Only our own. What we view as a successful or unsuccessful draft is irrelevant. We are all playing arm chair GM's anyways and it's fun, it's nice to be right more than wrong so the vast majority of us questioned some of these draft picks and that's the beauty of it. I hope we all end up eating crow and looking back and saying Vlade did the right thing or we are going to bring out pitch forks and say how he held us back another year if Marquese or Baldwin or whoever the Kings decided not to draft blows up and contributes or becomes an all-star.
2016 NBA Draft Discussion
- Thread starter Dime Dropper
- Start date
I hoped that one of Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, or Buddy Hield would fall to us at #8 because I felt they were not only a good fit, but the most likely to make an immediate contribution to this team. Unfortunately the Timberwolves drafted Dunn, the Pelicans drafted Hield, and the Nuggets drafted Murray. All three picks were a low blow because it left us with a choice of raw high upside players or polished players with less upside.
When we picked Marquese Chriss, I was happy because he is a talented kid with a ton of upside. Was he going to contribute this coming season? Probably not in any major way, but in the near future he could certainly become a future starting PF for this team because he offers that stretch four ability which WCS is not (or at least, not at this time). But I did have a feeling that he would be used as a trade chip and I totally understood us trading him to get the two first round picks from the Suns.
Pick #13
Do I like the addition of Georgios Papagiannis? Not really, but I can see the appeal of drafting someone with his size and athleticism. He also seems to have nice touch on his shooting which is a good thing. The issue with him is on the defensive end, but he offers enough upside to be an intriguing prospect. My biggest issue with this pick is he stands to be our third string center, and to use our #13 pick on a third string center seems to be a huge reach and potential waste of a draft pick. Now if he has been selected with our future in mind (ie if Cousins leaves as an unrestricted free agent in two years time we will enter a rebuild), then fair enough, but outside of that I think we could have used this pick more sensibly.
Who would I have picked at #13? I would honestly have gone for Wade Baldwin or Malik Beasley, both players have upside and would have helped contribute to this roster more immediately. With the draft board as it stood (ie other SG prospects still available), I would have gone for Baldwin because he could develop into a future starting PG for us. He's got decent athleticism and size for his position, can play defense, and shoots the ball well. His play making needs work, but he could sit behind Rondo, Collison or a free agent signing and learn his trade much like Shoerder has done in Atlanta.
Pick #22
I don't have an issue with this selection because Malachi Richardson does offer us a decent shooting guard prospect. He has good athleticism and excellent size for his position. In his one year in college he was a fair shooter, but that should improve with time and coaching. He's probably going to be a third string situational player, but in a couple of seasons there's no reason this kid couldn't be our back up shooting guard.
Would I have picked him? Yes, at that stage in the draft he is great value. Ok, Luwawu and Korkmaz offer intriguing upside, though the latter might remain overseas for the foreseeable future.
Pick #28
Again, I don't have an issue with this selection because Skal Labissiere was projected to go higher than this. In fact, he came into last year's college program as a future top five draft selection, but a disappointing college career saw his stock fall. However, at this late stage of the draft he is a good selection even if he stands to be our third string PF. At the end of the day you don't often get players with his size, athleticism, shooting ability and upside this late in the draft. Is he a risky pick because he could be a bust? Of course, but he's worth the risk because of that upside. If he reaches it, he could become a perfect partner for Cousins in the front court; and if Cousins leaves in two years time, he could be part of the rebuilding process.
Would I have picked him? Probably, but I would have been thinking about Dejounte Murray who went the following pick to the Spurs and Deyonta Davis who went to Memphis at the top of the second round. I am still surprised that Davis fell that far because he was a lottery selection on most people's boards. He's a kid with excellent size, defensive ability, and potential. But the negative about him is that he's still pretty raw offensively and would overlap with WCS. So I would have considered Murray because he's a PG/SG prospect with good size and athleticism, is a decent play maker, and has potential to be a good player. Like Baldwin, he's not necessarily a starter right now, but as a second or third string PG learning his trade, he would have been very valuable because his upside screams starter. And based off our current roster make up, I think adding Murray would have been a slightly better selection for us than Skal because both have similar upside.
Pick #59
I guess at this stage there's not really much debate over who to pick because a lot of second round picks can be hit and miss, and with their contract status, it makes them dispensable if they don't really show much in summer league and camps. I'll be honest and say I don't know a lot about Isaiah Cousins, but he seems to be a typical average depth chart talent. I'd be surprised if he's on the roster opening day, but I guess he could sneak onto the roster as the third string PG, but I doubt we keep him around.
My Grade?
C
I could be more harsh than that but time will tell what this quartet of draft picks does for us. I still have a hard time understanding the logic behind the Papagiannis selection when we have Cousins and Koufos under contract, and that's without considering we owned the #22 and #28 draft selections in which we could have got a depth chart center if we want to save cap space to strengthen other positions (eg. Ante Zizc went #23, Damian Jones went #30, and Ivcia Zubic went #32). I can see the logic behind Richardson because he could develop into a useful player off the bench, but also offers upside. And Skal has a lot of upside and is a steal. So there's good and bad in this draft class for us. I would rather have come away with Baldwin, Richardson and Skal, or Baldwin, Skal and Murray, but I guess time will tell on whether Vlade has nailed this draft class or not. But he does deserve praise for turning Belinelli into a draft pick, and getting the Suns draft picks in exchange for #8.
When we picked Marquese Chriss, I was happy because he is a talented kid with a ton of upside. Was he going to contribute this coming season? Probably not in any major way, but in the near future he could certainly become a future starting PF for this team because he offers that stretch four ability which WCS is not (or at least, not at this time). But I did have a feeling that he would be used as a trade chip and I totally understood us trading him to get the two first round picks from the Suns.
Pick #13
Do I like the addition of Georgios Papagiannis? Not really, but I can see the appeal of drafting someone with his size and athleticism. He also seems to have nice touch on his shooting which is a good thing. The issue with him is on the defensive end, but he offers enough upside to be an intriguing prospect. My biggest issue with this pick is he stands to be our third string center, and to use our #13 pick on a third string center seems to be a huge reach and potential waste of a draft pick. Now if he has been selected with our future in mind (ie if Cousins leaves as an unrestricted free agent in two years time we will enter a rebuild), then fair enough, but outside of that I think we could have used this pick more sensibly.
Who would I have picked at #13? I would honestly have gone for Wade Baldwin or Malik Beasley, both players have upside and would have helped contribute to this roster more immediately. With the draft board as it stood (ie other SG prospects still available), I would have gone for Baldwin because he could develop into a future starting PG for us. He's got decent athleticism and size for his position, can play defense, and shoots the ball well. His play making needs work, but he could sit behind Rondo, Collison or a free agent signing and learn his trade much like Shoerder has done in Atlanta.
Pick #22
I don't have an issue with this selection because Malachi Richardson does offer us a decent shooting guard prospect. He has good athleticism and excellent size for his position. In his one year in college he was a fair shooter, but that should improve with time and coaching. He's probably going to be a third string situational player, but in a couple of seasons there's no reason this kid couldn't be our back up shooting guard.
Would I have picked him? Yes, at that stage in the draft he is great value. Ok, Luwawu and Korkmaz offer intriguing upside, though the latter might remain overseas for the foreseeable future.
Pick #28
Again, I don't have an issue with this selection because Skal Labissiere was projected to go higher than this. In fact, he came into last year's college program as a future top five draft selection, but a disappointing college career saw his stock fall. However, at this late stage of the draft he is a good selection even if he stands to be our third string PF. At the end of the day you don't often get players with his size, athleticism, shooting ability and upside this late in the draft. Is he a risky pick because he could be a bust? Of course, but he's worth the risk because of that upside. If he reaches it, he could become a perfect partner for Cousins in the front court; and if Cousins leaves in two years time, he could be part of the rebuilding process.
Would I have picked him? Probably, but I would have been thinking about Dejounte Murray who went the following pick to the Spurs and Deyonta Davis who went to Memphis at the top of the second round. I am still surprised that Davis fell that far because he was a lottery selection on most people's boards. He's a kid with excellent size, defensive ability, and potential. But the negative about him is that he's still pretty raw offensively and would overlap with WCS. So I would have considered Murray because he's a PG/SG prospect with good size and athleticism, is a decent play maker, and has potential to be a good player. Like Baldwin, he's not necessarily a starter right now, but as a second or third string PG learning his trade, he would have been very valuable because his upside screams starter. And based off our current roster make up, I think adding Murray would have been a slightly better selection for us than Skal because both have similar upside.
Pick #59
I guess at this stage there's not really much debate over who to pick because a lot of second round picks can be hit and miss, and with their contract status, it makes them dispensable if they don't really show much in summer league and camps. I'll be honest and say I don't know a lot about Isaiah Cousins, but he seems to be a typical average depth chart talent. I'd be surprised if he's on the roster opening day, but I guess he could sneak onto the roster as the third string PG, but I doubt we keep him around.
My Grade?
C
I could be more harsh than that but time will tell what this quartet of draft picks does for us. I still have a hard time understanding the logic behind the Papagiannis selection when we have Cousins and Koufos under contract, and that's without considering we owned the #22 and #28 draft selections in which we could have got a depth chart center if we want to save cap space to strengthen other positions (eg. Ante Zizc went #23, Damian Jones went #30, and Ivcia Zubic went #32). I can see the logic behind Richardson because he could develop into a useful player off the bench, but also offers upside. And Skal has a lot of upside and is a steal. So there's good and bad in this draft class for us. I would rather have come away with Baldwin, Richardson and Skal, or Baldwin, Skal and Murray, but I guess time will tell on whether Vlade has nailed this draft class or not. But he does deserve praise for turning Belinelli into a draft pick, and getting the Suns draft picks in exchange for #8.
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Don't be ignorant! You have NEVER seem Papagiannis play so your opinion is based off some mock drafts.
Skal has greater upside that any player we picked and probably top 5 in the whole draft in terms of upside. There is a chance that Skal will be better than most of players from this draft, including some top 5 picks.
The question is, will Papagiannis be a better player than Wade Baldwin IV? If he is, then this whole debate is irrelevant.
Skal has greater upside that any player we picked and probably top 5 in the whole draft in terms of upside. There is a chance that Skal will be better than most of players from this draft, including some top 5 picks.
The question is, will Papagiannis be a better player than Wade Baldwin IV? If he is, then this whole debate is irrelevant.
What's the point about grading a draft 3 days after it's done? What do we know about these players? Oh, but we got an A for McLemore in 2013, so that must be a great draft for us. And Cleveland got a B+ for Bennet. Thank god I'm not an expert...
http://www.nbadraft.net/2013-nba-draft-grades
And Nick had an A- for "immediate impact". It worked out quite well if I remember correctly...
http://www.sbnation.com/a/nba-draft-grades-2014
Even an expert like Amick can be wrong sometimes... A+ for the T-Wolves for the Derrick Williams pick, A to our Kings for the Jimmer pick.
http://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/12/13/draft-grades-0
And a great A+ for Thomas Robinson! yes that was a good one... Much better than the Pistons, they got a D+ for Drummond and Middleton. And Perry Jones III sure deserves an A-!
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/19442655/2012-nba-draft-report-card-for-all-30-teams
The point is: nobody kows what these players will be, even a year from now. Mock drafts are useless, just people guessing. We should just wait and see, and hold our judgment.
http://www.nbadraft.net/2013-nba-draft-grades
And Nick had an A- for "immediate impact". It worked out quite well if I remember correctly...
http://www.sbnation.com/a/nba-draft-grades-2014
Even an expert like Amick can be wrong sometimes... A+ for the T-Wolves for the Derrick Williams pick, A to our Kings for the Jimmer pick.
http://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/12/13/draft-grades-0
And a great A+ for Thomas Robinson! yes that was a good one... Much better than the Pistons, they got a D+ for Drummond and Middleton. And Perry Jones III sure deserves an A-!
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/19442655/2012-nba-draft-report-card-for-all-30-teams
The point is: nobody kows what these players will be, even a year from now. Mock drafts are useless, just people guessing. We should just wait and see, and hold our judgment.
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This! Thanks for putting the time in.
Front Offices do have so much more information than we or journalists have. They scout the whole year. They conduct Interviews. They watch workouts. They have medical information. They use psychological Assessment.
Yes, if I made the choice I would have picked someone else, but I'm sorry I take Vlades assessment after a whole year of work over mine after watching a Draftexpress Video and maybe 1 or 2 games.
Front Offices do have so much more information than we or journalists have. They scout the whole year. They conduct Interviews. They watch workouts. They have medical information. They use psychological Assessment.
Yes, if I made the choice I would have picked someone else, but I'm sorry I take Vlades assessment after a whole year of work over mine after watching a Draftexpress Video and maybe 1 or 2 games.
Agreed, but the issue for Papa is that he is currently likely to be our third string center and it is going to be tough for him to get meaningful minutes. Cousins dominates the center position minutes and that won't change unless he's traded or leaves in two years time, and Koufos has three years left on his deal at around $8 million a year (though he could opt out of the third year with his player option), so I can't see him losing back up duties unless he's traded.
If two years from now Cousins leaves and Koufos opts out, Papa will get his chance. However, if Cousins signs an extension and Koufos opts in to his player option, then it's going to remain tough for Papa to get meaningful minutes.
Baldwin on the other hand could have had an easier route to becoming a starter or playing meaningful minutes for us because of our PG troubles. I guess we could always bring back Rondo and keep Collison, which would have made Baldwin third string; or we could sign a free agent or trade for a starting PG, keep Collison, and Baldwin would have been third string. But in all honesty Baldwin could have played a greater role for us this coming season because of the position he plays. That said, both guys have upside so time will tell who ends up the better player.
If two years from now Cousins leaves and Koufos opts out, Papa will get his chance. However, if Cousins signs an extension and Koufos opts in to his player option, then it's going to remain tough for Papa to get meaningful minutes.
Baldwin on the other hand could have had an easier route to becoming a starter or playing meaningful minutes for us because of our PG troubles. I guess we could always bring back Rondo and keep Collison, which would have made Baldwin third string; or we could sign a free agent or trade for a starting PG, keep Collison, and Baldwin would have been third string. But in all honesty Baldwin could have played a greater role for us this coming season because of the position he plays. That said, both guys have upside so time will tell who ends up the better player.
This was about getting what we thought was the best possible talent at our picks. We were not going to select a PG if we didn't feel like this was the best available player.
Just because player is under contract it doesn't mean that they cannot be traded. Kosta is a very serviceable big man who with the current cap figures is signed to a bargain contract. The persistent talk of mutual interest between Kings and Anderson leads me to believe that Kosta will get traded before the training camp. I suspect the plan is to sign Anderson and have DMC-WCS-Anderson use up the chunk of the front court minutes with Papagiannis getting 10 minutes per game on average.
The problem with out team is that we didn't have many tradable assets without significantly affecting our depth. It's a result of years of pissing our draft picks into the wind. We replenished the youth on the roster, which allows us to use those other assets (e.g. Kosta) to address other much more pressing needs.
From this draft, there will not be many draftees that play meaningful minutes for teams that want to make the play offs. If Memphis had that much faith in Baldwin, they wouldn't have just picked up Tony Wroten. I am fine with the team swinging for the fences with their picks. It is exactly what this team should do if we are not trading the pick for a veteran help. We tried trading up for Dunn and it would have cost too much so we decided to trade down and pick up as many young assets as possible with the greatest upside. I have no problem with that but I do have problem with people who look at the stats and make a call that the pick is a bust.
As has been pointed our by Mass, for every bust we recently drafted we got high grades based on the mock drafts. I am comfortable with Papagiannis pick. This is a start of the summer, not the final product so we really should not be looking at the draft without seeing the whole picture. Let's talk before the training camp and all of these picks will make sense.
And really if we are banking on the rookies from this draft to play meaningful minutes then we are absolutely down the path of another lottery season. We liked Dunn because was a "plug and play" prospect with great upside but we couldn't get him so we went to plan B. PG is one of the most important positions on the court so having Baldwin play significant minutes makes me uncomfortable. I would be more comfortable with re-signing Curry and seeing him get those minutes than a rookie.
Just because player is under contract it doesn't mean that they cannot be traded. Kosta is a very serviceable big man who with the current cap figures is signed to a bargain contract. The persistent talk of mutual interest between Kings and Anderson leads me to believe that Kosta will get traded before the training camp. I suspect the plan is to sign Anderson and have DMC-WCS-Anderson use up the chunk of the front court minutes with Papagiannis getting 10 minutes per game on average.
The problem with out team is that we didn't have many tradable assets without significantly affecting our depth. It's a result of years of pissing our draft picks into the wind. We replenished the youth on the roster, which allows us to use those other assets (e.g. Kosta) to address other much more pressing needs.
From this draft, there will not be many draftees that play meaningful minutes for teams that want to make the play offs. If Memphis had that much faith in Baldwin, they wouldn't have just picked up Tony Wroten. I am fine with the team swinging for the fences with their picks. It is exactly what this team should do if we are not trading the pick for a veteran help. We tried trading up for Dunn and it would have cost too much so we decided to trade down and pick up as many young assets as possible with the greatest upside. I have no problem with that but I do have problem with people who look at the stats and make a call that the pick is a bust.
As has been pointed our by Mass, for every bust we recently drafted we got high grades based on the mock drafts. I am comfortable with Papagiannis pick. This is a start of the summer, not the final product so we really should not be looking at the draft without seeing the whole picture. Let's talk before the training camp and all of these picks will make sense.
And really if we are banking on the rookies from this draft to play meaningful minutes then we are absolutely down the path of another lottery season. We liked Dunn because was a "plug and play" prospect with great upside but we couldn't get him so we went to plan B. PG is one of the most important positions on the court so having Baldwin play significant minutes makes me uncomfortable. I would be more comfortable with re-signing Curry and seeing him get those minutes than a rookie.
Agreed, if Papa was the top rated player left on their board, they did the right thing rather than reach. Do I like the pick? Yes and no. Would I have picked the same way? No.
Agreed, Koufos should be fairly easy to move due to his contract and ability. If that happens it opens up a spot for Papa, but if we don't move him or move him and sign/acquire a veteran, he will be back down to nominal minutes.
This is what Vlade really deserves praise for, he's helped acquire young talent with upside to be part of this team's future. They themselves could also be traded in the future for assets and/or players.
Meaningful minutes is realistic for someone like Baldwin with his current ability and upside. By no means would I expected 30+ mpg, but 20+ mpg is certainly realistic if a team uses him as a backup PG. Potentially he could have got 20 mpg or so a game with us depending on what moves we make at PG.
Not strictly true. Miami got production out of Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson last season. Winslow averaged 28 mpg in regular season and 25 mpg in the play offs, and he held his own and flashed his upside. Richardson went in the second round and managed to average 21 mpg in regular season and 27 mpg in the play offs. Fair enough, Miami had a lot of talent on their roster which makes using rookies a bit easier, but they could easily have given these kids nominal minutes, instead they gave them meaningful minutes and got a good return for them. Perhaps we can get the same from our rookies...
As for Baldwin, he's talented enough to make an impact with the Grizzlies. And since we have yet to really prove we are a legitimate play off contender next season, instead of being a team that is still building its line up and depth chart, someone like Baldwin could have fit in and helped us more immediately than Papa who is the third string center unless any moves are made.
Overall, our draft class is underrated and I'm fine with that. If we've picked players for now and the future, that's what a good GM does, they acquire talent. So hopefully our picks work out and play a part in our future, so we don't have to look back and think of the disappointing drafts of 2011-14.
Agreed, Koufos should be fairly easy to move due to his contract and ability. If that happens it opens up a spot for Papa, but if we don't move him or move him and sign/acquire a veteran, he will be back down to nominal minutes.
This is what Vlade really deserves praise for, he's helped acquire young talent with upside to be part of this team's future. They themselves could also be traded in the future for assets and/or players.
Meaningful minutes is realistic for someone like Baldwin with his current ability and upside. By no means would I expected 30+ mpg, but 20+ mpg is certainly realistic if a team uses him as a backup PG. Potentially he could have got 20 mpg or so a game with us depending on what moves we make at PG.
Not strictly true. Miami got production out of Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson last season. Winslow averaged 28 mpg in regular season and 25 mpg in the play offs, and he held his own and flashed his upside. Richardson went in the second round and managed to average 21 mpg in regular season and 27 mpg in the play offs. Fair enough, Miami had a lot of talent on their roster which makes using rookies a bit easier, but they could easily have given these kids nominal minutes, instead they gave them meaningful minutes and got a good return for them. Perhaps we can get the same from our rookies...
As for Baldwin, he's talented enough to make an impact with the Grizzlies. And since we have yet to really prove we are a legitimate play off contender next season, instead of being a team that is still building its line up and depth chart, someone like Baldwin could have fit in and helped us more immediately than Papa who is the third string center unless any moves are made.
Overall, our draft class is underrated and I'm fine with that. If we've picked players for now and the future, that's what a good GM does, they acquire talent. So hopefully our picks work out and play a part in our future, so we don't have to look back and think of the disappointing drafts of 2011-14.
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I definitely agree but I'd point out that Dunn isn't plug-and-play. I love him as a prospect and I think he'll eventually be a strong defender and a good scorer and playmaker who thrives in transition. But this season he will likely struggle on defense and turn the ball over way, way too much.
I wanted him on the Kings badly but I wouldn't want him as the starter if the plan was to make the playoffs.
Rookies not names Magic, Duncan etc need time to develop. And during that time rosters change. On paper Wade Baldwin is a better fit for this team than Papagiannis. But (1) that assumes both players will pan out and (2) that the Kings roster is set. Neither of those things are facts.
Suppose the Kings traded Rudy and Kosta in a deal that brought them back Bledsoe and then resigned Curry. Now the Kings are set at PG but need a backup C and SF. Rosters can change quickly. I don't think a deal for Bledsoe is likely, but I'd be surprised if there is t significant change to the roster via trades and free agency.
And even if Kosta isn't dealt, Papagiannis is 18 and Vlade feels he has all-star potential. I don't know if he's right but if that's the case then a few years from now he's either a great building block or a huge trade chip.
I wanted him on the Kings badly but I wouldn't want him as the starter if the plan was to make the playoffs.
Rookies not names Magic, Duncan etc need time to develop. And during that time rosters change. On paper Wade Baldwin is a better fit for this team than Papagiannis. But (1) that assumes both players will pan out and (2) that the Kings roster is set. Neither of those things are facts.
Suppose the Kings traded Rudy and Kosta in a deal that brought them back Bledsoe and then resigned Curry. Now the Kings are set at PG but need a backup C and SF. Rosters can change quickly. I don't think a deal for Bledsoe is likely, but I'd be surprised if there is t significant change to the roster via trades and free agency.
And even if Kosta isn't dealt, Papagiannis is 18 and Vlade feels he has all-star potential. I don't know if he's right but if that's the case then a few years from now he's either a great building block or a huge trade chip.
Report is Courtney Lee is targeting 14 mil per year. Ouch. That is a lot of money even under the new cap for a 31 year old. If that is true it probably pushes Shumpert even further up my wish list. He is on 10 mil per year for three more years and is a lot younger than Lee.
Darren Wolfson ✔@DWolfsonKSTP
How you getting all 3? Told $$ on Lee is $14M/yr, & Deng/Noah will be higher annually.#Twolves space is about $29M.
Darren Wolfson ✔@DWolfsonKSTP
How you getting all 3? Told $$ on Lee is $14M/yr, & Deng/Noah will be higher annually.#Twolves space is about $29M.
This is the same logic we used last year with Wes Matthews and we ended up with Bellinelli. At some point we have to pony up, SG position has been deadweight since Tyreke left, really. I dont know if thats Lee, maybe Afflalo? Someone who will be short term solution until Bogdonavic comes over or Richardson develops.
K
I agree it is unknown but the draft projections are usually right and most people had Papa late first and early second in their drafts, which is a reflection of his potential. I am not a "Vlade can do no wrong" guy. I just look at the moves and the results. So far the moves and results have been questionable but everyone on here tries to act like he is a God. If someone else was making these moves everyone would be complaining left and right
I dont think any SG we sign will be our SG of the future short of nabbing someone like Crabbe. We need someone that can start and produce now for the next two seasons. Afflao, Gerald Henderson, Lee, Gordon, Crabbe are options. I would throw money at Crabbe, he wont be a starter in Portland, he would be here. Same logic that netted us Collison.
What grade would the Kings have gotten if they took Draymond Green at #5 instead of Thomas Robinson? Draft projections had Green as a late first/early second round pick and Robinson slotted 2-5.
I'm not saying Papagiannis is a good pick. Just that given how little info people seemed to have on him, he can't be considered a bad pick yet either. As for draft projections, the site that seems most dialed in (DX) moved Papagiannis into the low 20's in their mock just before the draft.
I wish the Kings had drafted Baldwin 13 and then took Papa but they had that chance and passed because they really didn't want to miss out on the big fella.
I'm not going to question that decision until I see this rookie class in summer league.
I'm not saying Papagiannis is a good pick. Just that given how little info people seemed to have on him, he can't be considered a bad pick yet either. As for draft projections, the site that seems most dialed in (DX) moved Papagiannis into the low 20's in their mock just before the draft.
I wish the Kings had drafted Baldwin 13 and then took Papa but they had that chance and passed because they really didn't want to miss out on the big fella.
I'm not going to question that decision until I see this rookie class in summer league.
I'd definitely take Crabbe if his price tag isn't too high. He's a poor defender and anemic rebounder but can shoot/score and is young enough to have hope about him still having some upside. My fear is that Portland's strong/surprising showing in the playoffs pushed his value higher than maybe it should be.
Even with the cap exploding I'm not in favor of overpaying for what is going to be a pretty weak FA class.
Even with the cap exploding I'm not in favor of overpaying for what is going to be a pretty weak FA class.
Well, not exactly. Regardless of what people on this forum thought, if I recall correctly not only did our front office make an offer to Matthews, but they made an offer slightly better than the offer the Mavericks made. We didn't lose out on Matthews because we lowballed him. We lost out on Matthews because he didn't want to come here.
It's hard to have a strong opinion on Big Papa, because we just don't know who he is. People are paid a lot of money to spend time and find out. So I have to sit back and wait on this one.
It's also difficult to get worked up about missing on Baldwin or Valentine, because no one believes they are franchise players. There are some seriously flawed players in this draft. Anything after pick 4 or 5 is a crap shoot. So drafting on potential and bpa was absolutely appropriate for the Kings this year. I have no doubt if a franchise changing PG and SG were available, we would have taken them. But there were none at 8 or 13 or later. Maybe not in the entire draft.
It's also difficult to get worked up about missing on Baldwin or Valentine, because no one believes they are franchise players. There are some seriously flawed players in this draft. Anything after pick 4 or 5 is a crap shoot. So drafting on potential and bpa was absolutely appropriate for the Kings this year. I have no doubt if a franchise changing PG and SG were available, we would have taken them. But there were none at 8 or 13 or later. Maybe not in the entire draft.
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/willi...lenson-advice-about-the-nba/#3shHi6BlOfCD8UFs
Pretty funny chat transcript with WCS there. Talks about the routine rookies go through from draft day through summer league. Also talks about rookie hazing and all that. Has a pretty funny quip about getting Caron Butler a Coke in there too.
Pretty funny chat transcript with WCS there. Talks about the routine rookies go through from draft day through summer league. Also talks about rookie hazing and all that. Has a pretty funny quip about getting Caron Butler a Coke in there too.
Only person I've seen play before the draft is Isaiah Cousins (I'm an Iowa State Cyclones fan, played against them 3 times last year). On offense he's a pretty good three point shooter and an underrated floor general. Not his biggest fan as I think Hield hid some of his weaknesses at Oklahoma. Defensively he's pretty good but not sure how he'll translate that in the pro's.
He's known to be boisterous on the court and is recognized from the Iowa State fans because in a game 2 years ago, Oklahoma was ahead by 20 points in the 2nd half in Ames and after a play was talking crap to the Iowa State players. Immediately after that, Iowa State went on a huge run and won that game.
I don't expect him to play much and he'll be in the D-League next year unless the Kings need him for depth.
He's known to be boisterous on the court and is recognized from the Iowa State fans because in a game 2 years ago, Oklahoma was ahead by 20 points in the 2nd half in Ames and after a play was talking crap to the Iowa State players. Immediately after that, Iowa State went on a huge run and won that game.
I don't expect him to play much and he'll be in the D-League next year unless the Kings need him for depth.
If Baldwin turns out better than Papagiannis, Vlade will have failed despite how good Papagiannis becomes imo. It's like picking Tyreke over Curry and DeRozan. Tyreke was a solid pick, but we could've had those all stars.
Let's see how things go... I'm very confident in Baldwin becoming at least an above average starter..................
Let's see how things go... I'm very confident in Baldwin becoming at least an above average starter..................
