You know the irony of your constant criticizing of the front office is you seem to have a higher percentage of dumb posts than they have dumb decisions. Since you like to talk about "noobs" so much (projecting maybe?) prepare to learn something.....
Ben McLemore was the "best player available" at #7 in a weak draft. Flaws and red flags or not, he was projected to go in the Top-5 by just about every NBA expert. He was regarded as a player with potential to be a bust but also as a player with a high ceiling. McLemore was one of the very few players in that weak draft that many experts thought at least had the potential to be a star. The Kings had a roster that was severely lacking in top level talent and athletic ability.
Once Ben was available at #7, PDA did what just about every other NBA GM would have done in his situation.......drafted the "best player available" that had a chance to be a star. Most of the pundits gave the Kings a good draft grade last year and said that it was a smart pick because the Kings needed another potential star, they needed a great athlete, and they needed shooting. McLemore had the potential to fill all three of those voids. Again most of the NBA experts liked the pick and most of the fans were pretty happy with it (even though many wanted Noel who was taken one spot before)
The Kings were not in a position last year to make a "safe pick" and draft a mid-level talent whose ceiling was going to be a career backup. With the Kings roster last year and picking 7th, when someone who had as much hype and athletic talent as McLemore falls to you at #7 you have to take him. Especially in a weak draft......who else was there that anybody would have been happy with at the time?
You mention Steven Adams in another post? Seriously? You really want to try and pretend like the Kings should have picked him at 7 like you knew all along? Nobody talked about Steven Adams being drafted in the Top-10. Sure enough nobody drafted him in the Top-10. You talk about the Kings Front Office being noobs but what about all of the others that passed on Steven Adams through the first 11 picks?
The stupid thing in all of this is that while it's not looking good for McLemore he's still very young and has only played one season. His window is not closed and his ceiling has not been reached and is not yet out of reach. He had a better season than half the guys drafted top n front if him (and in the Top-10) and he'll probably still end up being a better player than at least a couple guys drafted in front of him.
It's easy to play "Monday Morning Quarterback" and say "they should have done this and they should have done that" but only real noobs run their mouths so loudly after the fact like they knew better when reality is you probably would have made the same pick or even worse.
Why thank you captain obvious. I enjoy speaking the truth.
Yeah he was projected to be in the top 5 AND? He was projected to slip also. *WHY?*
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on...n-mclemore-slipping-because-of-workout-issues
This report came out on june 18. When is the draft? Maybe a week after the report came out? The red flags showed up way before giving them time to find out why. Bottom line, they didn't do their due diligence by working him out like most teams do. Maybe if they did, they would have passed on him also. Since this is a business they SHOULD have done their due diligence? Since they are pouring millions of dollars into an investment they'd want to make sure that is the one. Alas, they didn't so they reap what they sow. I think they did they learned their lesson from Ben and did their due diligence this time around though.
"NBA GM would have done in his situation.......drafted the "best player available" That is if they want to keep the pick. If this was such a weak draft why not bank ben's upside potential and net like a jrue holiday in a trade. Apparently they were really high on him and even tried to move up to get him although they didn't work him out.
Hey we were lucky enough when T-Rob who was touted as possible top 2 pick fell in our laps. Oops didn't work him out either. He turned out to be such a stud we unloaded him halfway through his rookie season.
When the noob FO took over they spoke about defense & shot blocking needs. There was one there that they didn't even bother to work out or take a real hard look at. So what about the other 11 teams? Are they the team I'm rooting for? Do I give a ---- about them?
