Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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These highlights are worth checking out, it should be noted that Jackson played poorly in the first half, Johnnie Broome was the best big on the floor n was on his way to showing him up.. GG ended up going beserker mode in the 2nd half but it was far too little too late, Auburn is just a vastly superior team.
I'll tell you this... If we had 18 year old GG Jackson coming off the bench in last nights 2point loss to the 76ers, we win that damn game..
He remains squarely in "do we trade up for him" territory IMO. While Jackson is super young, there are aspects (especially on defense) that are quite ready.
An interesting storyline in this draft, lots of players projected high rn on some pretty bad teams, Jackson's South Carolina team is now 8-11... Eastern Michigan (Emoni Bates) is AWFUL. Pepperdine (Max Lewis) while talented is really brutal to watch at times. Even like trying to watch Cam Whitmore at Villanova, that team is a far cry from Nova teams of the past.. Oregon is pretty painful for having so many 5 star recruits n a potential lotto pick they might not make the tourney.. Add Michigan(10-8) with Jett Howard to the list as well..
I'll tell you this... If we had 18 year old GG Jackson coming off the bench in last nights 2point loss to the 76ers, we win that damn game..
He remains squarely in "do we trade up for him" territory IMO. While Jackson is super young, there are aspects (especially on defense) that are quite ready.
An interesting storyline in this draft, lots of players projected high rn on some pretty bad teams, Jackson's South Carolina team is now 8-11... Eastern Michigan (Emoni Bates) is AWFUL. Pepperdine (Max Lewis) while talented is really brutal to watch at times. Even like trying to watch Cam Whitmore at Villanova, that team is a far cry from Nova teams of the past.. Oregon is pretty painful for having so many 5 star recruits n a potential lotto pick they might not make the tourney.. Add Michigan(10-8) with Jett Howard to the list as well..
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Duke loses again...
I find it difficult to try and evaluate 6'8 Mark Mitchell this season, on this team. Obviously he's a better prospect than Harrison Ingram, but as you get closer to comparing him to 2nd rd types things get grey quickly.
He is shooting 41% from 3... (12/29).. He's a big strong kid with wide shoulders and he's got a decent first step, so if this 3pt shooting continues its gonna end up a big deal. Plus defender n can guard multiple spots.
Could he be a guy that ultimately ends up on sale (or leaving early) n the Kings can nab on the low?
Is it actually realistic to think a player like this would leave his name in this draft with the possibility he could actually fall to our 2nd rd picks? He also turns 20 in September so he's kind of old for a freshman.
If your operating under the premise of "We have plenty of offense already and are looking to add in other areas" Mitchell is interesting.
I find it difficult to try and evaluate 6'8 Mark Mitchell this season, on this team. Obviously he's a better prospect than Harrison Ingram, but as you get closer to comparing him to 2nd rd types things get grey quickly.
He is shooting 41% from 3... (12/29).. He's a big strong kid with wide shoulders and he's got a decent first step, so if this 3pt shooting continues its gonna end up a big deal. Plus defender n can guard multiple spots.
Could he be a guy that ultimately ends up on sale (or leaving early) n the Kings can nab on the low?
Is it actually realistic to think a player like this would leave his name in this draft with the possibility he could actually fall to our 2nd rd picks? He also turns 20 in September so he's kind of old for a freshman.
If your operating under the premise of "We have plenty of offense already and are looking to add in other areas" Mitchell is interesting.
Yeah, it's been a very interestiong season so far. A lot of underacchievers with a ton of potential, which always makes evaluation tough. Then players like Max Lewis, who I still love by the way, but who gets a tad out of control at times, and falls asleep on defence at times. However, there's no denying Lewis talent, and I'd rather have a player who makes mistakes by being over aggressive, than being tentitive at times like Whitehead. GG is all over the board in the mock drafts. Some have him as a lottery pick and others have him anywhere from16 to 25.
I'd be happy as a clam to get him, and there's a possibility that he'll be there, depending on where we pick. But I'd be alright with moving up to get him, or Lewis, or Howard. Another player I like, but wouldn't trade up to get him is Filipowski. He's the best player on the Duke team, and has unique ballhandling skills for a man his size. He's smart and is a good post player. He's shown willingness to shoot the three a bit, but he needs to improve in that area. If he does, he'd be a valuable player, one that would fit well on our team.
Back to Jackson! I've seen him play three times in the last week or so, and he's still raw in some areas. He lacks court awareness at times and gets out of position defensively. But overall, I think he can be an above average NBA player, maybe more, in a couple of years. He has a nose for the ball and has shown a little bit of rim protection. He has a nice looking 3 pt shot, which with some hard work could make him close to 40% shooter in time. Personally, I think he goes in the lottery, but who knows?
Do a little exercise! Start writing down all the players names that you think are likely lottery picks, and let me know when you get to 21 or 22. My point is, there are going to be some players that should be likely lottery picks that won't be. So maybe we get lucky. A couple of drafts ago I said prior to the draft that I thought Haliburton was the best player in that draft, and never in a million years did I think he would slide all the way down to us. So you just never know.
While I'm on the subject, I have to bring up Kris Murray. Come on, you knew it was going to happen. The kid is really good and to be honest, if he's sitting there when we pick, I'd have a hard time passing on him. You watch him play, and it's like watching Keegan last year. I also like Brice Sensabaugh from Ohio St. Good outside shooter and I like the physicality he plays with. Dude is built like a linebacker. Lacks the length of players like Jackson or Taylor Hendricks, but he's a very skilled player.
Arthur Kaluma is another player that I was interested in at the start of the season, and he mostly disappointed me. However he has started to play much better, so maybe there's something there. To me he's a 2nd pick right now. Maybe he can play himself into the bottom of the first round. A few other players that could interesting around draft time are Emoni Bates, Leonard Miller, Da'Ron Holmes, Azuolas Tubelis, Baylor Scheirman, and Noah Clowney... Obvioiusly Taylor Hendricks is a given!
I'd be happy as a clam to get him, and there's a possibility that he'll be there, depending on where we pick. But I'd be alright with moving up to get him, or Lewis, or Howard. Another player I like, but wouldn't trade up to get him is Filipowski. He's the best player on the Duke team, and has unique ballhandling skills for a man his size. He's smart and is a good post player. He's shown willingness to shoot the three a bit, but he needs to improve in that area. If he does, he'd be a valuable player, one that would fit well on our team.
Back to Jackson! I've seen him play three times in the last week or so, and he's still raw in some areas. He lacks court awareness at times and gets out of position defensively. But overall, I think he can be an above average NBA player, maybe more, in a couple of years. He has a nose for the ball and has shown a little bit of rim protection. He has a nice looking 3 pt shot, which with some hard work could make him close to 40% shooter in time. Personally, I think he goes in the lottery, but who knows?
Do a little exercise! Start writing down all the players names that you think are likely lottery picks, and let me know when you get to 21 or 22. My point is, there are going to be some players that should be likely lottery picks that won't be. So maybe we get lucky. A couple of drafts ago I said prior to the draft that I thought Haliburton was the best player in that draft, and never in a million years did I think he would slide all the way down to us. So you just never know.
While I'm on the subject, I have to bring up Kris Murray. Come on, you knew it was going to happen. The kid is really good and to be honest, if he's sitting there when we pick, I'd have a hard time passing on him. You watch him play, and it's like watching Keegan last year. I also like Brice Sensabaugh from Ohio St. Good outside shooter and I like the physicality he plays with. Dude is built like a linebacker. Lacks the length of players like Jackson or Taylor Hendricks, but he's a very skilled player.
Arthur Kaluma is another player that I was interested in at the start of the season, and he mostly disappointed me. However he has started to play much better, so maybe there's something there. To me he's a 2nd pick right now. Maybe he can play himself into the bottom of the first round. A few other players that could interesting around draft time are Emoni Bates, Leonard Miller, Da'Ron Holmes, Azuolas Tubelis, Baylor Scheirman, and Noah Clowney... Obvioiusly Taylor Hendricks is a given!
I'm glad that someone else is taking note of Mark Mitchell who is quietly having a very nice season for a player who at best is the 4th option on offense, which is a shame. I'd like to see him get more touches. Yes, he's shooting 41% from three, but he only takes 1.5 threes a game. That's not his fault and you have to give him credit for hitting almost half of the threes he takes, but I'd like to see that volume go up. Whether he declares for the draft, and what his long range aspperations are remain to be seen. But you're right, he's a little old for a Freshman.
I would love to nab him in the 2nd rd. And if he goes to the combine and gets feedback from NBA teams, and perhaps a 2nd round promise, he might stay in the draft. Right now he's sort of flying under the radar.
I would love to nab him in the 2nd rd. And if he goes to the combine and gets feedback from NBA teams, and perhaps a 2nd round promise, he might stay in the draft. Right now he's sort of flying under the radar.
As things stand rn I'd take Olivier Maxence-Prosper over Kaluma
ESPN bumped him up from like barely inside the top100 to the mid-60's last update, seems he's trending up quickly. This is a player who the HS scouting services didn't really get a fair look at, so there's good reason for him being underrated. He's a product of the Latin America NBA Academy despite being from Montreal (and a part of the Canadian National teams youth squads). Strong and athletic, absorbs contact well.
You've got a good list as usual! I feel Leonard Miller specifically deserves more mention around here, I think its fair to assume that if he was shooting a much better % from 3, he'd be projected near the lottery. We can afford to continue to develop a player like that without rushing him, with Barnes here, which could be a really good idea. A player with his skillset and his frame would look good around here, it's just a matter of how ready is he to contribute.
The idea of Scheirman here amuses me. IDK maybe it's a reach, n I rly dont mean to compare 'token white shooters' to 'token white shooters' but I feel like maybe he could at least give us a big splash like Ron Baker did for the Knicks, or even best case scenario something closer to what Pat Connaughton's done for Milwaukee.
You've got a good list as usual! I feel Leonard Miller specifically deserves more mention around here, I think its fair to assume that if he was shooting a much better % from 3, he'd be projected near the lottery. We can afford to continue to develop a player like that without rushing him, with Barnes here, which could be a really good idea. A player with his skillset and his frame would look good around here, it's just a matter of how ready is he to contribute.
The idea of Scheirman here amuses me. IDK maybe it's a reach, n I rly dont mean to compare 'token white shooters' to 'token white shooters' but I feel like maybe he could at least give us a big splash like Ron Baker did for the Knicks, or even best case scenario something closer to what Pat Connaughton's done for Milwaukee.
James Nnaji matches his career high with 16 points (on 7/7 from the field). I'd say he's doing pretty good, starting at 18 years old for the team currently in first place in the ACB.
this player also presents evaluation challenges.. He's younger than the field while competing (and excelling) against grown men. his wingspan is also completely absurd for his height..
I'm not comparing him to Bismack Biyombo, but I do want to point out that if Bismack Biyombo can play 12+ years in the NBA.. I like this kids chances at staying in NBA rotations for a long time too.
Mad Max ( sorry I couldn't resist ) is one of my favorite players in the draft. Excellent athlete who has a little dog in him and a great motor. He'll frustrate you at times with his decision making, particularly at the wrong time of the game. But he's not afraid to take the big shot. He can score from anywhere on the floor, and he has the potential to be a very good defender. If he were able to get drafted by the Kings, which is a very big long shot, it would be exactly what he needs. A coach who holds him accountable, and if he's coachable, you would have yourself a hell of a player.
I like Whitmore a lot, and of course baring a total disastor, we have no chance to draft him, barring a trade. I think Whitmore is still adjusting to playing against bigger, quicker, better players. He rushes at times at the basket, or simply tries to power up through the defense, and gets his shot blocked. I also think he could lose a couple of pounds. But he's a bit behind the curve because of missing some games. The good thing is that you can see the talent, and you can see him improving week to week.
I love his confidence, and he also has a little dog in him. His game reminds me a bit of Brice Sensabaugh, although right now I would say that Brice is a bit ahead of him production wise. That said, we might have a shot at Sensabaugh, although he's been moving up the draft boards as well. Very irritating. Everytime I like a player, they move up the boards and go out of reach. I think that Whitmore is a little better athlete than Sensabaugh, but both are good athlete's. I wish Jordan Walsh was shooting the three a bit better!
I love his confidence, and he also has a little dog in him. His game reminds me a bit of Brice Sensabaugh, although right now I would say that Brice is a bit ahead of him production wise. That said, we might have a shot at Sensabaugh, although he's been moving up the draft boards as well. Very irritating. Everytime I like a player, they move up the boards and go out of reach. I think that Whitmore is a little better athlete than Sensabaugh, but both are good athlete's. I wish Jordan Walsh was shooting the three a bit better!
At this point, I am starting to think about jumping on the "taking a flier on Emoni with the Indiana 2nd round pick" bandwagon. Guy's got his definite flaws but the potential is still there and Desmond Bane has shown that it's possible to be successful in the league with stubby little traffic cone arms.
It seems rather unlikely Bates will be on the board that late, shooting tends to get scarce in the 2nd rd real quick.
We'd probably need to take him in the first or trade up to secure him in the early 2nd. I'd cite Peyton Watson and Patrick Baldwin Jr going in the first last year...
I wouldnt be all that concerned about his wingspan either, obviously it'll be a slight hindrance on defense, that wont determine if he sinks or swims.. He'll be judged as an "instant offense" player off the bench. Something like a wing version of Jamal Crawford. He's got a quick release, he can shoot floaters (seen in the 2nd half of last nights performance) which is something he's doing MUCH better this year at EMU --- Penny let him get way too wild at Memphis, so the few floaters he did take were of exceptionally poor shot selection(off balance, rushed, the works)..
He's hitting these behind the back crossovers into stepback 3's.. Thats not really all that normal.. We could use him on the bench..
The most devastating single move in the NBA is still the Step-back J and you can thank Steph for that, n you can be sure that if one team takes Bates way higher than projected, that they sure do believe in that step-back J of his, n it does look good.
The core/engine of our team (Fox and Sabonis) is very strong for plugging in these sorta wings with the stepback J's too. We run teams ragged having them chase the ball, when some of our guys like Huerter, Monk and Murray hit those stepbacks, they've got all the time in the world.
We'd probably need to take him in the first or trade up to secure him in the early 2nd. I'd cite Peyton Watson and Patrick Baldwin Jr going in the first last year...
I wouldnt be all that concerned about his wingspan either, obviously it'll be a slight hindrance on defense, that wont determine if he sinks or swims.. He'll be judged as an "instant offense" player off the bench. Something like a wing version of Jamal Crawford. He's got a quick release, he can shoot floaters (seen in the 2nd half of last nights performance) which is something he's doing MUCH better this year at EMU --- Penny let him get way too wild at Memphis, so the few floaters he did take were of exceptionally poor shot selection(off balance, rushed, the works)..
He's hitting these behind the back crossovers into stepback 3's.. Thats not really all that normal.. We could use him on the bench..
The most devastating single move in the NBA is still the Step-back J and you can thank Steph for that, n you can be sure that if one team takes Bates way higher than projected, that they sure do believe in that step-back J of his, n it does look good.
The core/engine of our team (Fox and Sabonis) is very strong for plugging in these sorta wings with the stepback J's too. We run teams ragged having them chase the ball, when some of our guys like Huerter, Monk and Murray hit those stepbacks, they've got all the time in the world.
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I think Bates is clearly lotto-level talent in this draft. Not early second, not late first, lotto - and probably top half of the lotto at that. It's the off-court stuff that is going to determine where he goes. Things didn't go well at Memphis. He's got gun charges related to a weapon found in his vehicle after a traffic stop - but allegedly it wasn't his weapon. Now, was he ignorant of it, or was he out cruising for trouble? The farther he drops in the draft, the worse you know the off-court stuff actually is.
I wouldnt rule it out. Every year some shooter vaults the board in the final days leading up to the draft. Thats why I keep checking in.
and you can sure bet that if the Kings take Emoni Bates with the ~23rd pick, they're quickly gonna say 'we just got a lottery talent'
If it turns out to be the case that he's lottery bound -- it would be kinda similar to just a few years ago what happened with Ziaire Williams, how he was written off as a lotto pick for most of the college season and then gets drafted 10th as he was originally projected years prior.
and you can sure bet that if the Kings take Emoni Bates with the ~23rd pick, they're quickly gonna say 'we just got a lottery talent'
If it turns out to be the case that he's lottery bound -- it would be kinda similar to just a few years ago what happened with Ziaire Williams, how he was written off as a lotto pick for most of the college season and then gets drafted 10th as he was originally projected years prior.
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I'm not fully aware of the stories with Emoni Bates father so I could be missing some key details, from what I understand some of the things he did helped his son maintain that #1 ranking, which ultimately should prove to be helpful to his sons cause moving forward, I cant really fault him for that in todays world where everywhere you turn there's people trying to farm clicks for ad revenue.
Yup. Whitmore would actually function as a mini zion williamson for the Kings, but it's not meant to be, we're too good.
Sensabaugh is lots of fun to watch and he sure is effective, n he's got a ton of lower body strength. Very interested to see how he and OSU close this season out.
Jordan Walsh and Ricky Council both are having a lot more trouble these days it seems. I still wonder about Brazille and what he's gonna do, somehow could he be more relevant to this draft than Walsh and Council? I can't write it off. The Razorbacks have 2 OUTSTANDING recruits coming in next year in (PG) Layden Blocker and (C) Baye Fall, Kinda hoping Walsh and Council stay, cuz that team will be really good.
Sensabaugh is lots of fun to watch and he sure is effective, n he's got a ton of lower body strength. Very interested to see how he and OSU close this season out.
Jordan Walsh and Ricky Council both are having a lot more trouble these days it seems. I still wonder about Brazille and what he's gonna do, somehow could he be more relevant to this draft than Walsh and Council? I can't write it off. The Razorbacks have 2 OUTSTANDING recruits coming in next year in (PG) Layden Blocker and (C) Baye Fall, Kinda hoping Walsh and Council stay, cuz that team will be really good.
I mean the guy created a "high school" to showcase his kid, it's not really a surprise that he struggled in an environment where the team wasn't meant to showcase him and him alone. It's hard to tell whether Eastern Michigan is basically act 2 of the Bates Academy or he finally put it together. He'd be horrible for a team like Houston or Detroit assuming they didn't go all in on a more respected coach and winning next season.
Yeah but that whole created high school situation could have helped his son hold that #1 ranking longer than he should've, which if thats the case I'd say he did his son a solid favor in a "fake it til you make it" sense, as that ranking is a part of why he gained such name recognition.
To me its the fault of the hs scouting services, not of the Bates family. They build players up and then are afraid to tear them down, n some of those players they build up generate more clicks than others so they become biased..
N I mean do you see who they put #1 after Bates left the class of 2022? Derek Lively.. with guys like Dariq Whitehead and Dillon Mitchell not far behind.. n all 3 of those players have fallen from the upper echelon tiers of this draft already..
To me its the fault of the hs scouting services, not of the Bates family. They build players up and then are afraid to tear them down, n some of those players they build up generate more clicks than others so they become biased..
N I mean do you see who they put #1 after Bates left the class of 2022? Derek Lively.. with guys like Dariq Whitehead and Dillon Mitchell not far behind.. n all 3 of those players have fallen from the upper echelon tiers of this draft already..
Houston won by 11 but Hendricks sure was impressive. Look at him completely blow past Jarace Walker bout 30 seconds into the highlights. Walker is a plus defender but provides the same resistance as a traffic cone in this iso bucket, he thought he could crowd him and got discarded with relative ease, n then had no hope to recover.
Part of the reason I'm really sold on Hendricks here with the first rd pick is
1) defense/blocked shots... I mean do u see the block he gets stopping the 2 man fastbreak all by himself? In my book, thats quite a play. Thats kinda why I prefer him over Kris Murray (age is also a decent sized factor tbh). Look at the 3pt shot he blocks predicting the stepback move at 3:20, WE COULD USE THIS PLAYER!!
2) confident offensive player who doesnt seem all that limited, just needs more reps, I feel like some of the other forwards in this first rd range simply dont have the same kind of upside on offense. Some of these other forwards I have a more "It looks like you might get away with this in the NBA" feeling about conversely when I watch Hendricks i see much more 'this looks like what you'd expect from an NBA player/1st rd pick(in the year 2023)'.
3) he just moves so well, whether its spinning, or on the break, or recovering on defense, he has plenty of functional athleticism, he's able to chain athletic actions one after the next fluidly, which is a very good sign for a 6'9" 19 year old.. He plays the game 'on his toes', light footed, changes direction quickly, explodes. The fact that he's only pretty good in a defensive stance and moving laterally and not great actually works in the Kings favor or he'd be WAY out of range..
4) Hendricks doesnt appear to be redundant with our players at all(other than Metu who's simply not a factor in who we draft in the first), he's quite complementary in fact.. I think its worth pointing out if you navigate to the personnel threads on this forum you will see people talking about signing PF's for big money in the offseason, n many of those PF's in question do similar things to what Hendricks could provide for possibly a 10th of the cost (along with a restricted deal)
5) He'd have been really useful in last nights loss to the Raptors. In the event that Hendricks 3pt shot is decent-to-good in the NBA, that will really allow him to play some SF.. This is a player who could give us minutes at the 3, 4 and 5.. We cant go so small as to have Keegan Murray at the 5 and Huerter at the 4... Hendricks at the 5, Murray at the 4 and then Huerter at the 3 seems viable.
the lineup of
SF - Murray
PF - Hendricks
C - Sabonis
just seems to be possibly a great match and natural fit to me
Also ---- Is Jarace Walker really 6'8? He sure looks more than an inch shorter than Hendricks to me.. I'm pretty confident he's closer to 6'7" n they gave him an extra inch because he's got long arms, which seems to be a common thing in college these days.
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7'1 245lb 5-star Freshman Vincent Iwuchukwu is back for USC!! and it's no coincidence they beat UCLA with him(12pts 5boards 1blk in 14mins). He had some sort of cardiac arrest happen during a summer workout, so I'd guess it's extremely unlikely he'll be in this draft -- he's easily talented enough to throw his name in and get evaluated.
Always liked this player, he absolutely crushed thru the rankings to make it to 5-star, sad to think that all this momentum he had came crashing down the way it did.. He does have some Thomas Bryant to his game, and like Bryant at a similar stage its quite obvious he'll play in the NBA, its just a matter of when and how high does he get selected. Sure is nice to see him back on the floor!
Boogie Ellis dropped 30 in this, USC has its balance back with Vince in the frontcourt and Drew Peterson on the wing and Ellis at PG.
Always liked this player, he absolutely crushed thru the rankings to make it to 5-star, sad to think that all this momentum he had came crashing down the way it did.. He does have some Thomas Bryant to his game, and like Bryant at a similar stage its quite obvious he'll play in the NBA, its just a matter of when and how high does he get selected. Sure is nice to see him back on the floor!
Boogie Ellis dropped 30 in this, USC has its balance back with Vince in the frontcourt and Drew Peterson on the wing and Ellis at PG.
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6'2" 170lb Junior PG at UAB Eric Gaines (who's very quick and explosive) continues to play well and perhaps for his draft stock more importantly shoot the 3 well.. He's over 38% now..
He's got some "poormans Fox" traits... Genuinely wonder what the FO's evaluation would be of this player.. Surely his highlight tape at seasons end is going to go crazy, for a skinny 6'2" guard he sure has a knack for throwing down dunks and getting blocks.
The fact that we have DJ Steward on the G-league team/sl team indicates to me the FO would probably like this player..
He's got some "poormans Fox" traits... Genuinely wonder what the FO's evaluation would be of this player.. Surely his highlight tape at seasons end is going to go crazy, for a skinny 6'2" guard he sure has a knack for throwing down dunks and getting blocks.
The fact that we have DJ Steward on the G-league team/sl team indicates to me the FO would probably like this player..
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while I dont have Hawkins in the first round yet, I could see how in the past few weeks people would've bumped him up there.
He's an interesting player when it comes to team fit and the Kings, not perfect but maybe good enough. UConn is free falling lost 6 out of their last 8 after like a 15-0 start. Hawkins has had a few 30pt explosions to try and keep them afloat.
For now I'd prefer Jalen Hood-Schifino Freshman at IU.
I did my best to investigate that incident, and from what I originally found out was that not only was the gun not his, but neither was the vehicle, which makes not knowing the gun was there more feasable. As far as I know he's been a model student since he switched schools. It's widely known that his older teammates shunned him at Memphis. Even Hardaway admitted it, and said it was his fault for not stepping in and squelching the matter.
I don't think he'll go in the lottery, but I do think some team between 18 and 25 will take a chance on him, maybe the Kings. He's definitely talented. For me, it would depend on who is left on the board when our turn comes. It come down to who I like better. Bates or a player like Sensabaugh, who I like a lot by the way.. Who has the bigger upside?
I don't think he'll go in the lottery, but I do think some team between 18 and 25 will take a chance on him, maybe the Kings. He's definitely talented. For me, it would depend on who is left on the board when our turn comes. It come down to who I like better. Bates or a player like Sensabaugh, who I like a lot by the way.. Who has the bigger upside?
I will admit to not having a very good grasp on Sensabaugh at all. But the upside on Bates, if the character issues are not a concern, is pretty massive. There aren't a ton of super-athletic, super-skinny, 6'10" small forwards who can handle and shoot the heck out of the ball and are go-to scorers. Like the last guy I can think of that really fit that description went #2 in the draft, and as things fell out, should have gone #1. I can at least squint and see a similarity.
The thing that does scare me a bit (outside of the character issue) is that Eastern Michigan is a bad team. I don't tend to like go-to players whose college teams badly underperform. I can think of three that went #1 overall in the past 10 years (Edwards, Fultz, Simmons), and none has had a smooth time of it, though Edwards is finally rounding out. But hey, if Bates is somehow there when the Kings pick, if the character issues can be smoothed over, he'd be a heck of a swing.
The thing that does scare me a bit (outside of the character issue) is that Eastern Michigan is a bad team. I don't tend to like go-to players whose college teams badly underperform. I can think of three that went #1 overall in the past 10 years (Edwards, Fultz, Simmons), and none has had a smooth time of it, though Edwards is finally rounding out. But hey, if Bates is somehow there when the Kings pick, if the character issues can be smoothed over, he'd be a heck of a swing.
In an interview with the coach of Eastern Michigan, the coach said that Bates, when indroduced to the team, Bates almost got on his knee's and begged his teammates to accept him. That all he wanted was to be a part of the team, and no one special. His teammates believed him and as a result, he's playing well. As I said, Hardaway said at Memphis that the problem was his fault. He said he saw the problem, but thought it would eventually take care of itself. It didn't!. Apparently they felt the same way about Duren, but I guess no one wanted to tangle with him, or he just didn't care. But if you watched their games, they didn't bust their butts to get him the ball.