True a good draft pick would be nice, but the playoff experience will help more in the long run.
NBA Free Agents and our own Free Agent players, would be more likely to re-sign (i.e. Lawson and/or D.C.) if we are a playoff contending team.
Once a team smells the playoffs, off-season free agent signing of good free agents become a whole lot more likely.
It's the whole perception of "up and coming team" vs "never has been" syndrome.
NBA Free Agents and our own Free Agent players, would be more likely to re-sign (i.e. Lawson and/or D.C.) if we are a playoff contending team.
Once a team smells the playoffs, off-season free agent signing of good free agents become a whole lot more likely.
It's the whole perception of "up and coming team" vs "never has been" syndrome.
Good point. The draft is deep with guards.
Unless the Kings start tanking now though (which they won't), there are no guarantees that we would get a top 8 pick.
Even a top 10 pick is not guaranteed, unless we start the tank very soon (which we won't).
Anything outside the top 10, we will lose the pick to Chicago.
I think the Kings mentality right now, and rightfully so, is to go all in on a playoff push.
It's the change in "culture" thing that the teams is striving for now.
Unless the Kings start tanking now though (which they won't), there are no guarantees that we would get a top 8 pick.
Even a top 10 pick is not guaranteed, unless we start the tank very soon (which we won't).
Anything outside the top 10, we will lose the pick to Chicago.
I think the Kings mentality right now, and rightfully so, is to go all in on a playoff push.
It's the change in "culture" thing that the teams is striving for now.
Z
Good point. The draft is deep with guards.
Unless the Kings start tanking now though (which they won't), there are no guarantees that we would get a top 8 pick.
Even a top 10 pick is not guaranteed, unless we start the tank very soon (which we won't).
Anything outside the top 10, we will lose the pick to Chicago.
I think the Kings mentality right now, and rightfully so, is to go all in on a playoff push.
It's the change in "culture" thing that the teams is striving for now.
Unless the Kings start tanking now though (which they won't), there are no guarantees that we would get a top 8 pick.
Even a top 10 pick is not guaranteed, unless we start the tank very soon (which we won't).
Anything outside the top 10, we will lose the pick to Chicago.
I think the Kings mentality right now, and rightfully so, is to go all in on a playoff push.
It's the change in "culture" thing that the teams is striving for now.
It's clear you guys have the building block. DMC is leading a team full of people with very limited talent to a top 10 record in the conference. It will just be a waste for both Kings fans and DMC if you guys never give him talent around him. Because let's be honest, he deserves to be in the playoffs. And he deserves to be a top 8 MVP candidate.
Logically speaking, of course we'd be better off with another lotto pick, especially in this draft. But you'll never get people here to agree with that. It's playoffs (and an inevitable 4 game sweep) or bust even if that means hanging onto assets long enough to watch them expire. We definitely need a SF and a PG and drafting somebody like Fultz, Ball, Smith, Fox, Ntilikina, Tatum, Jackson, or Isaac could set us up for the next 10 years. We don't need a top 3 pick to get a great player out of this draft. But then we've had countless opportunities to improve our situation through the draft and our front office manages to blow it almost every year so that's why the general mood in this fan base is so negative about the draft in general.
If we can't draft a PG, I'd think Jrue Holiday would be a good free agent target for us. Solid starting PG, good shooter, same age as DeMarcus. Brandon Jennings is less exciting but a reliable backup which we may need if we lose Collison and Lawson. Generally speaking we're probably looking for more shooting on the wings but it's unlikely we sign another SG other than Bogdan Bogdanovic (who's draft rights we obtained from Phoenix last year) with Afflalo, Temple, McLemore, and Richardson all options as well. Everyone loves Otto Porter, but he's not leaving Washington. Gallinari might be a possibility? I think we still need another frontcourt player even with Willie starting to play well again, probably somebody with more offensive versatility. Ilyasova could be a good fit. I really like Nerlens Noel as a defensive presence but we'd probably want to trade Willie if we splurge on him. Trading is always a more realistic option for this franchise than landing big free agents anyway. I'm a big Stanley Johnson fan. I keep hoping Stan the Van gives up on him and we've got some vets to offer that could help Detroit's playoff run right now. We could try to get one of Harkless or Aminu from Portland and hope for a bounce back year. That's about all I've got right now.
My ideal off-season would be drafting super freshman Josh Jackson from Kentucky Kansas and signing Jrue Holiday but I don't know that either one is all that realistic. It's not easy being a fan of a small market team with a reputation for stupidity.
If we can't draft a PG, I'd think Jrue Holiday would be a good free agent target for us. Solid starting PG, good shooter, same age as DeMarcus. Brandon Jennings is less exciting but a reliable backup which we may need if we lose Collison and Lawson. Generally speaking we're probably looking for more shooting on the wings but it's unlikely we sign another SG other than Bogdan Bogdanovic (who's draft rights we obtained from Phoenix last year) with Afflalo, Temple, McLemore, and Richardson all options as well. Everyone loves Otto Porter, but he's not leaving Washington. Gallinari might be a possibility? I think we still need another frontcourt player even with Willie starting to play well again, probably somebody with more offensive versatility. Ilyasova could be a good fit. I really like Nerlens Noel as a defensive presence but we'd probably want to trade Willie if we splurge on him. Trading is always a more realistic option for this franchise than landing big free agents anyway. I'm a big Stanley Johnson fan. I keep hoping Stan the Van gives up on him and we've got some vets to offer that could help Detroit's playoff run right now. We could try to get one of Harkless or Aminu from Portland and hope for a bounce back year. That's about all I've got right now.
My ideal off-season would be drafting super freshman Josh Jackson from Kentucky Kansas and signing Jrue Holiday but I don't know that either one is all that realistic. It's not easy being a fan of a small market team with a reputation for stupidity.
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Since it seems like you are not a Kings fan and a new member to this site (welcome!), I think some context is needed. This team has been a loser with a loser mentality for way too long. Joerger was brought in to change that mentality. Regardless of what you think of his rotations and general game time strategy, we see his impact in the way this team fights and fights and fights. There is a reason why teams like the spurs always seem to plug in relatively average players and the sum is greater than the parts (of course they also have great parts....) Draft pick be damned, we need to keep building momentum this season into next and beyond vs. reverting back to the loser mentality hoping another lottery pick will save us. Also, while sound strategy around the draft is no doubt the best way to build your talent pool, we see over and over that rookies generally do not come in and immediately contribute to turning around an organization. Any talent we get in the draft next year, likely won't make an impact for two or three years (and I do understand this draft is projected to be very good....however, the odds are not great that the rookie will have an impact next year). I would much rather build the culture at this point vs. wait a couple more years to see a rookie (maybe) blossom.
what the team is doing and what I want is completely irrelevant. That said, I do still want a draft pick over the playoffs, you can't move forward without assets and a top 10 pick is about as good of a asset as a small market team can have. From that point, you hope they don't draft a bust and get someone that you can surround with Boogie down the road. There are a lot of free agents after this season, a lot of them might not come back, some might. Who knows? I understand making the playoffs would be good for team morale, get the stench off the organization of being perennial losers. That said, I value more talent over a first round sweep but that's just my personal desire, nothing more.
you mean Kansas, yes?
Regarding Detroit, they have no playoff run in them. They are putting Jackson on the trade market, rightfully so. He is awful. They are even exploring Drummond trades and if there were a trade made for him, it won't happen until the offseason IMO. The Pistons might be considering a full blown rebuild rather than patch work. That means Stanley might be a piece moving forward for them.
Regarding Detroit, they have no playoff run in them. They are putting Jackson on the trade market, rightfully so. He is awful. They are even exploring Drummond trades and if there were a trade made for him, it won't happen until the offseason IMO. The Pistons might be considering a full blown rebuild rather than patch work. That means Stanley might be a piece moving forward for them.
I wouldn't mind this plan, except we can't realistically get a 2nd scoring option. The only way we could get one is with this draft pick. No star in FA would even consider us. No one. Even if you don't want to draft a young rookie with the draft pick, you could always trade it for a star.
I think we could trade this draft pick straight up for someone like Eric Bledsoe. That's how good this draft is.
I think we could trade this draft pick straight up for someone like Eric Bledsoe. That's how good this draft is.
Sure, we have several young players to develop but none of them really have a decent shot at becoming a star player. I'm not saying that they couldn't but it would be a Butler or Jokic type situation where they came out of nowhere. You don't bank on that as a team that is trying to take the next step. A top 10 pick in this draft would have a decent shot at becoming a star. Meaning that we'd most likely be giving up the best chance at finding a 2nd star to sneak in as a sub .500 8th seed. It's not worth it. Futlz, Ball, Smith, Monk, Fox, Ntilikina, Jackson, Tatum, & Isaac would all be terrific prospects.
Additionally, you leave yourself the ability to trade the pick for a 2nd star as well if you're not wanting to wait around for the rookie to develop.
Additionally, you leave yourself the ability to trade the pick for a 2nd star as well if you're not wanting to wait around for the rookie to develop.
In my mind the most important thing is to keep fighting for playoff, culture, experience and such.
Secondary making playoff would be preferable to me to get monkey of our backs, add more experience/game/narrative change, get more attractive to free agents etc., but I understand the value of the pick.
Beauty this season is that we can nobly fight for playoff and get all benefits of it, and if we are about to miss the playoff we can adjust to sneak in the lower single digit spot and save the pick.
Secondary making playoff would be preferable to me to get monkey of our backs, add more experience/game/narrative change, get more attractive to free agents etc., but I understand the value of the pick.
Beauty this season is that we can nobly fight for playoff and get all benefits of it, and if we are about to miss the playoff we can adjust to sneak in the lower single digit spot and save the pick.
I've been a fan of the tank for years but not this season. Wanted the Kings to push because I thought the 8th seed was going to be much weaker than we've seen in ages. And so far it is.
Right now with no lotto surprises we would get the 11th pick which would go to Chicago but are so close to Denver especially if we beat them out of the All Star break.
To me when you are talking about something like the 9th or 10th pick it doesn't carry the same weight as lets say the 5th to 7th pick, your lotto odds increase substantially in that range to land top 3.
We are miracle protected if we somehow got top 3 but don't reach the 8th. Sure Philly gets the swap option but that still would mean we'd get a pick.
So press, and be thankful that we still get a pick of some sort if we got a lucky ping pong ball.
Finally we can leave this Hickson mess of a trade behind us after this. Feels like its been 20 years.
Right now with no lotto surprises we would get the 11th pick which would go to Chicago but are so close to Denver especially if we beat them out of the All Star break.
To me when you are talking about something like the 9th or 10th pick it doesn't carry the same weight as lets say the 5th to 7th pick, your lotto odds increase substantially in that range to land top 3.
We are miracle protected if we somehow got top 3 but don't reach the 8th. Sure Philly gets the swap option but that still would mean we'd get a pick.
So press, and be thankful that we still get a pick of some sort if we got a lucky ping pong ball.
Finally we can leave this Hickson mess of a trade behind us after this. Feels like its been 20 years.
Jackson is going in the top five, so our chances of getting him are slim and none, unless we make a trade and acquire a top five pick. Acquiring Holiday might be possible, and I love Holiday when he's healthy. The problem is, he's never healthy, so signing him is a big gamble.
Your right, Porter is going nowhere. Not sure if people are aware or not, but Porter is the best overall shooter in the NBA. He's shooting 53.4% overall, and 46.5% from the three. Add in that he's grabbing 6.7 rebounds from the SF position, and averaging 1.5 steals a game, why on god's earth would anyone want to trade him? And he's young!
Your right, Porter is going nowhere. Not sure if people are aware or not, but Porter is the best overall shooter in the NBA. He's shooting 53.4% overall, and 46.5% from the three. Add in that he's grabbing 6.7 rebounds from the SF position, and averaging 1.5 steals a game, why on god's earth would anyone want to trade him? And he's young!
Oh I am not sleeping on Porter. I am secretly wishing that we drop a max contract on him in the summer and see if Washington matches. They have maxed out Wall and Beal and might think twice about maxing out Porter.
Harrison Barnes got a max deal last summer and Porter is a better player than Barnes. Porter has had a ridiculously underrated season so far. If his usage rate was higher, he would have been getting more talk about the all-star gig this year.
Harrison Barnes got a max deal last summer and Porter is a better player than Barnes. Porter has had a ridiculously underrated season so far. If his usage rate was higher, he would have been getting more talk about the all-star gig this year.