Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft

[Ozymandias]

Ignore the FG%/3pt % he was hurt and a lot of that was coming back from injury the guy is a top 10-20 range easily (not even currently in the 2023 mock draft board). 6'8 SG

Rayan Rupert is finally back on the court as well in the NBL from a wrist injury. He had 14 points in his return n looked good.

It's gonna be interesting to see how they can close the season and differentiate themselves from the pack, as it stands right now theres seems to be lots of depth.

 

[Ozymandias]

25 9rebs 4 assists in 23 mins


actually a really nice no-look assist from Dante Exum at the end of this haha

 

[Ozymandias]

 

[Ozymandias]

 

[serbiangoat]

25 9rebs 4 assists in 23 mins


actually a really nice no-look assist from Dante Exum at the end of this haha

Sadly Vukcevic went to the WORST situation possible, he reminds me a lot of Santi Aldama from Memphis but yeah he went and thought he would get playing time with the most psychotic and winnings coach in Euroleague history. Like the coach cannot stand him or the way he plays he losses focus on D to often. Speaking of Exum after a awful start he's actually playing really well.

 

[Ozymandias]

Sadly Vukcevic went to the WORST situation possible, he reminds me a lot of Santi Aldama from Memphis but yeah he went and thought he would get playing time with the most psychotic and winnings coach in Euroleague history. Like the coach cannot stand him or the way he plays he losses focus on D to often. Speaking of Exum after a awful start he's actually playing really well.

I'm just hoping for Vuckevic's sake, that he's adding lots of strength there. Cuz these NCAA colleges (plus the G-League/OTE) are doing a better job than ever strengthening players up. He's still just 19 so there's time.

Exum's stint in the NBA was undeniably marred by injuries, you cant really downplay what that torn acl he got 2 summers into his career had moving forward when he was so raw n asked to make such a rediculous leap in levels of competition. glad to see him doing well.

 

[Ozymandias]

HOW BOUT THIS STAT!!! tell me the Kings cant use a PF who checks these types of boxes with a straight face


Taylor Hendricks is the only player in the nation with 25 3pointers 15 dunks and a blockrate of over 5%


Taylor is Tailor-Made for the Kings --- Tell me why I'm wrong!

He has a runner/floater in his bag of tricks too..

Ultra-efficient in transition.. 99th percentile according to this NBA.com article..

Early on, NBA coaches may find more use for his defensive tools and activity, given his 6-foot-9, 210-pound frame, mobility, motor and ability to contest shots at the rim and away from it. Hendricks combines both fearlessness challenging finishes and impressive foot speed guarding in space.

Hard for me to believe that this player whos projected lower than our 1st rd pick isnt going to end up WAY OUT OF RANGE..

 

[Ozymandias]

I just refuse to believe Hendricks wouldnt in fact be a massive upgrade for our bench unit. He looks almost too good to be true. Here's my logic;


-With Lyles shooting 40% from 3 I'm cool with resigning him. (this is of minor consequence but I'll just add it in). Hendricks and Lyles pair well off the bench(far better than Lyles+Metu or Lyles+Holmes), they both shoot the 3 It clears out lots of space for our guards. (with the roster space from Metu/Holmes/Len we then get a real 7foot center who can defend n the depth chart in the frontcourt is much improved from this season). Very clear improvement of the team at basic levels of cost/little risk.

- He's fleet enough of foot to switch out on the perimeter! Look at him stonewall this guard, the kid can move hes got great body control and mobility. He is excellent at recovering to the 3pt line to contest a shooter, which ofc is something asked often of NBA defenders.

Look at how he moves those feet, he's obviously light footed for a 6'9" player. He's able to mix in these little choppy steps, he's built for that ball-hawking life.

-He can block shots! Not only can he block shots but he has an extremely low foul rate given how many shots he blocks.. this is really a key factor that seperates him as an ideal selection for the Kings IMO

-Hendricks adds layers of versatility offensively and defensively where right now there are pretty basic stop-gap systems in place. He might be able to do Metu's job and Okpala's by himself, with a 3pt shot. He could defend on the perimeter for us and also function as a small-ball 5.

-Big fish in a small pond? How does a player like this who's vastly more talented than his teammates/competition react when all of a sudden he's surrounded by NBA talent, guys like Sabonis and Fox.. I'd like to see that experiment

 

[serbiangoat]

I just refuse to believe Hendricks wouldnt in fact be a massive upgrade for our bench unit. He looks almost too good to be true. Here's my logic;


-With Lyles shooting 40% from 3 I'm cool with resigning him. (this is of minor consequence but I'll just add it in). Hendricks and Lyles pair well off the bench(far better than Lyles+Metu or Lyles+Holmes), they both shoot the 3 It clears out lots of space for our guards. (with the roster space from Metu/Holmes/Len we then get a real 7foot center who can defend n the depth chart in the frontcourt is much improved from this season). Very clear improvement of the team at basic levels of cost/little risk.

- He's fleet enough of foot to switch out on the perimeter! Look at him stonewall this guard, the kid can move hes got great body control and mobility. He is excellent at recovering to the 3pt line to contest a shooter, which ofc is something asked often of NBA defenders.

Look at how he moves those feet, he's obviously light footed for a 6'9" player. He's able to mix in these little choppy steps, he's built for that ball-hawking life.

-He can block shots! Not only can he block shots but he has an extremely low foul rate given how many shots he blocks.. this is really a key factor that seperates him as an ideal selection for the Kings IMO

-Hendricks adds layers of versatility offensively and defensively where right now there are pretty basic stop-gap systems in place. He can do Metu's job and half of someone elses. He could defend on the perimeter for us and also function as a small-ball 5.

-Big fish in a small pond? How does a player like this who's vastly more talented than his teammates/competition react when all of a sudden he's surrounded by NBA talent, guys like Sabonis and Fox.. I'd like to see that experiment

JJJ 2.0/poormans JJJ?

 

[Ozymandias]

JJJ 2.0/poormans JJJ?

Some but he's not nearly that height/wingspan of a true center like JJJ, reminds me more of the PF the Grizzlies have coming off the bench Brandon Clarke, who blew up when he was 22 years old in college, this kid just turned 19. The Grizzlies gave Clarke a 4 year 52 million dollar extension off his rookie deal last October and it appears to be very good value for them.

Hendricks has a twin brother on his college team just like Keegan!

Hendricks reminds me some of Jerami Grant too, who was a player I was on the $$$ pre-draft about.. Aaron Gordon has proven to be a very good NBA player but for months n months leading up to that draft I used to say "why spend a top5 pick on Aaron Gordon when Jerami Grant is projected bottom1st/early2nd"..

 

[206Fan]

I just refuse to believe Hendricks wouldnt in fact be a massive upgrade for our bench unit. He looks almost too good to be true. Here's my logic;


-With Lyles shooting 40% from 3 I'm cool with resigning him. (this is of minor consequence but I'll just add it in). Hendricks and Lyles pair well off the bench(far better than Lyles+Metu or Lyles+Holmes), they both shoot the 3 It clears out lots of space for our guards. (with the roster space from Metu/Holmes/Len we then get a real 7foot center who can defend n the depth chart in the frontcourt is much improved from this season). Very clear improvement of the team at basic levels of cost/little risk.

- He's fleet enough of foot to switch out on the perimeter! Look at him stonewall this guard, the kid can move hes got great body control and mobility. He is excellent at recovering to the 3pt line to contest a shooter, which ofc is something asked often of NBA defenders.

Look at how he moves those feet, he's obviously light footed for a 6'9" player. He's able to mix in these little choppy steps, he's built for that ball-hawking life.

-He can block shots! Not only can he block shots but he has an extremely low foul rate given how many shots he blocks.. this is really a key factor that seperates him as an ideal selection for the Kings IMO

-Hendricks adds layers of versatility offensively and defensively where right now there are pretty basic stop-gap systems in place. He might be able to do Metu's job and Okpala's by himself, with a 3pt shot. He could defend on the perimeter for us and also function as a small-ball 5.

-Big fish in a small pond? How does a player like this who's vastly more talented than his teammates/competition react when all of a sudden he's surrounded by NBA talent, guys like Sabonis and Fox.. I'd like to see that experiment

You know what the problem is with Hendricks? He's playing himself out of our range.

Think about his archetype.. 6'9 210lb freshman who can shoot the ball and flashes the ability to be a 2-way player. Those guys don't grow on trees. I don't know why national draft scouts continue to have him ranked low in the 20s.

I think he's a top 10 talent who could rise even further up if he keeps improving every game. I don't think he's that far off from Jonathan Isaac as a prospect who went #6 overall. The thing I love about him as a prospect is his motor and intensity. Even when he's not scoring the ball or shooting it well, he's finding ways to impact the game in other ways.

 

[206Fan]

Brice Sensabaugh is very fun to watch on offense. Talented 3-level scorer with a very unique build. However, his defense still leaves a lot to be desired. Let's just put it this way, if he were on the Kings today, he'd easily be one of our worse defenders.

I'm interested in seeing where he ends up in the draft. He's extremely young, but also one of the most talented scorers in college this year.

 

[Ozymandias]

You know what the problem is with Hendricks? He's playing himself out of our range.

Think about his archetype.. 6'9 210lb freshman who can shoot the ball and flashes the ability to be a 2-way player. Those guys don't grow on trees. I don't know why national draft scouts continue to have him ranked low in the 20s.

I think he's a top 10 talent who could rise even further up if he keeps improving every game. I don't think he's that far off from Jonathan Isaac as a prospect who went #6 overall. The thing I love about him as a prospect is his motor and intensity. Even when he's not scoring the ball or shooting it well, he's finding ways to impact the game in other ways.

Yep this is why I'm making a big stink about it right now, I definitely get a "this seems too good to be true" vibe .. I think the Kings might be tipping their hand a bit when they list Sabonis at 7', it says they want him here at C. To be able to land a complimentary PF who can shoot 3's n block shots n throw down dunks along side him in the late 1st would be insane value..

One of the things that really stands out to me is he looks like an immediate upgrade, like he could be a backup (not a 3rd stringer) n given he's just 19 there's plenty of upside.

 

[Ozymandias]

Monster showing from Kris Murray in the upset over Indiana. 30pts on 11/18 shooting 3/6 from 3, 10 boards 2stl 1blk

 

[Ozymandias]

How about Brandin Podziemski 6'5 lefty Sophomore SG for Santa Clara outduelling Max Lewis.

I'm unsure if Podziemski is relevant to this exact thread, he might be more relevant to future drafts. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

He's sure had some kind of crazy uptick in his stats from Freshman year not really playing for Illinois to now averaging about 20ppg with 8.5 boards and 3.3 assists. At one point not long ago his recruitment was on fire and lots of big schools wanted him, good to see he's landed in a legit spot to showcase

He's a 3pt marksman n that'll be his calling card if he makes it. Listed at 205lbs. This is a player who I think if you're a local / West Coast Conference fan, keep tabs on him you'll end up liking what you see. Solid prospect.

Obviously he's been tasked with filling the void left by Jalen Williams at Santa Clara whos really been playing well for the Thunder. With Gonzaga (who sheesh Timme had an awful showing last night) and St. Mary's once again at the top of the WCC, hopefully Santa Clara can stick with them and spice things up a bit.

 

[Ozymandias]

A lot to digest already from todays games.. Alabama destroyed Kentucky.. Duke escapes by the hairs on its chiny chin chin and actually a great game/career high 18points from Dariq Whitehead saved them and hit a bunch of 3's.


In Tennessee's 85-42 decimation of South Carolina there's 2 very interesting lines in that boxscore (aside from a clean Julian Philips performance)


GG Jackson 0-8 from the field 1 rebound 4 turnovers.. Yikes

and Jonas Aidoo Sophomore 6'11" 241lb Center on Tennessee shooting 6/8 from the field 2/3 from 3, 3boards, 1ast, 1stl, 2blks. He is a "3 and D" center prospect. Shotblocker. Interesting to see how he follows this up, he does possess the talent to get drafted.

 

[Ozymandias]

Coleman Hawkins 6 for 9 from 3 today as Illinois takes down #14 Wisconsin!!


19, 15 boards 3 assists 1blk and 2/3 from 3 for 6'11 Sophomore PF Dawson Garcia on Minnesota


Matthew Cleveland 21, 12 boards 2ast 2 stl, 1/2 from 3.. He's been on a rampage for a month and a half


How about this statline for 5th year senior Colin Castleton at Florida.. 12pts 8rebs 5asts 7blks.. Fudge and Reeves shot it poorly from 3 in this one but they won... For Georgia Jabri Abdur-Rahim (son of Shareef) went 4/6 from 3 off the bench.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1612113426163142658

Maybe if I try hard enough, I can manifest Brandon Miller somehow slipping all the way to us in the draft.

 

[Ozymandias]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1611826228163485698

Wednesday we get the Baba Miller debut vs a solid Wake Forest team. Finally!

 

[Ozymandias]

6'9 230lb Sophomore at Maryland is much improved, interesting lefty. He's added lots of strength which has allowed him to shoot 70% from the floor in 25mpg over 14 games..

Shows some nice faceup ability.. Looks like he's got the physical tools for the next level and some budding skill..

 

[Ozymandias]

Indiana lost but Jalen Hood-Schifino dropped 33 points on 12/17 from the field and 5/7 from 3, he did have 6 turnovers compared to 3 assists and 3 rebounds but still this was a solid showing for the freshman who IU's listing at 6'6" and is shooting it well over 40% from 3 so far this season.

IDK how you could get upset at the selection if we took him with one of the late 2nd rders.

Here's highlights from a few days back, if I find highlights of todays game I'll edit them in too.

For those unfamiliar with the freshman's game dont be fooled by him being the height of a swingman he's an offensive oriented combo guard thru and thru.

 

[Ozymandias]

Villanova falls to 8-9.. Mark Armstrong's abysmal freshman season continues..


Interestingly enough.. Could actually work in the Kings favor if lets say Cam Whitmore falls.. Whitmore's stock seems rather unaffected, he's going in the first round regardless of how the team performs


Speaking of underperforming Big East teams ----- Patrick Ewing needs to be fired from Georgetown.. its long overdue

 

[Ozymandias]

I've been thinking, In the event Leonard Miller actually starts to shoot the 3 well I'm pretty sure that would ruin the kings chances at drafting him as he ends up out of range.

He sure looks a whole lot more confident these days.. With the way he's a combo forward but also 6'11" and skilled, I think its easy to see that he'd fit in nicely around our frontcourt.

Not sure there's a more interesting player in this draft to play the volatile game of "Shot Doctor" (analyzing the shooting mechanics) with either.. Obviously even for a lefty his mechanics are super unothodox. But it only takes one team to believe and who knows how he shoots it in private workouts for teams.

 

[Ozymandias]

KJ Adams has really been coming on of late and stringing together double-digit scoring games for Kansas in his Sophomore season..

6'7 and powerful, plays with extreme hustle and a meanstreak also doesnt even attempt 3's. Bill Self says he's an NFL style athlete. He's not rediculously explosive. Adams is more in the range of functional athletecism, you'll see him lay the ball in rather than dunk it sometimes.


Self has him studying Draymond Green. Kansas will need a lot from him to defend the title.


He's also averaging more offensive rebounds(2.5) than defensive(1.9), which obviously is quite unusual.

 

[Ozymandias]

Dayton finally offered his little brother. I'm convinced that kid, Cameron Holmes, is going to be even better than DaRon, whos headed to the league.

Physically DaRon looks like he's matured quite a bit in his 2 years at college. He certainly looks the part of an NBA player.


His chances of going in the first HAVE TO BE INCREASING, I mean this is his 2nd 32pt game in just a few days.. I would simply ask - What more is the kid supposed to do? His stats are great across the board..

He could be good enough to use the 1st rd pick on afterall.. Its worth discussing.

 

[Ozymandias]

K one more, small school sleeper. U wanna see a spectacular game-winner?

Thats a 6'10 Senior bigman hitting that contested 3 with the game on the line... (1000 apologies for posting a video of someone recording a video on their phone but its a good highlight)

You gotta see the stats he's averaging...

19ppg 9rebs 37% from 3, 84% ft's, 2.1 ast, 2.8 blks, 1.4 stls.. Gonna keep an eye on how he finishes the season. Sincerely hope they win the Big South so we see him in the tournament.

 

[Jc121]

Thinking about going to the Iowa vs Ohio state game next week and see Kriis play.
He looked good tonight against Michigan.

 

[Ozymandias]

college basketball from noon til the early morning today! WOOOOO. so many great matchups


NGL I'm expecting Tennessee to dismantle UK. Will be pleasantly surprised if they put up a good fight. As a Kings fan I think Julian Phillips playing well works in our favor for a lot of reasons, so I'll take solace in that.

This grad transfer thing has been for the most part a disaster for UK/Coach Cal. It's hard for me to sympathize with them too much tbh. For the Kings whats kinda stinky is that I'm fairly confident UK can continue to play poorly and Cason Wallace still wont drop near us.

We ran Keion Brooks out of town for his senior season so we could do this? nah.

 

[Ozymandias]

Thinking about going to the Iowa vs Ohio state game next week and see Kriis play
He looked good tonight against Michigan.

Those teams are more fun than I expected preseason. OSU would really be dangerous if Bruce Thornton had a lil more experience under his belt.


You reminded me to post the Dawson Garcia (6'11 235lb skilled lefty 3pt shooting PF) highlights vs OSU the other night

28pts 9 boards 2/4 from 3, 8/11 FT's, 2ast(perfectly lofted post entry feed from the 3pt line to start the highlights), 1stl, 0 turnovers. Hard carried the squad to a 3pt win. He's a classic "triple threat" type can actually put it on the floor, back you down, pass the ball n shoot it, n he's not all left hand like so many lefties.

Minnesota signed the best shotblocker in the class of '23 (7'1 Dennis Evans with a 7'7 wingspan) so if Dawson returns for his Jr season they'll truly have one of the most fearsome frontcourts around.

Very interesting possible 2nd rd pick IMO.. Potentially a good fit / floor stretcher at the 4.

 

[Ozymandias]

ya know I gotta say, n its kind of a minor elephant in the room.. Harrison Ingram truly made a terrible choice going to Stanford.. Idk how u could even muster a counter argument at this point..

38% from the field freshman year
36% this year his sophomore

like what the heck is actually going on.. his ast/to ratio would be a lot better in a more appropriate fit(surrounded by 3pt shooters) too..