I think we will look back at tomorrow in coming months and years as one of biggest days in Kings history if all goes well. It will be pivot point in franchise from irrelevancy to legitimacy. From laughingstock to stacked.
This team is not that far away. But the 2 to 3 to 4 pieces we need are contingent on being astute & bold & insightful & positioning ourselves adeptly for free agency July 1 to fill in the remaining holes.
Remember when the Kings got White Chocolate, C-Webb and Vlade in one summer back in the day? This is the kind of summer we can have with the combination of draft picks and cap space!
Yet the few pieces we need may as well be a million if we draft the next Nik, Jimmer or T-Rob.
Vlade is close yet so far. We need stars. Not one but two (to add to our prospective stars, Buddy and Skal)!
And perhaps a sleeper later in the draft. I like our odds to get Fox. And I like our odds to get a high level prospect if he's not there (Isaac or Jackson).
#10 is where it gets dicey. This is where Vlade is going to earn his paycheck or egregiously chase the next Wes Matthews. I am hoping he learned from his high risk low reward rookie GM day and and alters his approach accordingly.
OG Anunoby needs to be crossed off the list. So does Frank N. If we get Fox, then Donovan is a no-go. Smith Jr and Tatum are not falling to #10. We are running out of options. These scoundrels, aka the other 29 teams in the NBA, are looking to steal our assets on the cheap. Unless a antagonist comes to their senses we are hanging on to #10 and need to make the most of it.
I don’t say this with unadulterated excitement but if Zach Collins can play PF we may as well draft him at #10 IF and ONLY IF we get Fox and IF and ONLY IF a better trade opportunity does not present itself from an overpaying team…..
His stats are eye-opening:
FG - 65% (through the roof)
MPG - 17 MPG (foul prone)
DRB % - 23% (solid)
BLK % - 10% (great)
ORtg -DRtg. - 131 - 74 (+56) (legendary)
Collins production and efficiency was off the charts in limited minutes. He blocks shots. He can shoot the jumper (though sample size is ridiculous small, i.e. 10 for 21 on 3s - 48%). He has more polish with his face up game than Willie or Papa G. And more shooting range than Skal.
We are NOT going to get our SF at #10 unless we want to invest in damage goods likely sidelined until 2018. I think we can afford to be patient with a guy like OG. But there have been some rumblings this was a BAD ACL tear (probably with meniscus and MCL damage too). I do not want to incur this risk at #10 . Tatum is not falling to #10. Bridges unfortunately returned to school.
Here’s the advantages of Collins that I talked myself into the night before the draft:
The prudence to draft Collins is contingent upon him having agility to defend small ball fours and the hedge against PG on pick and roll and defend away from the basket. Per this workout video his agility looks pretty good. Previously I pegged this guy as a center. He may have the mobility to play away from the basket.
Everybody is thinking about our hole at SF. But we have hole at at PF too!
Our projected starter is a kid with limited experience. Skal has all star potential but premature to project him as 30-35 MPG player. Consistent with the philosophy of Joerger of bringing along the youngster slowly, requiring minutes being earned, it is viable to project Skal as 20-25 MPG so he does not have pressure of doing more than ready. When he has inevitable off night we need someone step up and play respectable minutes.
This is where Collins comes in. To alleviate burden on Skal and assume some responsibility at that position. Prospectively you could see Skal playing 25-30 MPG and Collins 15-20 MPG or even split depending on the fouls, the opponent and who has the hot hand. In this optimistic scenario, landing Fox at #5 and Collins at #10 will be a epic day for the Kings, their fans, and so-bright-you-have-t0-wear-shades future.
Next on the to-do list:
Can we move Koufos for a pick and nab SF prospect? Maybe maybe not. But we don’t have to get it all done on Thursday. There’s is pending buyout or trade Affalo. This is bullet in our gun. There’s the open roster from Galloway's unexpected gift. There’s 50M in cap space to take advantage of desperate teams with bloated payrolls. There’s a tremendous opportunity for Vlade to improve this team. The stars are lining up following lottery luck. Vlade needs to get this right. I don’t have unequivocal confidence. But more confidence in him than Laker fans have in Magic after that horrific trade yesterday of D’ Angelo for cap space!
These are exciting times. Even if Fox goes Top 4, I don’t see that as devastating. Disappointing yes. But we nab Isaac at #5 (or Jackson if he slides) and perhaps Collins or Donovan at #10. Magic is foolish to think we would trade the #5 and#10 for #2. No thanks, pal. You trade away best player on your team with expectation the Pacers would give away Paul George? Good luck with that. The only thing more great than seeing the Kings rise from the ashes of despair and years of bumbling and fumbling and Jimmering around will be to watch the Lakers wallow in ineptitude and whiff on lofty aspirations as the league passes them by just like Fox goes by Ball for another uncontested layup.
Tomorrow is going to be a great day! Fox and Collins! Let's do this!
This team is not that far away. But the 2 to 3 to 4 pieces we need are contingent on being astute & bold & insightful & positioning ourselves adeptly for free agency July 1 to fill in the remaining holes.
Remember when the Kings got White Chocolate, C-Webb and Vlade in one summer back in the day? This is the kind of summer we can have with the combination of draft picks and cap space!
Yet the few pieces we need may as well be a million if we draft the next Nik, Jimmer or T-Rob.
Vlade is close yet so far. We need stars. Not one but two (to add to our prospective stars, Buddy and Skal)!
And perhaps a sleeper later in the draft. I like our odds to get Fox. And I like our odds to get a high level prospect if he's not there (Isaac or Jackson).
#10 is where it gets dicey. This is where Vlade is going to earn his paycheck or egregiously chase the next Wes Matthews. I am hoping he learned from his high risk low reward rookie GM day and and alters his approach accordingly.
OG Anunoby needs to be crossed off the list. So does Frank N. If we get Fox, then Donovan is a no-go. Smith Jr and Tatum are not falling to #10. We are running out of options. These scoundrels, aka the other 29 teams in the NBA, are looking to steal our assets on the cheap. Unless a antagonist comes to their senses we are hanging on to #10 and need to make the most of it.
I don’t say this with unadulterated excitement but if Zach Collins can play PF we may as well draft him at #10 IF and ONLY IF we get Fox and IF and ONLY IF a better trade opportunity does not present itself from an overpaying team…..
His stats are eye-opening:
FG - 65% (through the roof)
MPG - 17 MPG (foul prone)
DRB % - 23% (solid)
BLK % - 10% (great)
ORtg -DRtg. - 131 - 74 (+56) (legendary)
Collins production and efficiency was off the charts in limited minutes. He blocks shots. He can shoot the jumper (though sample size is ridiculous small, i.e. 10 for 21 on 3s - 48%). He has more polish with his face up game than Willie or Papa G. And more shooting range than Skal.
We are NOT going to get our SF at #10 unless we want to invest in damage goods likely sidelined until 2018. I think we can afford to be patient with a guy like OG. But there have been some rumblings this was a BAD ACL tear (probably with meniscus and MCL damage too). I do not want to incur this risk at #10 . Tatum is not falling to #10. Bridges unfortunately returned to school.
Here’s the advantages of Collins that I talked myself into the night before the draft:
- We add him to our three young bigs (WCS, Skal, Papa G) and battle it out for minutes . Likely 2 or 3 will emerge. If three emerge then we have one trade candidate down the road. In the interim, these guys are NOT going to have to worry about foul trouble when penciled in for 20-25 MPG
- We aggressively seek new home for Koufos (possibly for a mid-first rounder?). Galloway opting out is a blessing. We don’t need him. We need his roster spot more than his skill set. $5-6M more to absorb Otto Porter into our cap space His opting out also makes adding another rookie more sensible.
- It is conceivable Kings are going to play “three guard lineups” with a combination of Fox, Buddy, BB, Temple, Malachi. If we are going relatively small at SF it may be helpful to have more size along front line to close off penetration and help against post ups. Having 4 guys who are 7'0" tall gives Joerger a lot of length to provide resistance (Skal is 6'11" but close enough )
- Collins does not stretch the floor like Lauri M but he’s tougher. He’s a lob target and corner three target and wing target for Fox. I like that Collins (1) finishes strong inside with length and force and touch (2) shows perimeter touch. Showing skill inside AND outside gives a weapon to help Fox win the ROY in a landslide!
The prudence to draft Collins is contingent upon him having agility to defend small ball fours and the hedge against PG on pick and roll and defend away from the basket. Per this workout video his agility looks pretty good. Previously I pegged this guy as a center. He may have the mobility to play away from the basket.
Everybody is thinking about our hole at SF. But we have hole at at PF too!
Our projected starter is a kid with limited experience. Skal has all star potential but premature to project him as 30-35 MPG player. Consistent with the philosophy of Joerger of bringing along the youngster slowly, requiring minutes being earned, it is viable to project Skal as 20-25 MPG so he does not have pressure of doing more than ready. When he has inevitable off night we need someone step up and play respectable minutes.
This is where Collins comes in. To alleviate burden on Skal and assume some responsibility at that position. Prospectively you could see Skal playing 25-30 MPG and Collins 15-20 MPG or even split depending on the fouls, the opponent and who has the hot hand. In this optimistic scenario, landing Fox at #5 and Collins at #10 will be a epic day for the Kings, their fans, and so-bright-you-have-t0-wear-shades future.
Next on the to-do list:
Can we move Koufos for a pick and nab SF prospect? Maybe maybe not. But we don’t have to get it all done on Thursday. There’s is pending buyout or trade Affalo. This is bullet in our gun. There’s the open roster from Galloway's unexpected gift. There’s 50M in cap space to take advantage of desperate teams with bloated payrolls. There’s a tremendous opportunity for Vlade to improve this team. The stars are lining up following lottery luck. Vlade needs to get this right. I don’t have unequivocal confidence. But more confidence in him than Laker fans have in Magic after that horrific trade yesterday of D’ Angelo for cap space!
These are exciting times. Even if Fox goes Top 4, I don’t see that as devastating. Disappointing yes. But we nab Isaac at #5 (or Jackson if he slides) and perhaps Collins or Donovan at #10. Magic is foolish to think we would trade the #5 and#10 for #2. No thanks, pal. You trade away best player on your team with expectation the Pacers would give away Paul George? Good luck with that. The only thing more great than seeing the Kings rise from the ashes of despair and years of bumbling and fumbling and Jimmering around will be to watch the Lakers wallow in ineptitude and whiff on lofty aspirations as the league passes them by just like Fox goes by Ball for another uncontested layup.
Tomorrow is going to be a great day! Fox and Collins! Let's do this!