Malachi Richardson

#31
I wanted to point out that in the other thread where it said we had some mediocre signings with our FA's this Summer, Garret Temple's value goes way beyond the on court production. His mentoring of Malachi Richardson and the other young guys is huge. It goes beyond the stat lines and that is why when people not familiar with Sac, like the national media, when they are critical of the roster, they don't see what Temple brings. Hes a huge part,of the culture change and his pupil, Malachi, is starting to flourish.
Yep. It was always great to see him sitting next to Temple on the bench during games. That is how you learn.
 
G

glassman

Guest
#32
Any questions (about tonight's game)?

:D
I was just about to say...

"YES!!! What the hell Joerger why isnt he playing more and how dense do u have to be to wait as long as you did... even going against yourself and your own comments!"

Then I saw the (about tonight's game)

So I figured I would just tell u what I was thinking....o_O
Haha
 
#34
we have a pretty serviceable SG rotation of Malachi, Bogdanovic and Temple.

Lots of upside in that. To me, Malachi, should he keep putting in work, is a future star and a highly complementary piece with Cousins. It will take time but adding the experience and facilitation skills of Bogdanovic and Temple means that he can develop at his own pace and he isnt thrust into conformity so to speak.

Learn kid and chase the dream.
 
#35
we have a pretty serviceable SG rotation of Malachi, Bogdanovic and Temple.

Lots of upside in that. To me, Malachi, should he keep putting in work, is a future star and a highly complementary piece with Cousins. It will take time but adding the experience and facilitation skills of Bogdanovic and Temple means that he can develop at his own pace and he isnt thrust into conformity so to speak.

Learn kid and chase the dream.
And all of them have the length to stretch up to SF a bit.

Richardson
Height w/o Shoes = 6'4.75"
Wingspan = 7'0"
Standing Reach = 8'5.5"

Bogdanovic
Height w/o Shoes = 6'5.17"
Wingspan = 6'11.07"
Standing Reach = 8'8.33"

Temple
Height = 6'5"
Wingspan = 7'0"
 
#36
We should pump the brakes on any sort of superstar aspirations us as fans have for Malachi. We just need him to be able to hit open jumpers and be an above average defender. Anythin more than that would be awesome. This is how we turn on players is when they don't live up to our lofty expectations of them. Happened to Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans. Expected the world of them but since they fell short of superstardom, we ran them out of town. Both have shown to be integral parts of playoff teams. Unfortunately for Reke, injuries have derailed his development. He was every bit as responsible as Anthony Davis for their playoff run 2 years ago.
 
#37
Richardson needs more PT. The rookie shots with confidence. I said this in the gamethread, he might actually be one of those college players with a much more suitable game for the NBA. I don't know about the long 2s though..but as long as they go in.

He reminds me of Nick Young a lot.
I agree with your comments. But not the Nick Young comparison. Malachi is showing signs of being a good defender with a good all around game. Nick is a scorer.
 
#39
Bogdan looked pretty small to me when Serbia played the US in the Olympics. Not sure if he could play SF in the NBA.
According to the measurements, he's taller than Malachi and his standing reach is ~3 inches taller as well.

I don't think anyone is saying he's got the makeup of a starting SF, but I'm sure he could play some smallball/backup SF if need be.
 
#40
This kid has (1) a good jab step (2) a good shot fake (3) required length to player SG (4) feel for the game. Unfortunately Ben lacks (1) (2) (3) and (4).
 
#41
I wanted to point out that in the other thread where it said we had some mediocre signings with our FA's this Summer, Garret Temple's value goes way beyond the on court production. His mentoring of Malachi Richardson and the other young guys is huge. It goes beyond the stat lines and that is why when people not familiar with Sac, like the national media, when they are critical of the roster, they don't see what Temple brings. Hes a huge part,of the culture change and his pupil, Malachi, is starting to flourish.
Good point, we need Temple to continue to help to expedite Malachi's development. We cannot afford to wait. We need this kid to be capable contributor as 15-25 MPG back-up spark plug now. Otherwise there's just not enough scoring options with loss of Rudy.
 
#42
This kid has (1) a good jab step (2) a good shot fake (3) required length to player SG (4) feel for the game. Unfortunately Ben lacks (1) (2) (3) and (4).
Huh. I was gonna say that Ben has (3), but when I looked up the draft combine measurements he was only 6'3.5" with just shy of of a 6'8" wing span. So yeah, I think you're right there. Just based on the eye test, I would have said Ben was bigger but I think it's just that his body is much more muscular than Malachi's. Malachi's "thin-ness"made me think he was shorter than he is.
 
#44
And all of them have the length to stretch up to SF a bit.

Richardson
Height w/o Shoes = 6'4.75"
Wingspan = 7'0"
Standing Reach = 8'5.5"

Bogdanovic
Height w/o Shoes = 6'5.17"
Wingspan = 6'11.07"
Standing Reach = 8'8.33"

Temple
Height = 6'5"
Wingspan = 7'0"
A bit? One of them might have to play there full time
 
#45
A bit? One of them might have to play there full time
Never said that wouldn't be the case. However, we don't know what the roster will look like next year, if Bogdanovic will be able to contribute from day one, and if Richardson can continue to play well/doesn't go through a sophomore slump. Hence, my comment is just speaking in generalities, so yeah, a bit.

Think of it this way...what position would these players ideally play? Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to corner these players into only one position, but in the end, you want to maximize the talent you have on the roster. If Bogdanovic helps the team more when he is playing SG vs. SF, you're going to want him to play more at SG. However, that's not the end all be all of a team. If Bogdanovic & Barnes is worse than Temple & Bogdanovic, then Bogdanovic is going to see a lot of time at SF.

It's all relative, and I don't really see the point in splitting hairs...
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#46
Since he's not a freak athlete, his ceiling may not be so exciting.


I mean, I'm obviously not making that comparison, just noting that the whole "freak athlete" thing that justified what seemed to me to be about half a dozen chances too many for Ben, really isn't the deciding factor as to a whether a player is going to be a good pro or not.
 
#47
Huh. I was gonna say that Ben has (3), but when I looked up the draft combine measurements he was only 6'3.5" with just shy of of a 6'8" wing span. So yeah, I think you're right there. Just based on the eye test, I would have said Ben was bigger but I think it's just that his body is much more muscular than Malachi's. Malachi's "thin-ness"made me think he was shorter than he is.
You can trust the Blob. ;) Malchi has a wing span of 7"0. Ben has a wingspan of 6'7" and 3/4. That's 4 inches difference which helps Richardson to finish at the rim and keep his man in front of him and disrupt the lanes defensively. As aside BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC has a 6'11" wingspan closer to Richardson than Ben.
 
#48


I mean, I'm obviously not making that comparison, just noting that the whole "freak athlete" thing that justified what seemed to me to be about half a dozen chances too many for Ben, really isn't the deciding factor as to a whether a player is going to be a good pro or not.
James Harden has wingspan of 6'10.75....same as Malachi. So basically Malachi will be the next Harden. Its science. :) I think Ben could have succeeded as role player despite sub-par wingspan (T-Rex Syndrome) if he had confidence and self-belief that he show intermittently to start this season. The reason this kid failed was not short arms it was second guessing himself, getting stuck in his head instead of consolidating his experience, embracing the moment and capitalizing. He looked like he might be onto something the first couple of weeks. Then he sputtered and his confidence tanked. The combination of far too many chances with underwhelming to regressive progress, palpable self-doubt and early returns from Malachi amount to writing on the wall. It's over for Ben. Enjoy the won ton soup in China.
 
D

DC222

Guest
#49
You can trust the Blob. ;) Malchi has a wing span of 7"0. Ben has a wingspan of 6'7" and 3/4. That's 4 inches difference which helps Richardson to finish at the rim and keep his man in front of him and disrupt the lanes defensively. As aside BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC has a 6'11" wingspan closer to Richardson than Ben.
Plus Richardson can dribble
 
#50
We should pump the brakes on any sort of superstar aspirations us as fans have for Malachi. We just need him to be able to hit open jumpers and be an above average defender. Anythin more than that would be awesome. This is how we turn on players is when they don't live up to our lofty expectations of them. Happened to Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans. Expected the world of them but since they fell short of superstardom, we ran them out of town. Both have shown to be integral parts of playoff teams. Unfortunately for Reke, injuries have derailed his development. He was every bit as responsible as Anthony Davis for their playoff run 2 years ago.

Malachi really doesn't have to do much to in order to be a superstar in Kings fans' eyes. He just has to be better than Ben Mclemore ! Lol
 
#51
According to the measurements, he's taller than Malachi and his standing reach is ~3 inches taller as well.

I don't think anyone is saying he's got the makeup of a starting SF, but I'm sure he could play some smallball/backup SF if need be.
I know the measurements check out on paper but they didn't look like it on the court. He looked like a small SG next to the NBA players. Not sure if the measurements are exaggerated or my memory is failing me but I do remember thinking that he looked smaller than I was expecting after reading about his measurements.
 
#53
lol no.

I meant to say younger Nick Young. Young was a better shooter overall, but their game styles are kinda similar. Both are shot creators who use little jabs and dribble moves to free themselves up. Young excelled from the mid-range, and he often settled for that shot a lot. Young's confidence is sky-high, and he takes every shot knowing he's going to make it regardless of how he's playing. That's the same demeanor Richardson plays with. Both are shot creators who love to take the mid range. Both were about the same size coming into the NBA, I think Young was slightly bigger. Young is more athletic than Richardson, but neither really use it much in their game.

They just have really really close playing styles.
I agree but I think Malachi can be a good to very good defender in this league. He has length and has a nice frame to be strong yet still have lateral quickness, plus he shows good understanding of the game(half the battle defensively). Young has always been a lightning in a bottle scorer with anemic defense. I'm not really ready to give a comparison for Malachi though, need to see more. Shows tools to be more than role player though.
 
#54
I know the measurements check out on paper but they didn't look like it on the court. He looked like a small SG next to the NBA players. Not sure if the measurements are exaggerated or my memory is failing me but I do remember thinking that he looked smaller than I was expecting after reading about his measurements.
The measurements are not official NBA combine measurements. They are from Eurocamp. I'm not sure how reputable they are, but for now, I would rather trust recorded measurements vs. eyeballing it. To each their own...
 
#55
Richardson needs more PT. The rookie shots with confidence. I said this in the gamethread, he might actually be one of those college players with a much more suitable game for the NBA. I don't know about the long 2s though..but as long as they go in.

He reminds me of Nick Young a lot.
You and I were on this since Summer League, but it's truly amazing how different his game has been at the NBA level (Summer League and then limited PT up here) than what he showed at Syracuse. Dude played like Kobe Bryant in college, but didn't have an ounce of the skill to play like that effectively. Almost every time we see him now, we're seeing a patient guy who picks his spots well and finds ways to contribute.

Encouraging for sure.
 
#56
You and I were on this since Summer League, but it's truly amazing how different his game has been at the NBA level (Summer League and then limited PT up here) than what he showed at Syracuse. Dude played like Kobe Bryant in college, but didn't have an ounce of the skill to play like that effectively. Almost every time we see him now, we're seeing a patient guy who picks his spots well and finds ways to contribute.

Encouraging for sure.
This is why i dont like analyzing college stats like they are the be all end all(especially for one and done kids). Even in college Malachi played with this moxy and caried himself like a star, its just a matter of the skill development catching up with the mentality. I dont know if he will be a star player but he certainly has the tools, them being:

1. Supreme confidence/moxy/competitor
2. Smoothe outside jumper
3. Pull up game off dribble counter
4. Ability to handle basketball(if he improves this even more, watch out)
5. Good body, frame and wingspan
6. Shows good basketball IQ

Its just a matter of him coninuing to put in work.
 
#58
This is why i dont like analyzing college stats like they are the be all end all(especially for one and done kids). Even in college Malachi played with this moxy and caried himself like a star, its just a matter of the skill development catching up with the mentality. I dont know if he will be a star player but he certainly has the tools, them being:

1. Supreme confidence/moxy/competitor
2. Smoothe outside jumper
3. Pull up game off dribble counter
4. Ability to handle basketball(if he improves this even more, watch out)
5. Good body, frame and wingspan
6. Shows good basketball IQ

Its just a matter of him coninuing to put in work.
Well it wasn't just the stats. At Syracuse, Richardson was a shot creator like he is now. However, he forced up a lot of his shots. He often settled for contested long 2s. That displayed a lot of poor shot selection. He would rather settle for a jumpshot than take the ball all the way to the basket. When he did attack the basket, he was aggressive, but he wasn't really good at finishin. As a passer, he didn't really flash a lot there. At times, he almost became a black-hole for their offense. And of course..playing Syracuse's defense helps no one. On top of these things, Richardson's only an average athlete. He doesn't have much bounce. His agility and quickness is also only about average. He has a really length, but from a physical standpoint, he was just ok.
So basically you had this shot creator who took an array of poor shots and wasn't very good at finishing around the rim. Very reasonable to question him as a prospect based on those 2 things alone.

I seriously didn't expect him to adjust this quick to the NBA. Most Syracuse fans were shocked when they heard that he could be drafted in the 1st round. The first promising sign was in SL where he was truly letting the game come to him, and actually playing in a sharing offensive system. I fully expected his college attitude of, "I'm the best player, so I'll take all the shots even if it hurts our offense". He didn't have that attitude at all. His ability to quickly adapt has been really amazing.

Malachi has amazing confidence, but not a big ego. Might be the most important thing for him going forward.
Edit: a little non-related, and I didn't hold this against him...at all, but it certainly didn't help that McCullough, Ennis, MCW, Waiters, Fab Melo, Wes Johnson, Flynn, DONTE GREEN and Warrik all disappointed or busted for the most part. These were all Syracuse players drafted in the 1st. The last successful Syracuse player in the NBA is Carmelo.........
 
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SLAB

Hall of Famer
#59
Ben needs hypnosis treatment to get him right in the head to be able to compete....chnage his flight response to the fight one
I mentioned something like that (sports psychologist) earlier this season. He had one decent game, and in his post game comments he sounded so sheepish and unsure of everything. If he had even a fraction of Westbrook's (or any other star's) IDGAF/"I'm the best" mentality, he'd be a useful player.