2018 draft fits with this team

#1
I know there is a prospect board but this board might be a happier place if we discuss prospects and fit with our team:

Early returns for me is Ayton.

I think Fox and Mason have the point nailed down.

For the two I think one of the young kids will emerge between Buddy, Malachi and Bogdan.

The three Jackson looks like a good 3 and D type wing.

The 4 is a long shot but I’m hoping Skal or Giles can man that spot.

That leaves center and Ayton would plug in nicely here.
 
#5
1.) Doncic: point toward who could do it all Fitz perfectly with our backcourt.

2.) Ayton: Big who can fit with any big on our team and even if he couldn’t you take the dominant big. Pick and roll would be lethal with Fox.

3.) Bagley: 2 way big who if he keeps developing the crap will be a 20-10 guy with good defense. Fits with the backcourt.

4.) Porter: pure scorer would need that
 
#6
I know there is a prospect board but this board might be a happier place if we discuss prospects and fit with our team:

Early returns for me is Ayton.

I think Fox and Mason have the point nailed down.

For the two I think one of the young kids will emerge between Buddy, Malachi and Bogdan.

The three Jackson looks like a good 3 and D type wing.

The 4 is a long shot but I’m hoping Skal or Giles can man that spot.

That leaves center and Ayton would plug in nicely here.
I don't like looking at draft fits because there's no one on this team that has shown enough to justify building around. Kings will need to take the best scorer available.

Here's the list of players who I'd want the Kings to draft:
1. Porter Jr
2. Ayton
3. Doncic
4. Bagley
5. Bridges

It might change as the college season progresses, but roster fit shouldn't even be part of the consideration right now. Our team needs serious talent. We're not in the same position as say the Bulls. They have their future starting SG(LaVine) and PF(Markkanen). Kings only have a future starting PG. We're rebuilding from scraps right now.
 
#7
Luckily this draft seems like it will have a variety of options in terms of impact players and isn't a draft with just one can't miss guy. I think if we can get our hands on any of the top 4 guys we should be fine considering they all fit a position of need.
 
#9
None of the top prospects are point guards, which is the only spot where they need to avoid duplication. Moreover, the top prospects aren't conventional shooting guards, so they don't need to weigh passing on a star based upon depth and needs.

The Kings are a bad team with no blue chip prospects along any of the three front line spots. There are a few blue chip prospects in the draft. They will have a high 2018 pick, and they don't have their pick in 2019. So, you just take the player who is the best bet to become a star over the long haul. You don't think about need, fit, of how quickly they will be ready.

Five years from now, the Kings need they draft in 2018 to be a STAR. Conversely, most of the guys on the team will be gone in 5 years. Failing to think long term is how bad teams stay bad.
 
#10
I agree we need a star if not a superstar home run pick. In some ways I hope that means we get the 2nd pick instead of the 1st so we can't blow it if it's between 2 players. In the old days you take the big man, but in 2018 I think if it's between a potential superstar at SF or C, you go with the SF for a litany of reasons.
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#11
BPA, man!

But I'm hoping BPA will end up being Ayton or one of the other bigs. I'm way more optimistic about our guard prospects than WCS, Papa, and Skal.

All I'm worried about is that we pick top 5. Apparently there's a big drop off, but I read something where a scout was saying any of the top 5 this year would have gone #1 last draft. Good year to suck.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#12
none of us can say with certainty that we know what players are going to fit here, it's too early. They have only played two games so far, some players will come out and surprise us and some might flop. Who's to say?
 
#13
I don't like looking at draft fits because there's no one on this team that has shown enough to justify building around. Kings will need to take the best scorer available.

Here's the list of players who I'd want the Kings to draft:
1. Porter Jr
2. Ayton
3. Doncic
4. Bagley
5. Bridges

It might change as the college season progresses, but roster fit shouldn't even be part of the consideration right now. Our team needs serious talent. We're not in the same position as say the Bulls. They have their future starting SG(LaVine) and PF(Markkanen). Kings only have a future starting PG. We're rebuilding from scraps right now.
While I agree I was looking for a reason to post it in this forum and start a discussion.
 
#14
I don't like looking at draft fits because there's no one on this team that has shown enough to justify building around. Kings will need to take the best scorer available.

Here's the list of players who I'd want the Kings to draft:
1. Porter Jr
2. Ayton
3. Doncic
4. Bagley
5. Bridges

It might change as the college season progresses, but roster fit shouldn't even be part of the consideration right now. Our team needs serious talent. We're not in the same position as say the Bulls. They have their future starting SG(LaVine) and PF(Markkanen). Kings only have a future starting PG. We're rebuilding from scraps right now.
Interesting Bridges and not Bamba.

My hope currently in order is:

Ayton
Porter
Bagley
Doncic
Bamba

We have to get more athletic I think.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#15
While I agree I was looking for a reason to post it in this forum and start a discussion.
It doesn't belong in the Kings Rap forum. It belongs in either Prospects or Personnel Moves (which was created to have a separate place for people to discuss POTENTIALS such as trades, draft picks, etc.)
 
#16
I agree we need a star if not a superstar home run pick. In some ways I hope that means we get the 2nd pick instead of the 1st so we can't blow it if it's between 2 players. In the old days you take the big man, but in 2018 I think if it's between a potential superstar at SF or C, you go with the SF for a litany of reasons.
Unless they can shoot, which in Ayton's case, he can.
 
#17
While I agree I was looking for a reason to post it in this forum and start a discussion.
Didn't mean to discourage discussion! Well if we were to look at our entire group of kids and look for best fit possible, I think it's either Porter Jr or Ayton. Porter Jr would be a very good scorer at SF or PF. He takes pressure off Fox to be THE man. I'd look to go smaller with JJ at SF and Porter Jr at PF. Fox-Buddy/Bogdan-JJ-Porter Jr-WCS.

If we're looking at Ayton, floor spacing would be extremely questionable, so I'd go with a floor spreader. Fox-Buddy-Jackson-Skal-Ayton. The physicality would be a question, but we'd have Ayton as an anchor.
 
#18
Interesting Bridges and not Bamba.

My hope currently in order is:

Ayton
Porter
Bagley
Doncic
Bamba

We have to get more athletic I think.
Bamba would be my 6th. I was thinking BPA, and the Kings really need a scorer. Right now, Bamba looks like a 3&D Center. I think he can be an all-NBA defense type of player, but I'm looking for someone who can give us 18ppg+ a night. Bridges and the other guys on the list are more capable scorers than he is. I'd be fine with drafting Bamba if ANY of our bigs showed some type of ability to be a + player..haven't seen that yet. I think he compliments every NBA team nicely.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
#21
The Kings lack strength, rebounding, toughness and athleticism. I'm all for whoever can help plug those holes up.
That's Ayton, Bagley, or Bridges. Porter is a scorer, Doncic is a gifted playmaker-- both are really talented and would help to push our identity in a certain direction but for an injection of toughness, rebounding, and athleticism we'd probably want to look elsewhere.

DeAndre Ayton is the complete package. Top level athlete, huge physical presence, skilled post defender, and he can step out and stretch the floor. If everything breaks right you're looking at a versatile two-way big like Porzingis with better strength in the paint. It's fair to question how important post defense is anymore in this new era of three point shooting but there is an up and coming generation of bigs (Embiid, Towns, Jokic, Porzingis, Capela, Turner, Whiteside, and we might as well include DeMarcus) that somebody is going to have to guard and Ayton has got the talent to go head to head with any of those guys. This is not a name you generally want to invoke, but Ayton to me is just as good of a prospect as Greg Oden was before all the surgeries. Maybe better because he's also got a burgeoning outside jumper which could eventually stretch out to the three point line. I also like that he's born in the Bahamas... it's a small thing perhaps but I can see him eventually building chemistry with Buddy Hield as co-leaders of the National team. If you can't tell, he's the early favorite for me.

Marvin Bagley III is more of a hybrid PF/C though the distinction is becoming less and less significant in the NBA. He was off to a fast start before getting poked in the eye last night and forced to leave the game. If there's some question about Ayton's ability to be a go-to scorer there's none with Bagley. If we're voting on which player in this class is most likely to invite comparisons to Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo as long limbed destroyers of defenses that's Marvin Bagley. He can shoot, he can drive, he plays big under the basket, and let him get a little bit of space in the open court and he's impossible to stop. I also like that he's a lefty like Fox-- you'd think this wouldn't matter with detailed scouting reports but when you're talking about fractions of a second separating a good first step from a great one, being a lefty is still an advantage for a ball handler. He's also really active and mobile as a defender which is becoming the magic ticket every team needs to make their Thibodeau derived switching defense work. If Ayton is my #1 target than Bagley is 1A.

Miles Bridges is being projected lower either because of his size or because he's not the new hotness like the incoming freshman class. I wouldn't underestimate him though. Undersized PFs trying to cut it as wings were the undesirables of the previous generation but thanks to Draymond they're now getting a lot of attention. Bridges is a big kid but he can really fly. He attacks the rim ferociously, he's strong on the boards, he competes on defense -- as evidenced by his shotblocking proficiency. And he's a humble hard working kid who wants to get better. He may not have the high ceiling of the other top prospects projected in the top 5 because of his less than ideal size but I'd love to have his attitude influencing the other young guys. I think he'd fit really well with Fox, Buddy, and Skal.

Mo Bamba is a bit of a wild card. At his size he's got Rudy Gobert potential as the last line of defense disrupting everything in the middle and he's also a very bright kid with an engaging personality. Unfortunately when I've seen him play in the past he's looked a little stiff in his movements and a step slow in his reactions. I'll be watching him closely this year at Texas (who finally have a competent coach) to see how he progresses because his potential is arguably higher than anyone. Not to mention... between Bamba and Fox we'd have the best post-game press conferences in the league!
 
#22
This draft is tantalizing, as long as we get a top 5 pick we shouldn't be able to screw it up. Any one of Ayton/Bamba/Bagley/Porter/Doncic and we'll have got a stud. Can also include Bridges (who is looking like a potential two all-star level player) Knox in there.

Ayton looks like an absolute freak of nature. He is massive, extremely athletic, surprisingly skilled and smart, has fantastic hands, and an outside shot. He is a savage on the boards and defensively. I don't want to be hyperbolic but I'm more excited about this guy than I was for Embiid and even Cousins at Kentucky.

I know it's so early in the season, but Ayton looks like he could step onto the NBA floor right now and be one of the better bigs in the league. I seriously hope this kid stays injury free because he's going to be dominant at the next level. Maybe most impressive is his passing ability and vision. He is so under control and composed, it's very impressive for someone his age. He is also a LeBron/Shaq level of elite when it comes to his athleticism. I really believe that. I don't think I've ever felt stronger about a draft prospect. He just jumps off the screen in so many positive ways. Listen to him speak, he has a great demeanour, very composed and quietly confident, he's a smart guy.

I also think Bamba looks insanely talented and has an elite physical profile also. He could easily be an elite big man at the next level and a lot of the things that apply to Ayton above also apply to him. However I think Ayton is more physically ready now and also has a better feel and higher IQ at this point.

Bagley Jr looks very skilled and athletic. I haven't seen Porter Jr yet but he is billed as the next big thing. Doncic is obviously doing historical things in Europe. I love Doncic, especially being a Euro myself, but I don't think I could take him over Ayton. I don't care what way the game is going, the game will always go the way of the best players, and I think Ayton is going to be a monster and also capable of playing within the modern game.

I'd give anything to have two lottery picks this year. This could go down as one of the best big men drafts ever.
 
Last edited:

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#23
That's Ayton, Bagley, or Bridges. Porter is a scorer, Doncic is a gifted playmaker-- both are really talented and would help to push our identity in a certain direction but for an injection of toughness, rebounding, and athleticism we'd probably want to look elsewhere.

DeAndre Ayton is the complete package. Top level athlete, huge physical presence, skilled post defender, and he can step out and stretch the floor. If everything breaks right you're looking at a versatile two-way big like Porzingis with better strength in the paint. It's fair to question how important post defense is anymore in this new era of three point shooting but there is an up and coming generation of bigs (Embiid, Towns, Jokic, Porzingis, Capela, Turner, Whiteside, and we might as well include DeMarcus) that somebody is going to have to guard and Ayton has got the talent to go head to head with any of those guys. This is not a name you generally want to invoke, but Ayton to me is just as good of a prospect as Greg Oden was before all the surgeries. Maybe better because he's also got a burgeoning outside jumper which could eventually stretch out to the three point line. I also like that he's born in the Bahamas... it's a small thing perhaps but I can see him eventually building chemistry with Buddy Hield as co-leaders of the National team. If you can't tell, he's the early favorite for me.

Marvin Bagley III is more of a hybrid PF/C though the distinction is becoming less and less significant in the NBA. He was off to a fast start before getting poked in the eye last night and forced to leave the game. If there's some question about Ayton's ability to be a go-to scorer there's none with Bagley. If we're voting on which player in this class is most likely to invite comparisons to Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo as long limbed destroyers of defenses that's Marvin Bagley. He can shoot, he can drive, he plays big under the basket, and let him get a little bit of space in the open court and he's impossible to stop. I also like that he's a lefty like Fox-- you'd think this wouldn't matter with detailed scouting reports but when you're talking about fractions of a second separating a good first step from a great one, being a lefty is still an advantage for a ball handler. He's also really active and mobile as a defender which is becoming the magic ticket every team needs to make their Thibodeau derived switching defense work. If Ayton is my #1 target than Bagley is 1A.

Miles Bridges is being projected lower either because of his size or because he's not the new hotness like the incoming freshman class. I wouldn't underestimate him though. Undersized PFs trying to cut it as wings were the undesirables of the previous generation but thanks to Draymond they're now getting a lot of attention. Bridges is a big kid but he can really fly. He attacks the rim ferociously, he's strong on the boards, he competes on defense -- as evidenced by his shotblocking proficiency. And he's a humble hard working kid who wants to get better. He may not have the high ceiling of the other top prospects projected in the top 5 because of his less than ideal size but I'd love to have his attitude influencing the other young guys. I think he'd fit really well with Fox, Buddy, and Skal.

Mo Bamba is a bit of a wild card. At his size he's got Rudy Gobert potential as the last line of defense disrupting everything in the middle and he's also a very bright kid with an engaging personality. Unfortunately when I've seen him play in the past he's looked a little stiff in his movements and a step slow in his reactions. I'll be watching him closely this year at Texas (who finally have a competent coach) to see how he progresses because his potential is arguably higher than anyone. Not to mention... between Bamba and Fox we'd have the best post-game press conferences in the league!
Most college teams have played what, three games? I'd say we have a long way to go before we start picking and choosing. Not that the players mentioned won't be the one's in discussion, but the order might be different by the time we get to the end of March. I happen to agree with you on Bridges. I think he's one of the top dark horses who could go anywhere from 8th to 3rd. It all depends on how well he plays this season, and what the needs of the teams drafting are. At the moment I'm putting my money on Doncic and Porter, but that could change dramatically by March. Some people are trying to lay the same label on Porter that they laid on Tatum last year. They were wrong about Tatum and their probably wrong about Porter as well, who is taller and a little better athlete than Tatum. But we'll see.

I think it would be nice if we would stop talking in absolutes. It's one thing to speculate, but it's quite another to say a player will, or won't ever be good at something. The truth is, we simply don't know at this point. We're just guessing. The more you watch them, and I mean actually watch them, and not just read stat sheets or listen to talking heads, the better your speculations will be. The only thing you can learn from a stat sheet the numbers a player put up. But that doesn't tell you how he played. For instance, there was a game earlier this year where Fox ended up with I believe 7 assists. Not shabby for a rookie, but if you counted every time he made a nice pass to a player who missed the shot, he could have had around 19 or 20 assists. About five of them were missed layups. So if you didn't watch the game, all you saw was seven assists on the stat sheet. Stats only tell you a part of the story. If you want to criticize Fox's shot, fine. But that's the least of my worries. Actually, I don't have many worries about Fox. This is his first year in the league and it usually takes a PG three to four years to reach whatever level he's going to reach.
 
#24
Ayton is pretty impressive thus far. His physical profile is absolutely insane at:

Height: 7'1"
Wingspan: 7'5.5"
Weight: 260 lbs
Vertical: 44 inches (with his standing reach, that he means he can almost touch something that is 13' in the air!)

Compare that to Shaq coming out of college:

Height: 7'0"
Wingspan: 7'7"
Weight: 300 lbs
Vertical: 36 inches

His toughness & intensity is contagious. He makes decisions quickly, and uses his time efficiently. You can say that he moves with a purpose. His defense is pretty outstanding as well. I think he'll be able to do it all. Defend the post, defend the PnR, protect the rim, defend the perimeter, playing passing lanes, transition defense, & rotating quickly on defense. One thing I have noticed thus far is his ability to block shots and keep them in play. Too often players are worried about swatting the ball as far away as they can rather than blocking it in a way that allows your team to control the ball.

His IQ extends to offense as well. He doesn't seem to force the issue. He's aggressive but makes the correct play. I think the majority of his turnovers have been travels when trying to make a move in the post. Those are easily correctable with more & more practice. The impressive thing is that he hasn't turned the ball over hardly at all when making decisions or when pressured. The fact that his AST/TO ratio is above one as a 7'1" 260lb center is impressive to say the least.

On the down side, I don't think his post scoring is going to translate as easily to the NBA. Right now it's more about beating his opponent athletically rather than skillfully. That's not going to be as effective going against the best athletes in the world. He'll need to work on adding some solid posts moves to his repertoire which I think he can easily do.

I'm not the biggest fan of his jumper. It doesn't look fluid like the rest of his game. It looks flat and like he waits too long to release the ball. Would like to see him more to see if I can pickup what I don't like about it better. That doesn't mean I don't think he can't be solid shooting from the outside, but I'm not confident that he will ever be great shooting midrange shots or threes.

Lastly, he needs to do a better job boxing out. I've hardly seen him box out anyone. Now it doesn't necessarily impact his rebounding numbers because he's so strong, stands 7'1", has a 7'5" wingspan, & a 44" vertical. That makes his rebounding radius HUGE but too often he lets guys slip and get better position on him. But again, he can easily overcome the worse rebounding position because of his physical profile. That's going to be more apparent as he gets to the NBA. It's a subtle detail that if goes uncorrected can prevent him from rebounding like a Jordan and/or Drummond.

Overall, I'd love the opportunity to draft this guy. I think he would fit in really nicely with our team and could easily become one of the best if not the best big man in the league. I can only imagine Fox & Ayton running PnR or PnP all day with guys like Bogdanovic, Hield, Jackson, & Labissiere waiting to punish them with an open 3 ball. And on the flip side I like the thought that our PnR defense would be a combo of Fox and Labissiere/Cauley-Stein/Ayton. That can be the first step in establishing a great defensive team.
 
Last edited:
#25
I honestly think all jokes aside about Willie smoking reefer and being lazy, the guy is just uncoordinated. I know we talk a lot about his defensive potential due to his athleticism but more often than not what I'm seeing is just a guy who does not move like he is meant to play basketball at a high level. Having said that, I agree that the jury is still out on him and would love to see him continue this stellar play but looking at highlights of a guy like Ayton you just see the difference in moving fluidly compared to what you see with Willie. I am a big believer in good coaches being able to get the best out of their players by putting them in positions to be successful so I'm cautiously optimistic Joeger will get it figured out given experimentation
 
#27
Porter jr is reportedly out for year. (Back)
I noticed yesterday he hadn't played since early in the season opener.
Wonder if this means he's none and done or will come back to college next year only to haunt us in the 2019 draft. Either way sorry to hear this and hope it's something he can bounce back from.
 
#29
The more I think about it, the more I want to drift away from drafting a C. (I know. I just said how much I love Ayton)

Top lineups typically have one big man who can defend the perimeter, spread the floor, and play in the pick and roll. I'm starting to think that a future lineup would be better if it was one of Cauley-Stein, Labissiere, or Giles on the floor rather than a combo of them. If that's the thought & that's the direction, than you have threes shots at finding that big man you want to roll with, so focus on building out the remainder of the roster. You have Fox at PG, so for the time being you have to pencil him in. I really think we should be focus our scouting efforts on wings & combo forwards. Porter (bummer he went down), Doncic, Bridges, & Knox are on my list.

I obviously haven't seen much of Porter but his scouting report makes me excited as someone who could be a great frontcourt pairing with Cauley-Stein/Labissiere/Giles (whoever rises to the top) since he is supposed to be an excellent shooter, excellent scorer, good rebounder, solid shotblocker, and he's obviously athletic enough to defend the perimeter.
 
#30
The more I think about it, the more I want to drift away from drafting a C. (I know. I just said how much I love Ayton)

Top lineups typically have one big man who can defend the perimeter, spread the floor, and play in the pick and roll. I'm starting to think that a future lineup would be better if it was one of Cauley-Stein, Labissiere, or Giles on the floor rather than a combo of them. If that's the thought & that's the direction, than you have threes shots at finding that big man you want to roll with, so focus on building out the remainder of the roster. You have Fox at PG, so for the time being you have to pencil him in. I really think we should be focus our scouting efforts on wings & combo forwards. Porter (bummer he went down), Doncic, Bridges, & Knox are on my list.

I obviously haven't seen much of Porter but his scouting report makes me excited as someone who could be a great frontcourt pairing with Cauley-Stein/Labissiere/Giles (whoever rises to the top) since he is supposed to be an excellent shooter, excellent scorer, good rebounder, solid shotblocker, and he's obviously athletic enough to defend the perimeter.
Totally agree with you there. Another guy to watch out for is Rui Hachimura from Gonzaga. 6'9" PF/SF from Japan.

I also really like Mikal Bridges from Villanova. Devastating defender. Efficient on offense. Can shoot.
 
Last edited: