I still have faith in Ben Mclemore, mainly because of Mike Malone

[GoSACtown]

Mike Malone has proven he is a great player development coach, whether it be in Cleveland, New Orleans, Golden State and now in Sacramento. I know many fans are ready to give up on Mclemore, I have been one of those fans at times but I think Mclemore will be a completely different player next year. I believe Malone will be able to coach Mclemore into a solid NBA player.

Anybody agree?

 

[cuad]

I still have faith in everybody. SAC has been losing for a decade, and I'm tired of that, but I realize that the Maloofs were sabotaging the team in each of those years, so this first year with Vivek Ranadive is really a rookie season for everyone (Isaiah, Cousins, and Thompson), not just Ben.

 

[mac]

Mike Malone has proven he is a great player development coach, whether it be in Cleveland, New Orleans, Golden State and now in Sacramento. I know many fans are ready to give up on Mclemore, I have been one of those fans at times but I think Mclemore will be a completely different player next year. I believe Malone will be able to coach Mclemore into a solid NBA player.

Anybody agree?

I agree insofar as that Malone will be able to help Ben develop... as to whether Ben actually has the tools/skills/understanding necessary to become a solid starter-level player however is really out of Malone's control.

 

[Dime Dropper]

It's way too early to give up on McLemore, but no surprise since most people don't have patience and want instant results. Too early for him to start, however, and doesn't mean he shouldn't be included in a deal for a difference maker if his inclusion is a dealbreaker. But yeah, he'll be fine in the long term. His shot will start falling, he'll learn his limitations and how to use his athleticism, and natural progression. He'll be OK.

 

[LPKingsFan]

I guess it's natural for there to be disappointment when one of the "big names" of the draft falls in your lap at #7. Remember, though, that this was supposedly one of the weakest drafts in years, and that even at the top few were projecting anyone to be an all-star. If McClemore can develop into just a 3-and-D guy, I'll take that with the 7th pick in a weak draft.

 

[LoungeLizard]

I don't know how many people have "given up on him." He's not even 2 years removed from high school, and he's 20, I think. He will most likely develop both mentally and physically going forward. I feel much better about developing McLemore with the organization the Kings have now vs. last year. That being said, there are still legitimate concerns, such as the ball handling and FG%, but the athleticism and mechanics are there. There's no reason why he can't continue to develop on the defensive end and keep working on getting accustomed to the speed of the game. But I agree with Dime, if you can include him in a deal that nets you a Rondo or a Noah, I think you do it with no regrets.

 

[Hallama]

His sub-par performance is magnified by the fact the Kings vet SG is just as bad this season. If the Kings had just an average starting SG, Ben would be in a much more comfortable rookie-off-the-bench role without much pressure.

I thought he could start and be the 4th or 5th option, use his athleticism and outside shot, but he's lost all confidence at some point. Seems like he's slowly regaining it.

 

[funkykingston]

His sub-par performance is magnified by the fact the Kings vet SG is just as bad this season. If the Kings had just an average starting SG, Ben would be in a much more comfortable rookie-off-the-bench role without much pressure.

I thought he could start and be the 4th or 5th option, use his athleticism and outside shot, but he's lost all confidence at some point. Seems like he's slowly regaining it.

Yeah, pretty much my dream scenario was Thornton coming out of the gate guns blazing and averaging 18-20 ppg to make him a valuable trade chip while McLemore found his way and was ready to start by the all-star game.

Then again, when the season started we were hoping Ben was going to eventually become the second option to Cousins, opening up the floor for Big Cuz with his perimeter shooting. With the trade for Gay and IT being reinstalled as a starter the Kings don't need Ben to put up big numbers. He simply needs to evolve into a Danny Green type player and he'll be a valuable starter, assuming Gay stays with the team.

 

[Glenn]

It took Jimmer a few years to get his outside shot falling and I give credit to the his natural abilities but also to the continuing encouragement of Malone. Give him time. If the outside shot falls, we may forget that his handles suck.