What Does DA Want in the Draft?

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#1
He doesn't want defense and he doesn't want a glue guy. Forget about Smart, Gordon, WCS (if you're still sad, don't be), and forget about Capela. And if you think this team needs defense more than anything, you're wrong. And if you think we have too many guys that can shoot, you're really wrong, according to DA. DA wants a shooter in the draft, per his interview with Napier. That one simple statement of what DA has implications for the draft, free agency, and about his philosophy going forward. He wants firepower. That question posed on the board about building around offense or defense? Now you know DA's answer.
 
#3
He doesn't want defense and he doesn't want a glue guy. Forget about Smart, Gordon, WCS (if you're still sad, don't be), and forget about Capela. And if you think this team needs defense more than anything, you're wrong. And if you think we have too many guys that can shoot, you're really wrong, according to DA. DA wants a shooter in the draft, per his interview with Napier. That one simple statement of what DA has implications for the draft, free agency, and about his philosophy going forward. He wants firepower. That question posed on the board about building around offense or defense? Now you know DA's answer.
I think we knew DA's answer before the season even began..
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#5
We have a monster interior player and lack outside shooting...It aint rocket science.

Considering the depth of this draft, I'd rather we go BPA than fit. The roster needs a lot of work either way.
 
#6
All the players in the draft are shooters so if that is what Pete wants it doesn't give us a clue. At least that is my take on it. When it's his turn to pick he's going to get a choice of two or three at the most. I wish him luck on his pick. It's a shame we have to wait nine plus weeks to see what happens.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#7
I think we knew DA's answer before the season even began..
Apparently that "we" you're talking about is not inclusive of many on this board who have talked about Smart, Gordon, Capela and WCS in the upcoming draft, as well as those who belabor that point that "we don't need offense." Are you using the royal "we"?:)
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#8
You can take the gerbil out of Denver, but you can't ever take the Denver out of the gerbil.

That said by the end of the year it was blatantly obvious that not only had we dumped all our defensive players, we'd dumped all our shooters too. So it became a dire need as well. Of course things might not have been quite so dire if the guy the gerbil took last year to be his "shooter" didn't shoot 37% on the year.
 

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#9
Unless you're picking lower than where the Kings are slated to, or unless the "shooter" you're talking about is elite at it, then probably not best to find your shooter this way. There's usually plenty of shooters to pick from with your exceptions every year. In this draft at 7 you're either really stretching it, or your blowing it.
 
#11
Outside shooting is almost as big a need as defense. It's going to get to the point again where teams just double/triple Cuz in the post and dare us to beat them from the outside. You protect your Interior beast by surrounding him with guys who don't let defenses clog the paint.

Also, we have 3 guys who can essentially get into the paint at will and suck a defense in. And yet it's all for naught if they're kicking out to Ben McLemore, Derrick Williams and Travis Outlaw shooting <30% from 3 or close to it. I'd love to see our role guys %'s on spot-ups created from Cuz, IT, and Gay. I'd bet it's extremely low
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#12
All the players in the draft are shooters so if that is what Pete wants it doesn't give us a clue. At least that is my take on it. When it's his turn to pick he's going to get a choice of two or three at the most. I wish him luck on his pick. It's a shame we have to wait nine plus weeks to see what happens.
Gordon isn't a shooter; neither is Smart.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#13
Outside shooting is almost as big a need as defense. It's going to get to the point again where teams just double/triple Cuz in the post and dare us to beat them from the outside. You protect your Interior beast by surrounding him with guys who don't let defenses clog the paint.

Also, we have 3 guys who can essentially get into the paint at will and suck a defense in. And yet it's all for naught if they're kicking out to Ben McLemore, Derrick Williams and Travis Outlaw shooting <30% from 3 or close to it. I'd love to see our role guys %'s on spot-ups created from Cuz, IT, and Gay. I'd bet it's extremely low
Then you're talking about guys like McDermott, Stauskas, Harris and Hood in the draft (unless lightning strikes and the Kings get a top 3 pick).
 
#14
From reading the tweets during PDA's media session yesterday, my impression was that he was looking for BPA in the draft. His mention of shooting seemed to be, like passing, something he wanted to add in the offseason in general. I didn't hear Grant's interview (I avoid Grant on the radio at all cost) but seems to me like assuming PDA will only draft those guys above is taking his comments too far
 
#15
From reading the tweets during PDA's media session yesterday, my impression was that he was looking for BPA in the draft. His mention of shooting seemed to be, like passing, something he wanted to add in the offseason in general. I didn't hear Grant's interview (I avoid Grant on the radio at all cost) but seems to me like assuming PDA will only draft those guys above is taking his comments too far
I'm with you on Grant's radio show. Can't tolerate it.
 

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#18
From reading the tweets during PDA's media session yesterday, my impression was that he was looking for BPA in the draft. His mention of shooting seemed to be, like passing, something he wanted to add in the offseason in general. I didn't hear Grant's interview (I avoid Grant on the radio at all cost) but seems to me like assuming PDA will only draft those guys above is taking his comments too far
There's always a caveat. If Embiid is sitting there when the Kings have the #1 or #2 pick in the draft, he's going to take him. The point is that he's putting an emphasis on offense, not defense. That means - all other things being equal - he's going to take a guy who can put the ball in the hole. We don't have enough offense on this team, per DA, unlike what has been consistently professed on this board.
 
#19
I'm not convinced that DA would take Embid there. I think he might go Wiggins, and I think he might be correct if he did. Although Embid could be the shot blocker/defender we want and need. He could also be Oden and teams do not want to pass on the next Durant to get the next Oden. That back injury is a huge concern for any player, but especially a Big Man.
 
#20
There's always a caveat. If Embiid is sitting there when the Kings have the #1 or #2 pick in the draft, he's going to take him. The point is that he's putting an emphasis on offense, not defense. That means - all other things being equal - he's going to take a guy who can put the ball in the hole. We don't have enough offense on this team, per DA, unlike what has been consistently professed on this board.
is this in any way surprising to you, that there's a discrepancy between the denver nuggets' former assistant GM who prizes offense first and many of us at kf.com who have been clamoring for any measure of defensive consistency across the course of the last eight years?

edit: that said, i fully expect PDA to take BPA on draft day, and i fully endorse such a strategy, at this point. the kings' biggest holes remain on the defensive end, but veteran talent is better-suited to filling in some of those gaps. for that reason, i'm also very supportive of the kings potentially trading their draft pick in order to bolster their roster with further experience...
 
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#21
He also said that he'd take a 3 (assuming Parker or Wiggins) if that was BPA, knowing that with Rudy's versatility they'd be able to play together.
 
#22
Yes we need shooters to protect DMC/Gay if we don't take Vonleh who is a good shooter I would take Stauskus even though he would back up Ben. He can play back up minuets at SG/SF somewhere around 25-32min a game an provide us with an elite shooter off the bench and can play small ball at the 3 with Ben at the 2.

http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2014/4/23/5642518/kings-pete-dalessandro-rudy-gay

Once again PDA talked about getting a shot blocker and sliding Cousins to PF. I think that's another one of his goals this off season.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#23
Apparently that "we" you're talking about is not inclusive of many on this board who have talked about Smart, Gordon, Capela and WCS in the upcoming draft, as well as those who belabor that point that "we don't need offense." Are you using the royal "we"?:)
While I don't agree that outside shooting is our most glaring need, it is a need. You can't become so obsessed about one thing that you totally disregard another. I do think you have to prioritize your needs. But you don't make one need worse while fixing the other. If Defense is your top priority and outside shooting is second on your list, then you don't draft Marcus Smart, who will help you defensively, but make your outside shooting even worse. The same might be said about Gordon, who I think the jury is still out on to some extent. By the same token, I don't think you draft a shooter that can't play a lick of defense. So you might have to compromise.

So when draft time comes around, and there are more shooters that can play adequate defense than there are defenders that can shoot adequately, then you probably draft a shooter. In any event, you want the best quality you can find, regardless of position or skill level. In this particular draft the one player that I thought fit our needs best, that would be there when we drafted, didn't declare for the draft. So unless we get lucky, and a player slides down, or we win the lottery, we'll probably end up with a shooter that the team thinks can learn to defend properly. I suspect that any major help defensively will come by way of trade.

By the way, I'm not defending PDA. I do think he has his priorities wrong. He's definitely in love with how the Warriors play, and how Denver played. To some extent, its hard to argue against that, since the Warriors are in the playoffs and were not. I also think its important to remember that most people that go to the arena to watch a game, go there to see the Kevin Durant's of the world score the basketball. They don't go there to watch a player play defense. You and I, and a lot of people on this forum may enjoy watching good defense, but that's not the norm. And when your trying to put butts in seats, you want players that can score. Just a fact of life in the basketball world. Of course winning helps too!!!!
 
#24
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By the way, I'm not defending PDA. I do think he has his priorities wrong. He's definitely in love with how the Warriors play, and how Denver played. To some extent, its hard to argue against that, since the Warriors are in the playoffs and were not. I also think its important to remember that most people that go to the arena to watch a game, go there to see the Kevin Durant's of the world score the basketball. They don't go there to watch a player play defense. You and I, and a lot of people on this forum may enjoy watching good defense, but that's not the norm. And when your trying to put butts in seats, you want players that can score. Just a fact of life in the basketball world. Of course winning helps too!!!!
Not only is that a sure way to not win the championship but I think it's false. Even if we average 90points but win 55+ games the arena will be sold out. Fans will come as long as we are winning look at the bulls the past 2 years no rose only defense but fans still come because they win.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#25
Not only is that a sure way to not win the championship but I think it's false. Even if we average 90points but win 55+ games the arena will be sold out. Fans will come as long as we are winning look at the bulls the past 2 years no rose only defense but fans still come because they win.
Didn't say it was a way to win a championship! And the point is, at the moment, were not winning. And if you can put more people into the arena while your not winning, and give people hope for the future at the same time, then you do it. But more importantly, where the draft is concerned, you have to take advantage of what's there. If you have several players that are very good offensive players (shooters) and very few players that are exceptional on defense, and adequate on offense, then you take the best player available. And if that player happens to be a good shooter instead of a good defender, so be it. You then try and fill your defensive needs another way.

What you don't do is take a player whose talent level is below average because you like his defense instead of a very talented offensive player. You don't let your desire blind you. There are people on this forum that would probably criticize a JT for Love trade because Love isn't a good defender. I know that's an exaggeration, but it wouldn't surprise me. Improving our defense would certainly help us reach the playoffs. But our offense is far from a finished product as well. Yes we score points, but were not very efficient at it. If our points allowed, god forbid, remained the same next season, but the addition of one good shooter improved our points scored by 3 or 4 points, were going to win more games. Now improve the points allowed as well, and we'll win a lot more games. But both sides of the ball matter, and if the draft is loaded with more players that can help your offense, then so be it. You take whats there.
 
#26
He doesn't want defense and he doesn't want a glue guy. Forget about Smart, Gordon, WCS (if you're still sad, don't be), and forget about Capela. And if you think this team needs defense more than anything, you're wrong. And if you think we have too many guys that can shoot, you're really wrong, according to DA. DA wants a shooter in the draft, per his interview with Napier. That one simple statement of what DA has implications for the draft, free agency, and about his philosophy going forward. He wants firepower. That question posed on the board about building around offense or defense? Now you know DA's answer.
There's only one DA, and his name is David Aldridge. I vote to refer to our guy as PDA...
 
#27
Apparently that "we" you're talking about is not inclusive of many on this board who have talked about Smart, Gordon, Capela and WCS in the upcoming draft, as well as those who belabor that point that "we don't need offense." Are you using the royal "we"?:)
Knowing/seeing PDA's approach to building a team and agreeing with it are two separate issues.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#30
No he won't Klay if he ever becomes available it won't be for 3 years. In my world Ben will be a very good player by then (16-5 with good defense).
Its not impossible we try to trade for him. But I only say that because of the early season reports we were interested...despite it seeming inconceivable that the Warriors would be.

Ben...who knows. But you certainly don't turn your nose up at a young stud for Ben's sake after the rookie season he just had. I just think of Klay more as wish fulfillment than anything we can really get. But who knows. Maybe the Warriors still want to get Barnes into the starting lineup. Maybe they really really want Carl back. See? Wish fulfillment. :p
 
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