is that Oklahoma St. doesn't get out of the 1st round. And for them to get out of the first round, Evans is going to have to step up. Evans isn't quite the athlete that Collison is. But then most aren't. I doubt he'll be drafted in the teens, but I could see a team at the bottom of the 1st round taking a flyer on him. I have him going bottom of the 1st or top of the 2nd.

I might add, that Evans started off the year playing like an all star, and then Oklahoma hit a stretch in the middle of the season where they lost something like 6 or 7 in a row, and Evans didn't play very well during that stretch. That's exactly when he started dropping in polls. In general, he tended to struggle against better teams, which also didn't help. Of course he finished the season strong, and apparently he likes playing against Iowa St.
Jawun Evans did everything he could, but Ok. State still lost to a hot shooting Michigan team. I think he raised his stock with that game so maybe it's good for him that his tournament run ends on a high note. I'd still love to get him if possible. He was faking guys out of their shoes today -- he's got some Kemba Walker in him. Very shifty driving to the basket.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Jawun Evans did everything he could, but Ok. State still lost to a hot shooting Michigan team. I think he raised his stock with that game so maybe it's good for him that his tournament run ends on a high note. I'd still love to get him if possible. He was faking guys out of their shoes today -- he's got some Kemba Walker in him. Very shifty driving to the basket.
Yeah, I was right about Oklahoma St. not getting out of the first round, but I think your right, Evans couldn't do anything more to raise his stock after today. So quit while your ahead. Great game by Evans, and he answered a couple of questions for me. He got to the basket during crunch time when Michigan knew who was going to have the ball, and where he was going with it. He came close to single handedly (Don't know if that's a word) willing his team to a win. He certainly made it exciting at the end.

Credit to Michigan for not choking at the foul line when it mattered.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
I remain unconvinced that Simmons and Saric will work well together but we'll have to wait and see.
I don't know how Simmons and Saric will fare together, but I watched Simmons play a lot, including summer league, and he's a pretty versatile player. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think Simmons would have trouble working with Saric, but Saric may have trouble working with Simmons, if that makes any sense.
 
Not sure they take Markkanen since they have Saric. Saric is the type of player a team would hope Markkanen could become, so I don't think they add another stretch 4. Markkanen is the better shooter, but Saric is more a talented and versatile offensive player. Since the month of Feb, Saric has been putting up 18pts 7.7rebs 3.4asts 1stl 0.4blk 3tos on 45.6/30.5/74.7

Monk could be a very good fit for them. Let Simmons develop his PG skills, while letting Monk defend the PGs. Monk could also become a combo guard down the road.
Saric and Markkanen are different players. Saric really isn't a spacer, but more of a point-forward who's doing a damn good job at creating his own shot too. He's like a better scoring Dray, but without the defense.

Would love to see Philly go Monk and then go get Patty Mills in FA. Let your guards space the floor and stay out of the way playmaking wise and let Embiid-Simmons-Saric do their thing.
 
I'm cooling a bit on Markkanen for us with the emergence of Skal. I want Skal getting 35 MPG next season and locking down that PF spot. He's showing he can be a building block. While I freaking love the thought of a Skal-WCS-Markkanen bigs trio, it doesn't make sense to draft a "back-up" when there's so many talented SF's and PG's where we have giant holes at. I also don't know if I'd trust Markkanen or Skal at C yet.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
I would still take him. Those three would be a matchup nightmare on offense. Defense might be a little tricky, but if he's BPA then just take him.
I think we have to wait and see who else is available. The great thing about this draft, is it's almost ten deep at the top, so were likely to have several good choices for a change. I would love for one of our picks to be in the 4/5 range.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
I don't like Isaac for a top 10 pick. He just floats around too much for me. Doesn't get his nose in the fight enough and doesn't get himself into the action enough. Doesn't make enough impact on the game.

And I don't care if we have two Skal's, I'd still take Markkanen. To me, Markkanen is one of the least risky prospects I've seen so far; it's very hard for me to see him as a bust or even a disappointment. It's waaaaay to early to be concerned about redundant players on this team. They are just free-form protoplasm at this point and will differentiate themselves over the next couple of years. Also, there's always the injury factor to consider.

The french point guard is intriguing and it wouldn't be surprising to me if Divac goes for him.
 
I don't like Isaac for a top 10 pick. He just floats around too much for me. Doesn't get his nose in the fight enough and doesn't get himself into the action enough. Doesn't make enough impact on the game.

And I don't care if we have two Skal's, I'd still take Markkanen. To me, Markkanen is one of the least risky prospects I've seen so far; it's very hard for me to see him as a bust or even a disappointment. It's waaaaay to early to be concerned about redundant players on this team. They are just free-form protoplasm at this point and will differentiate themselves over the next couple of years. Also, there's always the injury factor to consider.

The french point guard is intriguing and it wouldn't be surprising to me if Divac goes for him.
I'm with you all the way on Markkanen. He's the only guy that really intrigues me outside of the first couple picks. I think he'd be a good addition to the nice young roster vlades putting together.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
For a while now I've been wondering who would be a late bloomer in this draft. And maybe it's Devin Robinson of Florida, 6"8 forward. I just can't help but be impressed by his fluidity, his quick first step, his length, quickness to the ball, good rebounder, looks like his shot is good and has good form, and he gets into the action. This guy's position is obviously SF in the NBA. If anything, his team mates don't give him the ball enough. I've seen plenty of players that are ranked way above him that I don't think are as good.
 
Im high on Fox, his jumpshot is not broken at all, in fact it looks very smoothe and something he will improve on as a professional. Reminds me of a quicker Mike Conley(Conley's shooting was also a huge question mark coming out of college but his form was fine like Fox's). I think his game will go to another level with the spacing of the NBA.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
I don't like Isaac for a top 10 pick. He just floats around too much for me. Doesn't get his nose in the fight enough and doesn't get himself into the action enough. Doesn't make enough impact on the game.

And I don't care if we have two Skal's, I'd still take Markkanen. To me, Markkanen is one of the least risky prospects I've seen so far; it's very hard for me to see him as a bust or even a disappointment. It's waaaaay to early to be concerned about redundant players on this team. They are just free-form protoplasm at this point and will differentiate themselves over the next couple of years. Also, there's always the injury factor to consider.

The french point guard is intriguing and it wouldn't be surprising to me if Divac goes for him.
The thing about Isaac is that a lot of the whole "he's too passive" criticism is a lot like the criticism Kawhi got at SD State. Both guys appear to be team first guys willing to do the little things to win games. This isn't to say that Isaac is the next Kawhi, I'm just saying that you shouldn't be surprised when Isaac winds up looking better as an NBA guy.

On the flip side, he could be a Harrison Barnes and never really take that next step but drafting Harrison Barnes with the seventh or eighth pick would not be the end of the world.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
The thing about Isaac is that a lot of the whole "he's too passive" criticism is a lot like the criticism Kawhi got at SD State. Both guys appear to be team first guys willing to do the little things to win games. This isn't to say that Isaac is the next Kawhi, I'm just saying that you shouldn't be surprised when Isaac winds up looking better as an NBA guy.

On the flip side, he could be a Harrison Barnes and never really take that next step but drafting Harrison Barnes with the seventh or eighth pick would not be the end of the world.
Fair enough, though I never did see Leonard in college so I can't make a judgment on that. I can only make a judgment on what I see, not what I don't see.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
In every single draft we see some players in the top 10 of the draft be big disappointments. The hype just didn't match the NBA performance. So what players do you think are over-hyped in this draft?
 
I think Monk and Markkanen are over hyped. They would be fine on a team that's already fairly established with defenders but they wouldn't fit on the Kings. We need players that can do more than just fill up one column of the box score. Guys that can defend and hold their own on the offensive side of the ball. Monk is sort of Kevin Martin like with his impact on the game and Markkanen looks like a better version of Kaminsky, whom I don't really think is that great of a player anyway. I don't see the "it" factor in him that I see in Porzingis.

I think we would be much better if we grabbed a PG and SF that can defend and do some other things to help the team win other than just shoot. The Kings problem isn't missing open shots, it's getting open shots and then not allowing the opponent to get open shots.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
I don't like Isaac for a top 10 pick. He just floats around too much for me. Doesn't get his nose in the fight enough and doesn't get himself into the action enough. Doesn't make enough impact on the game.

And I don't care if we have two Skal's, I'd still take Markkanen. To me, Markkanen is one of the least risky prospects I've seen so far; it's very hard for me to see him as a bust or even a disappointment. It's waaaaay to early to be concerned about redundant players on this team. They are just free-form protoplasm at this point and will differentiate themselves over the next couple of years. Also, there's always the injury factor to consider.

The french point guard is intriguing and it wouldn't be surprising to me if Divac goes for him.
I know I'm wasting my breath Kingster, but I've said time and again, you always have to consider the system a player in college has to play in. Isaac is doing exactly what his coach wants him to do, but that doesn't mean that's all he's capable of. That's why I watch so many games. If you watch a player enough times, you'll see different sides of him, and if there's hidden talent, it will rear it's head despite the system from time to time.

If you had watched Kevin Johnson play at Cal just one or two times, you probably wouldn't have know what he was capable of. He was forced to play in a walk the ball up the court burn the entire shot clock type of offense. Almost a four corner offense. But if you watched enough games, every once in a while he was say to hell with it and just explode up the court and score. First time I saw that, I knew there was more there than he was being allowed to show. I think Isaac falls into that category. He can hat the three point shot, but hardly takes any. He can put the ball on the floor and drive, but hardly does. He's not featured in their offense, and to be honest, I hate and despise the way that team is coached.

Isaac will start the game, and two minutes into the game, he's on the bench. For no apparent reason. Then two or three minutes latter, he's back in the game, and then two or three minutes later, he's on the bench again. He does this with all of his players, with the idea that they stay fresh that way. To me, I don't think they're given a chance to get into a rhythm. Strangely, he raves about Isaac whenever he gets the chance. Every coach is different and you have to watch them coach for a while so you can take his style into consideration when judging a player. Some coaches favor Seniors and Juniors over freshman, regardless of the talent level. Stupid, but that's how they coach.

Then you have coaches like my favorite, Jay Wright, who could coach a highschool team into the final 16. Unfortunately didn't happen this year. Just my opinion.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
In every single draft we see some players in the top 10 of the draft be big disappointments. The hype just didn't match the NBA performance. So what players do you think are over-hyped in this draft?
I'm going with Markkanen and Isaac. I don't want any part of those two.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
For a while now I've been wondering who would be a late bloomer in this draft. And maybe it's Devin Robinson of Florida, 6"8 forward. I just can't help but be impressed by his fluidity, his quick first step, his length, quickness to the ball, good rebounder, looks like his shot is good and has good form, and he gets into the action. This guy's position is obviously SF in the NBA. If anything, his team mates don't give him the ball enough. I've seen plenty of players that are ranked way above him that I don't think are as good.
Robinson's problem is inconsistency. He shoots a good percentage from the three, but he does it by shooting 75% from the three one game, and 20% from the three in the next. If he could cure his inconsistency, he could be a very good player. He's a player I might roll the dice on in the 2nd round, depending on who else is there.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
I think Monk and Markkanen are over hyped. They would be fine on a team that's already fairly established with defenders but they wouldn't fit on the Kings. We need players that can do more than just fill up one column of the box score. Guys that can defend and hold their own on the offensive side of the ball. Monk is sort of Kevin Martin like with his impact on the game and Markkanen looks like a better version of Kaminsky, whom I don't really think is that great of a player anyway. I don't see the "it" factor in him that I see in Porzingis.

I think we would be much better if we grabbed a PG and SF that can defend and do some other things to help the team win other than just shoot. The Kings problem isn't missing open shots, it's getting open shots and then not allowing the opponent to get open shots.
I was definitely going to say Markkanen as an over hyped player. And I agree that Monk falls into that category as well, but not as badly as Markkanen. I also put Dennis Smith into that group. However, all three of those players are talented enough to warrant the attention they're getting. By the way, I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but Calapari is using Monk differently now than he was earlier in the season. Monk is the first one he pulls out of the starting lineup, and when he goes back in, Fox comes out, and Monk is playing more the part of a playmaker. He draws so much attention when he has the ball in his hands, he's almost always doubled. Which of course leaves someone open.

The downside of that is that he's not taking as many shots. But hey, they're winning, and that's what counts.
 
Man Lonzo coming here would be transformative. Best feel for the game in prospect ive seen since Lebron, he is elite in that sense. Plays like a winner, makes the simple play/pass and is a true floor general.
 
Man Lonzo coming here would be transformative. Best feel for the game in prospect ive seen since Lebron, he is elite in that sense. Plays like a winner, makes the simple play/pass and is a true floor general.
Lonzo isn't even on my draft board. There's no chance in hell Lavar Ball stays quiet about his son playing in Sacramento for 7 years. You know he'll be working to get him to a more desired market the second we call his name.

If we get the 2nd pick, I'm taking Josh Jackson, who I like more as a prospect anyway. If we end up 3rd and Ball is still on the board, I'm trading down a few spots and picking up a bunch more assets to whoever wants Ball.

I like Lonzo a lot and think he's a talented kid (although far overhyped for my taste), but I'm not willing to deal with the guaranteed distraction his dad will be for a franchise like ours.
 
Lonzo isn't even on my draft board. There's no chance in hell Lavar Ball stays quiet about his son playing in Sacramento for 7 years. You know he'll be working to get him to a more desired market the second we call his name.

If we get the 2nd pick, I'm taking Josh Jackson, who I like more as a prospect anyway. If we end up 3rd and Ball is still on the board, I'm trading down a few spots and picking up a bunch more assets to whoever wants Ball.

I like Lonzo a lot and think he's a talented kid (although far overhyped for my taste), but I'm not willing to deal with the guaranteed distraction his dad will be for a franchise like ours.
As soon as Lonzo is drafted, his NBA team would make his dad stfu real fast. Not drafting a talented player because his father happens to be a helicopter parent is a bad excuse. If Ball is there for us to draft, then we'll draft him.

He should be off your board due to the fact that we have 0 shot at him. There's a very slim chance that both us and Philly jump to top 3.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
Ball is freeking awesome. He's a combination of an Einstein and Picasso rolled into a basketball player. These other guys like Fox, they may have more quickness and speed, but Lonzo is just on another planet when it comes to the creativity and brain power (not to mention his outside shot) he brings to the floor. It's incredibly unfortunate that the Kings have hamstrung their own draft with the restrictions they have on their #1 draft picks. If the Kings didn't have those restrictions on their #1, and let's say they were sitting at the #4 and #5 slot respectively for ping balls, their probability of getting the #1 pick in the entire draft would be 20.7%, that's ahead of the #2 slot and behind the #1 slot (Celtics from Brooklyn) at 25%. (Done by addition of the probability of the #4 slot (11.9%) to the probability of the #5 slot (8.8%).
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
Robinson's problem is inconsistency. He shoots a good percentage from the three, but he does it by shooting 75% from the three one game, and 20% from the three in the next. If he could cure his inconsistency, he could be a very good player. He's a player I might roll the dice on in the 2nd round, depending on who else is there.
He looks like much more than a 2nd rounder to me. If he's a 2nd rounder then we should come out with four NBA players in this draft. (two #1s and two #2s)
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
If he's a 2nd rounder then we should come out with four NBA players in this draft. (two #1s and two #2s)
Unless we acquire another pick, we will only have three picks at best - NO's #1, Philly's #2, and one of our original two. Either our own #1 or our own #2 (more likely at this point) will get shipped to the Bulls.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
Unless we acquire another pick, we will only have three picks at best - NO's #1, Philly's #2, and one of our original two. Either our own #1 or our own #2 (more likely at this point) will get shipped to the Bulls.
Thanks for the info, I think.:eek: Can't this org get picks without being tied up in conditions and limitations? You just wonder if it's really going to bite them in the A$$ bigtime and then they might be more stubborn about getting unconditional picks.