Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Loaded slate of games today! If you haven't watched any college ball this year, today would be a great day to start. There's going to be seismic shifts across the landscape..
No matter how good the Kings do, my excitement and optimism for this draft will remain the same. in the 2022 draft teams at the bottom of the first swung for the fences with former top prospects who lost steam for a year like Patrick Baldwin and Peyton Watson.
Enter 7'1 Derek Lively.. He moves really really well for someone that size with the 7'8" wingspan.. Would love to see the Kings take him to develop.. Type of pick that could pay off in spades down the line.. He's just SO mobile... like u cant tell me Fox n Sabonis wouldnt make this player look great, and he's actually massive n covers massive ground.. I feel like he could do more for us than he could other NBA teams..
No matter how good the Kings do, my excitement and optimism for this draft will remain the same. in the 2022 draft teams at the bottom of the first swung for the fences with former top prospects who lost steam for a year like Patrick Baldwin and Peyton Watson.
Enter 7'1 Derek Lively.. He moves really really well for someone that size with the 7'8" wingspan.. Would love to see the Kings take him to develop.. Type of pick that could pay off in spades down the line.. He's just SO mobile... like u cant tell me Fox n Sabonis wouldnt make this player look great, and he's actually massive n covers massive ground.. I feel like he could do more for us than he could other NBA teams..
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Yeah. There’s still a hell of a lot of basketball left this season. Fingers crossed that one of the wings/forwards manages to slip to us but there hasn’t really been anyone who’s completely stumbled out of the gates like Baldwin did last season. Ideally someone like Dillon Mitchell is still the Kings range and they have themselves another good young building block that slots right into their system but I’d also be happy if those young upside forwards all stay up in the draft and push Kris Murray down to us to unite the twins.
Haven’t watched enough Duke this year to have too strong an opinion on Lively but given Domas hopefully staying with the franchise for the foreseeable future I’m not sure how willing I’d be to spend our only FRP for the next couple of years on a big man, even if they could hopefully play together a little.
Haven’t watched enough Duke this year to have too strong an opinion on Lively but given Domas hopefully staying with the franchise for the foreseeable future I’m not sure how willing I’d be to spend our only FRP for the next couple of years on a big man, even if they could hopefully play together a little.
This is potentially a big showcase game for 6'6" 235lb Freshman Brice Sensabaugh on OSU (vs UNC) he's crept into 2nd rd discussions already.
shooting 50% from 3 on 4 attempts per so far this season. He's got an interesting case to be made, he's built more like an NFL defensive end than what you'd picture from an NBA draft pick, but then he's surprisingly light on his feet while also being extremely strong.
84% from the FT stripe so far this season, the kid can shoot and obviously he absorbs contact extremely well.
There might be a Ron Artest comparison thrown around here if he were to get drafted.
shooting 50% from 3 on 4 attempts per so far this season. He's got an interesting case to be made, he's built more like an NFL defensive end than what you'd picture from an NBA draft pick, but then he's surprisingly light on his feet while also being extremely strong.
84% from the FT stripe so far this season, the kid can shoot and obviously he absorbs contact extremely well.
Some places he's starting to be... He's passed Keyonte George on some boards too..
I just figure when it comes to private workouts he's going to shoot the lights out for teams...
It's funny too because he'd be such a perfect pick for the Lakers, who fall right in that range, but New Orleans has their pick thru swap..
I just figure when it comes to private workouts he's going to shoot the lights out for teams...
It's funny too because he'd be such a perfect pick for the Lakers, who fall right in that range, but New Orleans has their pick thru swap..
3 more weeks and Baba Miller can play finally... January 11th.. FSU has had everything possible go wrong early this season. Can't wait to see how they bounce back.
For those unaware of how the suspension occured... Essentially he got paid $3,000 for a basketball camp, which he paid back, the NCAA wanted to suspend him for the entire season and FSU appealed and they settled on 16 games..
For those unaware of how the suspension occured... Essentially he got paid $3,000 for a basketball camp, which he paid back, the NCAA wanted to suspend him for the entire season and FSU appealed and they settled on 16 games..
PG - Fox, Mitchell, Monk/Smith
SG - Huerter, Monk, Smith
SF - Murray, Huerter, Smith/Monk
PF - Barnes?, Lyles?, Murray, Okpala, Moneke
C - Sabonis, F/A, Queta
It might look a bit funny on the depth chart and obviously there's still a ton of roster spots to be filled, but I could see Smith being a dynamo off the bench for us right away. I dont think he's redundant with our guys I think they can play together. He could actually be a homerun type pick too. He just seems like most excellent value for the Kings. We have all these players who can get hot on any given night, he'd be another, which given where we stand in this draft right now, that'd be spectacular value.
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bigtime outburst from Arterio Morris 6'3" Freshman Combo guard for Texas. 25 points in 17 minutes off the bench. 9/11 from the field 5/7 from 3.
Now Morris has some baggage.. He got into an altercation with his Ex-GF and is facing a misdemeanor violence charge, Texas has been scrutinized for letting him play --- doubly so after their coach chris beard was arrested for domestic violence, and surely will lose his job the second he's found guilty..
So extremely unlikely he declares, but you never know and you never know if a game like this can create some real momentum for him. Ultimately a talented player. Stinks all this crap hangs over this Texas basketball season like a blackcloud, otherwise their pretty good.
Now Morris has some baggage.. He got into an altercation with his Ex-GF and is facing a misdemeanor violence charge, Texas has been scrutinized for letting him play --- doubly so after their coach chris beard was arrested for domestic violence, and surely will lose his job the second he's found guilty..
So extremely unlikely he declares, but you never know and you never know if a game like this can create some real momentum for him. Ultimately a talented player. Stinks all this crap hangs over this Texas basketball season like a blackcloud, otherwise their pretty good.
So former 5-star recruit 6'11 225lb Jordan Brown is at Louisiana in his Junior season now.
He dropped a career high 37 points not long ago!!
season stats thru 12 games are juicy... Could he be a 2nd rd sleeper?
19.7ppg 6.8reb 1.7ast 1.5blk 33% from 3 58% from the field. He's mobile and can shoot it, he's going to get looks in the league one way or the other, the question really is can he work his way into 2nd rd contention, if so he could be interesting.
He dropped a career high 37 points not long ago!!
season stats thru 12 games are juicy... Could he be a 2nd rd sleeper?
19.7ppg 6.8reb 1.7ast 1.5blk 33% from 3 58% from the field. He's mobile and can shoot it, he's going to get looks in the league one way or the other, the question really is can he work his way into 2nd rd contention, if so he could be interesting.
6'5 210lb UCLA Junior Guard - Jaylen Clark deserves mention here.
He's had a ridiculous uptick in his stats from last year, so if he can continue that his name is certainly going to keep rising up mocks. From 26% from 3 to right now 39%..
His calling card in the NBA will always be his defense, which he's quite good at, so its really a matter of how real is this offensive surge.
He's kinda got roleplayer written all over him. Or so it seems.
He's had a ridiculous uptick in his stats from last year, so if he can continue that his name is certainly going to keep rising up mocks. From 26% from 3 to right now 39%..
His calling card in the NBA will always be his defense, which he's quite good at, so its really a matter of how real is this offensive surge.
He's kinda got roleplayer written all over him. Or so it seems.
I haven't been posting much because I like to get 13 or 14 games under my belt before passing judgement on any of these players. There have been some minor surprises and a few disappointments. I'm trying to concentrate on players that the Kings might have a chance at drafting. Of course we don't know where the Kings will be drafting, but I'm guessing that it will be somewhere between 17 and 22. Unfortunately some of the players I really like, that at the beginning of the season I thought might be available have probably worked their way into the lottery. Like Grady Dick.
So in the order I like them I'll start with a player that I've fallen in love with:
Maxwell Lewis: SF, 6'7", 195 Lb's, 6'10 wingspan, Soph, Pepperdine.
31.2 mpg - 17.7 ppg - 54.7% fgp - 45.7% 3pp - 82.4% ftp - 6.0 rpg - 24 apg - 1.2 blk's - 1.2 stl's
I think Lewis is a lottery pick, but with so much talent at the top of this draft and players like Grady Dick and Jet Howard working their way into the lottery, there's a chance that Lewis might be available. Lewis isn't a freak athlete, but he's close. His three point shooting percentage has plummeted all the way down to the current 45.7% from above 50% earlier in the year.Those are solid numbers since he takes almost 5 a game. On catch and shoot three's he in the 99 percentile while on off the dribble three's, he's in the 94 percentile. Those are ridiculous numbers.
Lewis has no problem getting his shot off. Whether it be on the perimeter or in the lane, he's able to create space for his shot. He has good handles and I wish he would attack the basket more because he's a very good finisher when he does. He sometimes settles for a contested three on a close out rather than taking the open land to the basket. However, it's hard to argue with the results. Defensively he's improved from his freshman year where he struggled to fight through screens, and was sometimes out of position. He's much improved this year. He'll still get beat off the dribble on occasion, but he never quits on the play and many times recovers to block a shot.
Lewis has a non stop motor and constantly moving without the ball. He has the potential to be a very good defender at the next level. This season he's also shown his passing ability and seems to have a good sense of where his teammates are on the floor. There's still room for improvement, but overall, Lewis is a very very skilled player for a 19 year old and has great upside. I think he would be an excellent fit on the Kings. The fact that he playes in a mid-level conference may help his availability for us. However he is in the same conference with Gonzaga and St. Mary's. The Pepperdine/Gonazga game is coming up and that's one I don't want to miss.
So in the order I like them I'll start with a player that I've fallen in love with:
Maxwell Lewis: SF, 6'7", 195 Lb's, 6'10 wingspan, Soph, Pepperdine.
31.2 mpg - 17.7 ppg - 54.7% fgp - 45.7% 3pp - 82.4% ftp - 6.0 rpg - 24 apg - 1.2 blk's - 1.2 stl's
I think Lewis is a lottery pick, but with so much talent at the top of this draft and players like Grady Dick and Jet Howard working their way into the lottery, there's a chance that Lewis might be available. Lewis isn't a freak athlete, but he's close. His three point shooting percentage has plummeted all the way down to the current 45.7% from above 50% earlier in the year.Those are solid numbers since he takes almost 5 a game. On catch and shoot three's he in the 99 percentile while on off the dribble three's, he's in the 94 percentile. Those are ridiculous numbers.
Lewis has no problem getting his shot off. Whether it be on the perimeter or in the lane, he's able to create space for his shot. He has good handles and I wish he would attack the basket more because he's a very good finisher when he does. He sometimes settles for a contested three on a close out rather than taking the open land to the basket. However, it's hard to argue with the results. Defensively he's improved from his freshman year where he struggled to fight through screens, and was sometimes out of position. He's much improved this year. He'll still get beat off the dribble on occasion, but he never quits on the play and many times recovers to block a shot.
Lewis has a non stop motor and constantly moving without the ball. He has the potential to be a very good defender at the next level. This season he's also shown his passing ability and seems to have a good sense of where his teammates are on the floor. There's still room for improvement, but overall, Lewis is a very very skilled player for a 19 year old and has great upside. I think he would be an excellent fit on the Kings. The fact that he playes in a mid-level conference may help his availability for us. However he is in the same conference with Gonzaga and St. Mary's. The Pepperdine/Gonazga game is coming up and that's one I don't want to miss.
Number two on my list is a defensive dog with a ton of upside. And once again, he could work his way into the bottom of the lottery. But right now most mocks have him in the range where the Kings might pick. I'm referring to Jordan Walsh out of Arkansas.
Jordan Walsh: SF, 6'7", 205 Lb's, 7'3" wingspan, Freshman, Arkansas.
23.0 mpg- 7.6 ppg - 51.6% fgp - 34.8% 3pp - 73.9% ftp - 2.8 rpg - 1.3 apg - 1.3 stl's.
You would be drafting Walsh for his defense and the hope that with work his 3 pt shot will improve. In that regard it has been slowly improving as this season has worn on. I think that a summer with an NBA shooting coach he should be able to get his percentage up to a respectable 37%. And if so, he then becomes a very viable player. I was going to say a solid 3 and D player, but Walsh is much better than just that. He's a terrific passer with excellent court vision. He has good handles . He's an outstanding transition player, and he's a terrific athlete. You'll note his 6'7" height and 7'3" wingspan. Two other players with those same measurements were Kawhi Leonard and Tracy McGrady.
I'm not implying that he's either of those players, but he has the same tools and tremendous upside. As a result of those tools, Walsh may be the best defender in this draft. He's an absolute monster who creates havoc all over the floor. Whether on the ball or off. He has very high basketball IQ. He has a non stop motor and plays with an edge. He has the dog in him as they say. He's actually not a bad mid-range shooter and he's a good finisher, even in a crowd.
His points per game don't blow you away, but he plays on an Arkansas team that is loaded with outstanding players like Nick Smith and Anthony Black, and add in that Walsh is a very unselfish player who seems to get as much joy from setting up a teammate as he does scoring a basket. With and improved and more polished offense to go along with his defense, the Kings Could have an impact player. I think he'll get a lot of fouls called on him at first because of his physical defense, but eventually, I think the ref's will start respecting him like they do Mitchell and Beverly.
You saw the good and the bad in that video. One thing that stood out was that Walsh is a much better 3 pt shooter on catch and shoots, and not good at all off the dribble. I think that can improve with hard work, but for the immediate future, if he would limit his 3 pt shooting to mostly catch and shoots, his average would probably climb up toward 37 or 38 percent. He's a very good passer, but sometimes tries the impossible. All correctable things. I like him a lot and I love his upside.
Jordan Walsh: SF, 6'7", 205 Lb's, 7'3" wingspan, Freshman, Arkansas.
23.0 mpg- 7.6 ppg - 51.6% fgp - 34.8% 3pp - 73.9% ftp - 2.8 rpg - 1.3 apg - 1.3 stl's.
You would be drafting Walsh for his defense and the hope that with work his 3 pt shot will improve. In that regard it has been slowly improving as this season has worn on. I think that a summer with an NBA shooting coach he should be able to get his percentage up to a respectable 37%. And if so, he then becomes a very viable player. I was going to say a solid 3 and D player, but Walsh is much better than just that. He's a terrific passer with excellent court vision. He has good handles . He's an outstanding transition player, and he's a terrific athlete. You'll note his 6'7" height and 7'3" wingspan. Two other players with those same measurements were Kawhi Leonard and Tracy McGrady.
I'm not implying that he's either of those players, but he has the same tools and tremendous upside. As a result of those tools, Walsh may be the best defender in this draft. He's an absolute monster who creates havoc all over the floor. Whether on the ball or off. He has very high basketball IQ. He has a non stop motor and plays with an edge. He has the dog in him as they say. He's actually not a bad mid-range shooter and he's a good finisher, even in a crowd.
His points per game don't blow you away, but he plays on an Arkansas team that is loaded with outstanding players like Nick Smith and Anthony Black, and add in that Walsh is a very unselfish player who seems to get as much joy from setting up a teammate as he does scoring a basket. With and improved and more polished offense to go along with his defense, the Kings Could have an impact player. I think he'll get a lot of fouls called on him at first because of his physical defense, but eventually, I think the ref's will start respecting him like they do Mitchell and Beverly.
You saw the good and the bad in that video. One thing that stood out was that Walsh is a much better 3 pt shooter on catch and shoots, and not good at all off the dribble. I think that can improve with hard work, but for the immediate future, if he would limit his 3 pt shooting to mostly catch and shoots, his average would probably climb up toward 37 or 38 percent. He's a very good passer, but sometimes tries the impossible. All correctable things. I like him a lot and I love his upside.
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Cliff Omoyuri has 16 pts 14 rebs n 6 blocks with a few minutes to go for Rutgers in this one. The 6'11 240lb Junior is strong and will play in the NBA for sure. He's really showing nice progress. Very active, very tough on the boards. If he keeps playing like this he'll work his way into draft range.
There's (as always) a large number of these "fringe 2nd rd centers" projected anywhere from the 60-80's. Omoyuri might be a solid bet to seperate himself from that pack.
There's (as always) a large number of these "fringe 2nd rd centers" projected anywhere from the 60-80's. Omoyuri might be a solid bet to seperate himself from that pack.
While Gueye might not be having the huge season (so far) that many had hoped, that could actually play right into the Kings hands n we could maybe get a player with decent upside in the 2nd round because of it.
He's still extremely mobile and fluid and has a chance to hone that outside shot (though the 3pt% is rly bad right now)
Number 3 is a player that surprised me with his overall skill level.
Kyle Filipowski: PF, 7'0", 230 Lb's, 6'10" wingspan, Freshman, Duke.
27.2 mpg - 14.4 ppg - 29.2% 3pp - 78.9% ftp - 8.9 rpg - 1.3 apg - 0.8 blk's - 1.4 stl's.
I think the one thing that stood out at first glance was his ballhandling. He handles the ball like a SF or a SG. Which is impressive for a 7 footer. He's definitely a player that will be able to spread the floor at the next level. I know his current 3 pt percentages aren't glossy, but he's a much better shooter than that. His percentages have taken a dip of late and I think some of that is that other teams have made him the focus of their defense. He has good form and an easy relaxed effortless shot. Just a matter of time before he adjusts.
Another surprise was how physical Flipowski was. He has no problem posting up and bullying his way to the basket where he's a good finisher. He's a solid rebounder at just under 9 a game, and has a solid mid-range game. His turnaround jumpshot at the elbow reminds me of Kevin McHale back in the day. Right now, he's the best player on a loaded Duke team, where Dariq Whitehead has been somewhat of a disappointment up to now. Although his assist numbers don't reflect it, he's a good passer. Not his fault that some of his teammates can't finish.
The big question is whether Filipowski can defend. From what I've seen after watching about 8 or 9 games is that he's a solid post defender, and decent to good on the perimeter. He's better at staying in front of his man than I thought he could. How that will translate to the NBA remains to be seen. But what makes him interesting to me is his ability to play both PF and the center position. Right now he weighs around 220 or 230, but has the frame to carry more muscle so I can see him on the Kings at around 250 which would help him in the post. He's not without his warts. He gets out of position off the ball at times, but most of those things are correctable.
Kyle Filipowski: PF, 7'0", 230 Lb's, 6'10" wingspan, Freshman, Duke.
27.2 mpg - 14.4 ppg - 29.2% 3pp - 78.9% ftp - 8.9 rpg - 1.3 apg - 0.8 blk's - 1.4 stl's.
I think the one thing that stood out at first glance was his ballhandling. He handles the ball like a SF or a SG. Which is impressive for a 7 footer. He's definitely a player that will be able to spread the floor at the next level. I know his current 3 pt percentages aren't glossy, but he's a much better shooter than that. His percentages have taken a dip of late and I think some of that is that other teams have made him the focus of their defense. He has good form and an easy relaxed effortless shot. Just a matter of time before he adjusts.
Another surprise was how physical Flipowski was. He has no problem posting up and bullying his way to the basket where he's a good finisher. He's a solid rebounder at just under 9 a game, and has a solid mid-range game. His turnaround jumpshot at the elbow reminds me of Kevin McHale back in the day. Right now, he's the best player on a loaded Duke team, where Dariq Whitehead has been somewhat of a disappointment up to now. Although his assist numbers don't reflect it, he's a good passer. Not his fault that some of his teammates can't finish.
The big question is whether Filipowski can defend. From what I've seen after watching about 8 or 9 games is that he's a solid post defender, and decent to good on the perimeter. He's better at staying in front of his man than I thought he could. How that will translate to the NBA remains to be seen. But what makes him interesting to me is his ability to play both PF and the center position. Right now he weighs around 220 or 230, but has the frame to carry more muscle so I can see him on the Kings at around 250 which would help him in the post. He's not without his warts. He gets out of position off the ball at times, but most of those things are correctable.
Yep good post about Filipowski as well.
He's improved his game SO much in the past like 18 months or so too. Not too many years ago he was like 6'4" with guard skills then just kept growing so there's a lot of reason to give him benefit of the doubt.
Duke is listing him at 7' interested to see what happens with him at the combine. Will he be so highly thought of that he gets to shutdown workouts n not get measured?
He's improved his game SO much in the past like 18 months or so too. Not too many years ago he was like 6'4" with guard skills then just kept growing so there's a lot of reason to give him benefit of the doubt.
Duke is listing him at 7' interested to see what happens with him at the combine. Will he be so highly thought of that he gets to shutdown workouts n not get measured?
Taylor Hendricks sure is interesting for the Kings IMO, the more footage I see the more I'm convinced... Whenever we play Memphis there's usually a few moments where I think "I wish we had a PF like Brandon Clarke coming off the bench"..
Hendricks sure does explode.. n he's shooting 46% from 3.. He's gonna be 19.5 on the draft so he's a freshman but a bit old for one, for the kings purposes he's super young, n he's skinny but listed at 210lbs n seems like another 10-15lbs might really fit him well..
I genuinely think all the teams are gonna want this player in for workouts, and also it seems like if he continues to shoot that sort of % from 3 he's gonna end up out of range.
Hes also a twin who plays with his brother in college like Keegan did. His brother, Tyler, is a 3-star 6'5" freshman SG but it doesnt look like he's played yet. While Taylor is actually UCF's highest rated recruit ever and was 4-stars.
If the plan is to resign Harrison Barnes, a player like this to develop behind him would probably work great. I wouldnt say Hendricks could directly occupy the roster spot currently held by Metu, but Hendricks can flex out to the wing on some SF matchups, he plays some smallball 5 for them n looks natural at the 4 so he's plenty flexible around what we've got.
The big $$$ question is; could he help us off the bench next season and also develop into something more down the line? I'm also wondering what his vertical is seems like its high, ontop of a 7'2 wingspan.
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