Fox gone, Tatum or Isaac at 5?

With Fox gone, Tatum or Isaac at 5?

  • Tatum

    Votes: 39 69.6%
  • Isaac

    Votes: 17 30.4%

  • Total voters
    56
#1
Fox has emerged as the concensus pick at 5 if available, but should he go top 4 then hard choices remain.

In this poll, the Kings decide they are going to go with one of the SFs left on the board but can't decide who is the better pick between Isaac and Tatum.

Who would you go with and what argument would you present to convince Vlade? Also, how firm ate you in your choice between Tatum versua Isaac? Do you see them as very close or do you have a clear favorite?
 
#2
Ive flopped from Tatum to Isaac. I really like the idea of a roster full of guys that can defend at an elite level but also have potential to be a force offensively.

Warming up to the idea of Isaac at 5 and taking a long look at a guy like Mitchel (hughlighted by blob) or Monk at 10 and forcing him into a primary ballhandler roll. If bBucks can get the greek freak to play pg then im confident with enough parients a guy like Monk or Motchel can make the transition too
 
#4
I really like Isaac, but Tatum is the better player right now IMO. He also gives you a player who has a good chance at becoming a #1 scorer for the team.
 
#5
This poll should include Monk because that is who I would pick. First and foremost, I think he has the most talent. Second, I think he is the best profile fit for the Vlade/Joerger system.
 
#7
Is defense really even winning in today's game, though? I think you need penetrators, shooters and guys willing to be disciplined enough on defense and able to give you 5-10 minutes of effort on defense when needed.
 
#8
Is defense really even winning in today's game, though? I think you need penetrators, shooters and guys willing to be disciplined enough on defense and able to give you 5-10 minutes of effort on defense when needed.
The two top teams in the NBA in terms of defensisive efficiency this year were the Warriors and Spurs. Top teams in terms of oppFG% were the Warriors, Jazz, Grizzlies and Spurs.

In today's NBA teams offensive players have a bigger advantage than in the past and the three point shot has become a larger part of the game but you still have to defend.

If not the Trailblazers would have been a top team instead of barely making the playoffs.
 
#11
Going off how Vlade has drafted recently you gotta think it would be Isaac. He seems to draft the physically gifted. WCS, Skal, Papa and Malachi all are pretty athletic. Which makes me think His big board could be...
1. Jackson
2. Fox
3. Isaac
 
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hrdboild

Hall of Famer
#13
At this point it's Dennis Smith for me. I really like Jackson and Fox. I know Tatum is rapidly becoming the consensus BPA if both are gone but I just can't get excited about him. He's a solid all-around prospect -- he can score, he's a pretty good defender, he's got good size for the position. But nothing about him excites me. Isaac is a risky pick -- he's got a lot of potential but what I didn't see from him this year is any sign that he wants to be a go-to guy. He could top out as a high level role-player. Smith has the higher ceiling and he also fits a position of need. I think he's the better pick.

I'm not even sure I would want Isaac at #10 if he's still there. I might prefer to trade that #10 pick for somebody's top 5 protected 2018 pick so I could stash another pick in next year's draft and try to get Miles Bridges and one of the bigs.
 
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#15
I would take Tatum. I think is the better basketball player and I think he has star potential. He has some things to work on to get there, but I trust his drive to do it. I don't want to knock Isaac because his physical profile is incredible. He has loads of untapped talent, I just don't know accessible it is. I think workouts and interviews may influence his draft grade more than anyone. I'd like to see him in a workout with other top SF talent to see how stacks up and how he responds to that challenge. Ithe would not shock me to see him jump Tatum if he shows teams some alpha fire.

I have been putting different SF and PG combinations together and I like the idea of Isaac and Smith together. We would have to trade up from 10 to do I think but we have the ammo to do so.
 
#16
Dennis Smith jr. I like tatum, but I'm not sure how well his game translates to the NBA. It seems like it's based off of isolation 2 pointers and post moves. He's also not a very great athlete. Isaac at the very least probably becomes a very solid defender at some point. But Smith just because next year's draft is very light on point guards.
 
#18
After watching more clips of Isaac hes my pick assuming Fox and Jackson are off the board. Wire thin at present but I can appreciate the late growth spurt and maintained good handles along the way. I don't know, Tatum may appear the better player early on, but in a year or two and some added strength recon Isaac will impress.
 
#20
If Fultz, Ball & Jackson go 1-3 I could see a situation where the Suns draft Isaac at #4.

If it's the case that they want to move on from Bledsoe then Fox or even Smith could be the pick. But if they want to move forward with him, Isaac makes a better complimentary piece than Tatum with two heavy usage guards. Isaac would also better help offset Chriss' relative weakness on the glass.
 
#22
Tatum is a good all round prospect with a low risk of being a bust. He can score with his shooting and getting to the rim, and has go to scoring potential. His off the ball skills are pretty good as well and plays good defense. Granted the absence of an elite attribute lowers his ceiling, but at the same time his skill set is well rounded enough to make up for that. So I don't see him being a Kevin Durant level player in his future, rather I see him being more of a Rudy Gay (with better defense) or Otto Porter (with better scoring) level player. Now that's not a bad thing because you can slot a forward like them into a line up and they will be a good option on most teams; however, they are simply a piece to the puzzle rather than the piece.

Isaac has significantly more upside than Tatum. He has excellent size and stands to be a SF or PF at the next level. His athleticism and size could allow him to guard most positions, and on the offensive end those same attributes combined with his ball skills should allow him to switch up positions and match ups to cause the opposition defense problems. The kid can shoot as well. So as a prospect he's got a very good skill set, though to be successful he is going to need to add muscle to his frame otherwise he's going to get pushed around. He strikes me as a similar prospect to Brandon Ingram from last season, which isn't a bad thing, but Isaac is another one of those players that needs to bulk up if they are going to achieve their immense upside. So there is risk to selecting Isaac and arguably he does have a lower floor than Tatum, but the flip side is that he potentially offers significantly more upside than Tatum.

Who would I pick of these two forwards? Well, I would lean towards Tatum. Like I said above, he is already a good all round prospect on offense and defense. If he continues to develop he could become a go to scorer, or at worst he could be a useful second or third option [admittedly you don't look for those at five, but that's his floor]. As for comparisons, I've seen him compared to Rudy Gay but Tatum offers better defense. If we could land a Rudy Gay like player with better defense, then we will have the small forward we desire. We already have Skal pencilled in as our starting power forward and he offers tremendous upside, likewise we have Willie and Papa who will battle it out for the starting center. So while I can understand why some would want Isaac and his tremendous upside, I would honestly prefer to see us draft Tatum because he's not only the safer pick, but arguably the better fit that allows us to keep Skal in the starting line up since I suspect Isaac will end up as a PF rather than a SF.

With that said, if the top four picks feature Fultz, Ball, Fox and one other player not named Jackson or Tatum, then do we necessarily draft the forward? Not really. I am not on the Malik Monk train because he projects to be a shooting guard and we have Buddy pencilled in at SG. So if Monk is there then I would draft a forward. However, if Dennis Smith is still available, then he would be a serious contender for our pick because he could fill our need at PG. By no means is he an elite passer, but he's a good enough passer to be make plays for his teammates. He's an explosive player with elite athleticism, so attacking the rim comes natural to him. Overall he's a pretty well rounded point guard that offers a pretty high floor.
 
#23
If Fultz, Ball & Jackson go 1-3 I could see a situation where the Suns draft Isaac at #4.

If it's the case that they want to move on from Bledsoe then Fox or even Smith could be the pick. But if they want to move forward with him, Isaac makes a better complimentary piece than Tatum with two heavy usage guards. Isaac would also better help offset Chriss' relative weakness on the glass.
Listening to scouts opinions it just really seems like Fox is multiple notches ahead of whoever the fifth ranked prospect is. If the sixers take Jackson I think the Suns almost have to take Fox. Our best hope of landing Fox is probably the sixers taking Monk... Either that or a trade with Philly for the third pick. They'd still be able to get Monk at five.
 
#24
I have a very strong suspicion we will we do a deal for Fox at 3 with Philly. Im not in the biz, its just a hunch.
I feel like it won't happen because Vlade and the rest of the organization know that it would be a bad PR move to give up assets to obtain the pick that should have been ours had the bad trade not happened. I really think we are going to sit tight at 5 and hope that Fox is available.
 
#25
Listening to scouts opinions it just really seems like Fox is multiple notches ahead of whoever the fifth ranked prospect is. If the sixers take Jackson I think the Suns almost have to take Fox. Our best hope of landing Fox is probably the sixers taking Monk... Either that or a trade with Philly for the third pick. They'd still be able to get Monk at five.
There are also lots of scouts that wonder if Fox will ever develop a consistent shot and become a better playmaker. There are scouts that like Tatum not only more than Fox, but more than Ball or Jackson.

Fox is my guy but I have questions about him too. I hope he's there at 5 but if not I'd be okay with Smith Jr or Isaac (especially if Ntilikina is there at 10) rather than trading up for Fox.
 
#27
We should not be giving up any young asset, such as Richardson and a pick, to move up in the draft. We need to accumulate as many as we can and later down the road, trade out of a logjam at a position once we know what we got.
Normally in a rebuild I'd agree but the Kings had four rookies last year (plus WCS the year before) and are poised to add 4 more counting Bogdanovic. There's just not enough PT to develop that many kids. And the Kings don't yet have a star. Better to consolidate for better talent.
 
#28
Someone unexpected always drops though. The Knicks take Frank N, Wolves takes Markkanen, and who knows...maybe unexpectedly Isaac drops to 10. The 10 is a lot to give up just to guarantee Fox. Fox or Smith will be there at 5.
 
#29
Tatum.

I love Isaac too, he's a native NY'er like myself.. I'm sure Tatum's versatility has been undersold, he was showcased at Duke as primarily a small-ball 4. He's a remarkably complete/polished offensive player. I have Tatum rated higher than the consensus for sure.

If Ntilikina is on the board at 10, the dominoes will have fallen in their favor.
 

dude12

Hall of Famer
#30
Normally in a rebuild I'd agree but the Kings had four rookies last year (plus WCS the year before) and are poised to add 4 more counting Bogdanovic. There's just not enough PT to develop that many kids. And the Kings don't yet have a star. Better to consolidate for better talent.
Yeah but you can't just assume who you trade up for is a star. There is plenty of playing time to be earned....and Joerger makes them earn it. Competition is a good thing.