Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft

[Ozymandias]

I do think we need a long-term replacement for Len as our backup C. Would've been nice of the FO had any ounce of belief in Queta who has been doing well in the League, but I think Nnaji brings a level of athleticism that Queta doesn't have. I'd be thrilled if he's there at #38!

I've been listing C's in the western conference off here and asking whats gonna happen when we face them in playoff series, guys like Ayton and Jaren Jackson and Steven Adams, guess we can add Keevon Looney to the list...

We also now know that this playing small thing was more of a regular season look and in the playoffs and gearing up towards it we play Len.

With Len, Holmes and Metu at C the Kings are simply coinflipping they'll cause more awkward plays for the other team in the paint than they will for us on offense.

I think if your really being obective Nnaji could present immense upside here, especially if reports are true he's 6'11, if we're able to plug in a long armed big who can really blocks shots and cause havoc in the paint, and ballhawk rebounds n fly around n be ready to run on the break, thats a situtaion that can turn consistent and it'll transfer energy to the rest of the guys and it might be a relatively low risk gamble considering the upside.

Right now in these 3 losses in a row to the Warriors theres plenty of ~35 point quarters where we look great but theres also these ~20 point quarters where were sputtering n sometimes playing too much 1v1, and for me with a C like Nnaji in those moments could really do the trick at alleviating lots of pressure, we're shaky getting rebounds, we're shaky at defending the rim and having our C recover out to the perimeter on some of those types of plays you'd figure Nnaji would shine and hopefully bully the opponent n the results would trickle down to more opportunity for our other players..

IDK when I look at that footage of Nnaji, he looks crazy athletic to me. He looks like Ben Wallace. His listed weight of 225 is obviously incorrect, if he isnt 245 already he will be in no time, as strong as he is now you'd have to think he'll be quite a bit stronger in a few years. With the way the NBA is today where teams are gonna come at you with waves of 6'8" wing players having an enforcer built like Nnaji who recovers with lots of force and can change direction like a smaller player and simply block you to smithereens if u put up something weak or dunk on your head, and it looks like he runs very well, all adds up to works for the Kings imo.

and I mean if you've looked around at this summers free agents to be but shotblockers arent gonna be easy to come by, Nnaji might actually be a low cost option in comparison, its not like we need big minutes so it seems viable.

 

[serbiangoat]

I've been listing C's in the western conference off here and asking whats gonna happen when we face them in playoff series, guys like Ayton and Jaren Jackson and Steven Adams, guess we can add Keevon Looney to the list...

We also now know that this playing small thing was more of a regular season look and in the playoffs and gearing up towards it we play Len.

With Len, Holmes and Metu at C the Kings are simply coinflipping they'll cause more awkward plays for the other team in the paint than they will for us on offense.

I think if your really being obective Nnaji could present immense upside here, especially if reports are true he's 6'11, if we're able to plug in a long armed big who can really blocks shots and cause havoc in the paint, and ballhawk rebounds n fly around n be ready to run on the break, thats a situtaion that can turn consistent and it'll transfer energy to the rest of the guys and it might be a relatively low risk gamble considering the upside.

Right now in these 3 losses in a row to the Warriors theres plenty of ~35 point quarters where we look great but theres also these ~20 point quarters where were sputtering n sometimes playing too much 1v1, and for me with a C like Nnaji in those moments could really do the trick at alleviating lots of pressure, we're shaky getting rebounds, we're shaky at defending the rim and having our C recover out to the perimeter on some of those types of plays you'd figure Nnaji would shine and hopefully bully the opponent n the results would trickle down to more opportunity for our other players..

IDK when I look at that footage of Nnaji, he looks crazy athletic to me. He looks like Ben Wallace. His listed weight of 225 is obviously incorrect, if he isnt 245 already he will be in no time, as strong as he is now you'd have to think he'll be quite a bit stronger in a few years. With the way the NBA is today where teams are gonna come at you with waves of 6'8" wing players having an enforcer built like Nnaji who recovers with lots of force and can change direction like a smaller player and simply block you to smithereens if u put up something weak or dunk on your head, and it looks like he runs very well, all adds up to works for the Kings imo.

and I mean if you've looked around at this summers free agents to be but shotblockers arent gonna be easy to come by, Nnaji might actually be a low cost option in comparison, its not like we need big minutes so it seems viable.

Im with you on the Nnaji hype unlike Garuba who was a SF with skills of a C this project big from one of the big Spanish clubs looks like he has talents for the NBA. The few times he played for Barca he looked impressive.

 

[Ozymandias]

man I remember 10 years ago Kevon Looney was being compared to Kevin Durant! He was like 200lbs even back then, I remember people questioning his ranking being so high because they didnt think he was facing decent competition in Milwaukee.

skip ahead 10 years and he's gotta have added 30lbs and now he casually drops 20 rebound games and wins NBA championships playing C. What a wild ride the changing landscape of the NBA provides.

 

[Ozymandias]

Judging this series makes me wonder how a player like GG Jackson would fit here too. Would he be able to ballhawk for us and also guard a forward and be trusted out on the wing? Seems to me like he can obviously be trusted to closeout to the 3pt line well, lots of players are categorized as mobile but dont really have the recovery speed defensively, he does. He also gets properly crouched down in a defensive stance n moves really well for 6'9. Could he sway things in the hustle categories for us? He can also play smallball 5 in the proper matchups, how'd he do vs Wiggins? I'm not sure but I do think he could run with him and he'd play hard.

12:57 starts the defense portion of the video i'd say watch that first.

Now hes a player whos gonna have interesting measurements as well, how long his arms are, 6'11 would be outstanding for him, 6'10 id say is expected and 6'9 would be less than ideal.

 

[The_Jamal]

i would have said the same thing before the playoffs but at least in this series, a shot maker on our side has us up 3-1 at the very least imo. I don’t know if I could say the same thing about a great wing defender. Some of that might be because their best player is a small guard and that could look different against say the Suns. I’d take a great two way wing if we find one though. I’m still hoping for Bilal and Jackson Davis in the draft

Thinking through this a bit more, could that guy just actually be Monk?

He's obviously shown tremendous flashes of being an elite scorer/playmaker throughout the year, but it's being highlighted here in the playoffs:

29 MPG
19.8 PPG
3.5 APG
4.8 RPG

60.5% TS
17.9% Ast
.557 FTr (for some reference, this is bonkers good. Like prime James Harden on the Rockets good)
25% USG

I mean, these are just elite scoring numbers. No other way to look at them. I know this is his 6th year, but is it impossible to think he can still make a leap to another tier of player at age 25? Especially if you consider how consistent his upward trajectory has been over the past 3 seasons, getting better every year. He's found another gear so far in the playoffs attacking the rim and REALLY putting pressure on the defense. That's an incredibly rare talent that's basically reserved for star guards in this league.

Is it sticky? Who knows. But I don't think we should be taking for granted what Monk is doing offensively right now. It's certainly not just "bench microwave" guard type production.

 

[206Fan]

Thinking through this a bit more, could that guy just actually be Monk?

He's obviously shown tremendous flashes of being an elite scorer/playmaker throughout the year, but it's being highlighted here in the playoffs:

29 MPG
19.8 PPG
3.5 APG
4.8 RPG

60.5% TS
17.9% Ast
.557 FTr (for some reference, this is bonkers good. Like prime James Harden on the Rockets good)
25% USG

I mean, these are just elite scoring numbers. No other way to look at them. I know this is his 6th year, but is it impossible to think he can still make a leap to another tier of player at age 25? Especially if you consider how consistent his upward trajectory has been over the past 3 seasons, getting better every year. He's found another gear so far in the playoffs attacking the rim and REALLY putting pressure on the defense. That's an incredibly rare talent that's basically reserved for star guards in this league.

Is it sticky? Who knows. But I don't think we should be taking for granted what Monk is doing offensively right now. It's certainly not just "bench microwave" guard type production.

They mentioned a 2-way player who's great wing defender... that doesn't sound like Monk. I think he's just too small and gives up size as your starting SG. Unless you're talking about him as our possible 3rd star.

One of the main things that hurt Monk this year is his erratic and inconsistent play. I think that's what ultimately led to the lack of consideration for 6MOY. In order to separate himself from a star vs. reserve, he'll need to bring the consistency. Can he play at a high level over the course of an entire season?

Game 7 is going to be important. If he steps up and plays amazing tomorrow in a win, I think this 100% deserves more conversation.

 

[The_Jamal]

They mentioned a 2-way player who's great wing defender... that doesn't sound like Monk. I think he's just too small and gives up size as your starting SG. Unless you're talking about him as our possible 3rd star.

One of the main things that hurt Monk this year is his erratic and inconsistent play. I think that's what ultimately led to the lack of consideration for 6MOY. In order to separate himself from a star vs. reserve, he'll need to bring the consistency. Can he play at a high level over the course of an entire season?

Game 7 is going to be important. If he steps up and plays amazing tomorrow in a win, I think this 100% deserves more conversation.

Right, I'm saying moreso about the people who think we need a 3rd scoring star in the vein of a Beal/Lavine. Maybe we just have one in the team already

 

[iowamcnabb]

He has time to mature as a player and this playoff experience has likely helped.

 

[Ozymandias]

 

[Ozymandias]

Yeah I mean again here in this Game 7 loss... In that 2nd half that went horribly wrong, Curry is getting clean looks int he paint, they are grabbing every offensive rebound...


Thats stuff you'd think a player like James Nnaji is built to negate. Dereck Lively II, maybe those guys wont be able to contribute much right away but if they can gain some polish during the season maybe they could infuse energy in the post season.. or else I fear we may continue to run into the issue of Sabonis short arms causing us rebounding issues vs the likes of Looney, Ayton, Jackson, Adams, Davis etc.

 

[206Fan]

With the season being over for the Kings, a big thing we lacked were 3&D SGs/wings. It reminded me of an under the radar late 2nd round prospect, SG D'Moi Hodge out of Missouri who also had his season end at G1C..

The main reason why he's under the radar is because of his age and size. He's already 24 and would be turning 25 during his rookie year in December.

Background: He started out in JUCO and eventually transferred to Cleveland State and spent 2 years there before going to Missouri. Him and Kobe Brown led a successful Missouri team to March Madness before being upset by Princeton in the 2nd round.

Measurements:

• 6’2.75 w/o shoes
• 6’5.5 wingspan
• 181lbs

Stats at Missouri on 29.1mpg

• 14.7pts 3.9rebs 1.6asts 2.6stls 0.5blks 0.8tos
• Shooting splits: 47.7/40/73.4

The big thing that pops out at you are his steals and blocks which are elite for a small guard. He’s a pesk on defense and knows how to take swipes at the ball. He’s an active defender and would fair best guarding PGs and SGs. On offense, he’s an off-ball SG. He’s a very good shooter who can get the shot off quickly. In his fit with the Kings, I see a 3&D SG. He reminds me a bit of TD. Hodge had a really strong showing during the PIT and landed himself in Givony’s top 100 list at 97.

Here’s a highlight of him against Utah State. He’s #5.

 

[The_Jamal]

Yeah I mean again here in this Game 7 loss... In that 2nd half that went horribly wrong, Curry is getting clean looks int he paint, they are grabbing every offensive rebound...


Thats stuff you'd think a player like James Nnaji is built to negate. Dereck Lively II, maybe those guys wont be able to contribute much right away but if they can gain some polish during the season maybe they could infuse energy in the post season.. or else I fear we may continue to run into the issue of Sabonis short arms causing us rebounding issues vs the likes of Looney, Ayton, Jackson, Adams, Davis etc.

Do you see any of these guys as fits next to Domas? Or moreso a 12-18 MPG big off the bench to provide defense?

 

[Ozymandias]

Do you see any of these guys as fits next to Domas? Or moreso a 12-18 MPG big off the bench to provide defense?

Really good question.

In a best case scenario Nnaji can play with Sabonis for sure(which also means he fits with Lyles). He'd have immense trade value in a best case scenario. You'd start with baby steps, as he gains more confidence you give him the 12 mpg work his way up to 18, if it keeps working then you can start to overlap their minutes. Same goes for the Dereck Lively II scenario, they arent solid FT shooters which could limit their PT some late-game, but again, we have our starting C, that stuff is of minor consequence.

Holmes shot like 80% from the FT line for us and Len's usually around 70, Metu was 74%, didnt amount to crap in the playoffs, we needed help on the boards and protecting the paint, C's who can hit FT's are a dime a dozen in comparison.

Sabonis is excellent at finding open players and Nnaji dunks everything. We get to keep Sabonis out in the midrange while Nnaji does the dirtywork down low. If Nnaji is 6'11 like Givony says, that means he fits even better around here.

some of these passes Monk is throwing off the dribble these days - really high quality, high difficulty, making it look easy. Nnaji dunks those dropoffs and the defense doesnt even jump to contest him, its just a dunk.

I'm old enough to remember Serge Ibaka was often mocked as a mid 2nd rder up until the summer before that draft. I wonder if Nnaji is easily an NBA athelete like Ibaka was back then, seems like it.

In those moments where Nnaji's on the floor and your thinking of bringing Sabonis back on with him, It'd be more about "Nnaji is bothering the other team (being a menace defensively n on the boards)" so we want to keep him on the floor.

Looney isnt nearly as explosive as Nnaji for example.. Looney plays strong, doesnt try anything fancy, positions well and puts his hands in the air. If we can get Nnaji on that path he's got all the natural ability and effort to take it even further, he comes flying in like a bat out of hell..

Kerr throughout the series used the words "Momentum" and "Force".... Thats James Nnaji's whole shtick.. Thats what he does, his game is all about force and momentum.. Nnaji gets a block on one end and it turns to a dunk for us on the other, swings like that are a very big deal when you have an offense as potent as ours (and a homecrowd loud as ours).. He could be used to punish smaller lineups too if he can move with them, with Nnaji you've gotta think more how he works in todays NBA, rather than vs players directly in this draft.

It's almost difficult to calculate what Nnaji could add here, but for damn sure it'd be way above the opportunity cost of the 24th pick, to be clear Nnaji would be a pick where you hope you get somethign that cant easily be bought on the free market for cheap, and you accept some developmental bumps in the road as part of the cost. The Kings rotation is solid already we're in a position to gamble like this.

Right? That makes sense? If there was a young player who could hold down the 5 but defend in space and add toughness and shotblocking and all the things youd hope from Nnaji ---- That player is gonna cost a crapload on the open market.. He presents a low-cost/high-reward opportunity for us. Born on August 14th 2004, we're talking about an 18 year old.

the flipside is too, how can we address this issue without Nnaji? can we even? who are the candidates? I'd love to have that discussion. It's not an easy hole to fill on a backup/3rd string type of budget.... Like it seems really, really difficult.

But like I cant stress this enough, the sell with Nnaji, the best case scenario, thats just what we need here. I'm just super firm in the belief that a wing player or a guard could never boost our defense the way a C who can really cover ground n explode n isnt a pushover could. So Nnaji fits both a need and a high upside opportunity.

N he's got crowd favorite written all over him.. The playoffs are war, n this is the type of dude you'd want in the trenches. His elbows look sharp, how colossally strong is this player gonna be in 5-7 years?

Draft nuts will remember the name Cliff Alexander, who famously went undrafted n had a cup of tea with the Trailblazers. Cliff was ranked top3 in his class and built his rep playing tough vs the #1 ranked Jahlil Okafor. Now I'm not sure exactly what James Nnaji will turn out to be, something like Ben Wallace I'd imagine is best case. But I'm sure what he's not, and he damn sure isnt Cliff Alexander 2.0. Alexander was big and strong similar frame long arms, he could jump decently well but otherwise was pretty anchored to the ground n mechanical, n when you watch Nnaji in comparison, he moves like a gazelle.

 

[Ozymandias]

With the season being over for the Kings, a big thing we lacked were 3&D SGs/wings. It reminded me of an under the radar late 2nd round prospect, SG D'Moi Hodge out of Missouri who also had his season end at G1C..

The main reason why he's under the radar is because of his age and size. He's already 24 and would be turning 25 during his rookie year in December.

Background: He started out in JUCO and eventually transferred to Cleveland State and spent 2 years there before going to Missouri. Him and Kobe Brown led a successful Missouri team to March Madness before being upset by Princeton in the 2nd round.

Measurements:

• 6’2.75 w/o shoes
• 6’5.5 wingspan
• 181lbs

Stats at Missouri on 29.1mpg

• 14.7pts 3.9rebs 1.6asts 2.6stls 0.5blks 0.8tos
• Shooting splits: 47.7/40/73.4

The big thing that pops out at you are his steals and blocks which are elite for a small guard. He’s a pesk on defense and knows how to take swipes at the ball. He’s an active defender and would fair best guarding PGs and SGs. On offense, he’s an off-ball SG. He’s a very good shooter who can get the shot off quickly. In his fit with the Kings, I see a 3&D SG. He reminds me a bit of TD. Hodge had a really strong showing during the PIT and landed himself in Givony’s top 100 list at 97.

Here’s a highlight of him against Utah State. He’s #5.

This player has a really nice looking J. All the footage I've seen of him makes me think that, he gets great rotation on the ball.


If he goes undrafted I'd like it if we signed him for G-League

 

[iowamcnabb]

I didn’t realize James Nnaji has a 7’7 wingspan. Crazy

 

[Ozymandias]

I didn’t realize James Nnaji has a 7’7 wingspan. Crazy

I mean, that first block especially, thats viscious, thats "you cant bring that weak crap around here". After watching Steph get SO MANY clean shots off with an extremely low release point IN THE PAINT vs us, I think of this exact play.

Nnaji isnt just long and strong he moves very quick for an 18 year old that size, hes a ballhawk, hes a freight train. He's got that sort of "spark plug" type of energy too, thats what interests me the most, if he could infuse that into what we already have could pay big dividends.

We've all seen the Draymond tough guy routine, let him try that crap on 18 year old James Nnaji, see what happens. I would venture to say Nnaji and those sharp elbows of his are gonna rub a lot of opposing players the wrong way, he's built for scrapping, and hey on the Kings, we can let him pick up fouls quick, he's not our starter, his presence can be felt in 10-15mins.

Givony said 6'11" with a 7'5" wingspan the other day I'd tend to lean towards that. the 6'9" listing we've seen for most of the year does seem false, if I had to guess I'd say he's at least 6'10.

and hey maybe I'm totally freaking wrong n throwing Trayce Jackson-Davis under the bus for no reason, but I think of that 3rd quarter when it all fell apart in game 7, n ask myself 'what can TJD do against Looney that cuts the mustard?' I'm not sure... It just doesnt make sense to me we're gonna go up against all these 7'5" wingspan having starting C's in the playoffs with 6'11" wingspan Sabonis and then were gonna bring in TJD whos got another average wingspan for a PF in to cover for him, I feel like that lack of elite length is a main reason Richaun Holmes is a fatally flawed as a backup here..

Might seem like I'm splitting hairs, but I'd argue thats where we're at.. This Kings team/roster is very talented as is, so we've gotta search high and low for potential impact moves, and also I'd say we have plenty of opportunity to develop younger players cuz even if we draft more 23 year old NBA ready types, where are we gonna put them? how many minutes do we have for them? I say the answer isnt much different from if we went young. The way I see it, older players are almost higher risk for us, if they dont hit the ground running they can go stale here quickly if they arent instantly rotation quality, while Nnaji will be younger than most of the 1rps in the 2024 draft

 

[The_Jamal]

I mean, that first block especially, thats viscious, thats "you cant bring that weak crap around here". After watching Steph get SO MANY clean shots off with an extremely low release point IN THE PAINT vs us, I think of this exact play.

Nnaji isnt just long and strong he moves very quick for an 18 year old that size, hes a ballhawk, hes a freight train. He's got that sort of "spark plug" type of energy too, thats what interests me the most, if he could infuse that into what we already have could pay big dividends.

We've all seen the Draymond tough guy routine, let him try that crap on 18 year old James Nnaji, see what happens. I would venture to say Nnaji and those sharp elbows of his are gonna rub a lot of opposing players the wrong way, he's built for scrapping, and hey on the Kings, we can let him pick up fouls quick, he's not our starter, his presence can be felt in 10-15mins.

Givony said 6'11" with a 7'5" wingspan the other day I'd tend to lean towards that. the 6'9" listing we've seen for most of the year does seem false, if I had to guess I'd say he's at least 6'10.

and hey maybe I'm totally freaking wrong n throwing Trayce Jackson-Davis under the bus for no reason, but I think of that 3rd quarter when it all fell apart in game 7, n ask myself 'what can TJD do against Looney that cuts the mustard?' I'm not sure... It just doesnt make sense to me we're gonna go up against all these 7'5" wingspan having starting C's in the playoffs with 6'11" wingspan Sabonis and then were gonna bring in TJD whos got another average wingspan for a PF in to cover for him, I feel like that lack of elite length is a main reason Richaun Holmes is a fatally flawed as a backup here..

Might seem like I'm splitting hairs, but I'd argue thats where we're at.. This Kings team/roster is very talented as is, so we've gotta search high and low for potential impact moves, and also I'd say we have plenty of opportunity to develop younger players cuz even if we draft more 23 year old NBA ready types, where are we gonna put them? how many minutes do we have for them? I say the answer isnt much different from if we went young. The way I see it, older players are almost higher risk for us, if they dont hit the ground running they can go stale here quickly if they arent instantly rotation quality, while Nnaji will be younger than most of the 1rps in the 2024 draft

I do think finding a consistent back-up we can rely on for Domas has become even more a necessity this off-season. I mean, in the middle of the season, Domas was having to run 37+ MPG for like 3 months straight because no one was capable of taking the back-up job and we were forced to extend his minutes.

Keeping Domas fresh and healthier heading into the playoffs should be a real priority and likely helps his overall play. Sounds like Nnaji can not only address a real team need with his defense and toughness, but maybe keep Domas around 32-33 MPG and more well-rested for the games that count.

 

[ockingsfan]

So Adem Bona had shoulder surgery (Labrum) and he wont be able to workout for teams or play in summer league. Still is maintaining his college eligibility. Interesting to see where that goes.

If Bona stays in the draft, I would take him with our 2nd round pick, if he's available. He could be a defensive monster at C/PF with his tools.

 

[bajaden]

I've been listing C's in the western conference off here and asking whats gonna happen when we face them in playoff series, guys like Ayton and Jaren Jackson and Steven Adams, guess we can add Keevon Looney to the list...

We also now know that this playing small thing was more of a regular season look and in the playoffs and gearing up towards it we play Len.

With Len, Holmes and Metu at C the Kings are simply coinflipping they'll cause more awkward plays for the other team in the paint than they will for us on offense.

I think if your really being obective Nnaji could present immense upside here, especially if reports are true he's 6'11, if we're able to plug in a long armed big who can really blocks shots and cause havoc in the paint, and ballhawk rebounds n fly around n be ready to run on the break, thats a situtaion that can turn consistent and it'll transfer energy to the rest of the guys and it might be a relatively low risk gamble considering the upside.

Right now in these 3 losses in a row to the Warriors theres plenty of ~35 point quarters where we look great but theres also these ~20 point quarters where were sputtering n sometimes playing too much 1v1, and for me with a C like Nnaji in those moments could really do the trick at alleviating lots of pressure, we're shaky getting rebounds, we're shaky at defending the rim and having our C recover out to the perimeter on some of those types of plays you'd figure Nnaji would shine and hopefully bully the opponent n the results would trickle down to more opportunity for our other players..

IDK when I look at that footage of Nnaji, he looks crazy athletic to me. He looks like Ben Wallace. His listed weight of 225 is obviously incorrect, if he isnt 245 already he will be in no time, as strong as he is now you'd have to think he'll be quite a bit stronger in a few years. With the way the NBA is today where teams are gonna come at you with waves of 6'8" wing players having an enforcer built like Nnaji who recovers with lots of force and can change direction like a smaller player and simply block you to smithereens if u put up something weak or dunk on your head, and it looks like he runs very well, all adds up to works for the Kings imo.

and I mean if you've looked around at this summers free agents to be but shotblockers arent gonna be easy to come by, Nnaji might actually be a low cost option in comparison, its not like we need big minutes so it seems viable.

There are some players that could be had in the 2nd round that might be worth looking at. Like Liam Robbins who played at Vanderbilt. He's just an average athlete, but he's tall at 7'0" with a big wingspan. He averaged 3.2 blocks a game this season and also shot 36.5% from three, while grabbing 6.8 boards a game. And he did all that playing just 23 minutes a game. Why would he be in the 2nd rd you ask? Because he's a 5 year senior and around 23 or 24 years old.

The only first rd player I'd take as a rim protector is Dereck Lively and it looks like he'll be gone before we pick. Make no mistake, I really like Nnaji, but he would be someone who would help us in the future not in the immediate. He's very raw, and often spectacular. But he's mostly a one trick pony offensively, and has much to learn about defense in the NBA. But he's young, and that's to be expected!

 

[bajaden]

Judging this series makes me wonder how a player like GG Jackson would fit here too. Would he be able to ballhawk for us and also guard a forward and be trusted out on the wing? Seems to me like he can obviously be trusted to closeout to the 3pt line well, lots of players are categorized as mobile but dont really have the recovery speed defensively, he does. He also gets properly crouched down in a defensive stance n moves really well for 6'9. Could he sway things in the hustle categories for us? He can also play smallball 5 in the proper matchups, how'd he do vs Wiggins? I'm not sure but I do think he could run with him and he'd play hard.

12:57 starts the defense portion of the video i'd say watch that first.

Now hes a player whos gonna have interesting measurements as well, how long his arms are, 6'11 would be outstanding for him, 6'10 id say is expected and 6'9 would be less than ideal.

I'll be honest, GG Jackson scares me. I've seen him play at least 8 or 10 times, and he's so inconsistent and erratic. He gets totally lost on defense at times and takes a lot of bad shots. So the question is one you brought up. Is he coachable? I don't have the answer to that without talking to his coach or other people of influence in his life. I've dug in as much as I can to find out what I can, and it's not enough to satisfy me. That doesn't mean he won't become a good player. I just don't know!

I'd rather take a chance on Max Lewis who I think is more talented than Jackson. And yes, he was very erratic at times as well. It's one of those deals where I'm trying to talk myself into Jackson, and I'm trying to talk myself out of Lewis. Nine times out of ten, I'm right about the players that I'm trying to talk myself out of. I tried to talk myself out of Murray last year, but couldn't. I tried to talk myself out of Haliburton, but couldn't. Another player I'm trying to talk myself out of is Trace Jackson-Davis, and so far I haven't been able to.

He would be a perfect backup for Sabonis. Of course the question is, how would he match up against the Steven Adams of the world. Well, maybe Queta can answer that question. I watched him play in the G-League, and there's not doubt he's dramatically improved. My main criticism is that he's not aggressive enough on the rebounding end. Especially on Offensive rebounds. On the nights he is, he pulls down 14 or 15 rebounds. On other nights, he pulls down 4 or 5.

 

[bajaden]

I mean, that first block especially, thats viscious, thats "you cant bring that weak crap around here". After watching Steph get SO MANY clean shots off with an extremely low release point IN THE PAINT vs us, I think of this exact play.

Nnaji isnt just long and strong he moves very quick for an 18 year old that size, hes a ballhawk, hes a freight train. He's got that sort of "spark plug" type of energy too, thats what interests me the most, if he could infuse that into what we already have could pay big dividends.

We've all seen the Draymond tough guy routine, let him try that crap on 18 year old James Nnaji, see what happens. I would venture to say Nnaji and those sharp elbows of his are gonna rub a lot of opposing players the wrong way, he's built for scrapping, and hey on the Kings, we can let him pick up fouls quick, he's not our starter, his presence can be felt in 10-15mins.

Givony said 6'11" with a 7'5" wingspan the other day I'd tend to lean towards that. the 6'9" listing we've seen for most of the year does seem false, if I had to guess I'd say he's at least 6'10.

and hey maybe I'm totally freaking wrong n throwing Trayce Jackson-Davis under the bus for no reason, but I think of that 3rd quarter when it all fell apart in game 7, n ask myself 'what can TJD do against Looney that cuts the mustard?' I'm not sure... It just doesnt make sense to me we're gonna go up against all these 7'5" wingspan having starting C's in the playoffs with 6'11" wingspan Sabonis and then were gonna bring in TJD whos got another average wingspan for a PF in to cover for him, I feel like that lack of elite length is a main reason Richaun Holmes is a fatally flawed as a backup here..

Might seem like I'm splitting hairs, but I'd argue thats where we're at.. This Kings team/roster is very talented as is, so we've gotta search high and low for potential impact moves, and also I'd say we have plenty of opportunity to develop younger players cuz even if we draft more 23 year old NBA ready types, where are we gonna put them? how many minutes do we have for them? I say the answer isnt much different from if we went young. The way I see it, older players are almost higher risk for us, if they dont hit the ground running they can go stale here quickly if they arent instantly rotation quality, while Nnaji will be younger than most of the 1rps in the 2024 draft

I re-read one of my other posts and it almost sounds like I don't like James Nnaji. That couldn't be further from the truth. I like him a lot, and my comments had more to do with correcting the problem we have with Sabonis being killed by taller, longer, and bigger centers in the league. To me that's a short term problem, where I think Nnaji is the answer to a long term problem. So I'd have no problem with us drafting Nnaji with our first rd pick. There are others that I like as well, but we have to see whose left when we pick.

By the way I have Nnaji listed at 6'10", 225 Lb's and with a 7'7" wingspan. I got those measurements from a European basketball site. I could be wrong about him not being immediate help. He is playing on Barcelona's main club, and it's one of the best in Europe. He's only playing around 12 minutes a game, but for a player his age to be getting any minutes on a club like Barcelona, tells you he's a very talented player with a bright future. He's still very young and could also grow some more. But he's an athletic freak. He reminds me of Jalen Duren.

 

[sono]

Sharavjamts aka Mongolian Mike (Dayton Flyers)

First Mongolian player to ever see the floor for an NCAA, with a unique combination of skills and size.

At 6'9”, 180 lbs his floor vision and IQ are very high, can handle the ball as a point guard with a vast passing repertoire even with some advanced level of passing for his size. He can space the floor, being a threat from the perimeter at 38.6% with a high release point, which allows him to shoot over defenders and is an elite catch-and-shooter. The drawback is his lack of an NBA-ready body.

Considered one of the low-floor, high-ceiling prospects of the 2023 Draft.

BTW, he's currently invited to Bucks', Mavericks' pre-draft camp.

What’s your take on this kid, NCAA followers?

 

[upinsmoke]

Y'all got anymore of them Murray's?

 

[macadocious]

This thread is long. Is there a short list of who I should be looking at for pick 24?

 

[iowamcnabb]

This thread is long. Is there a short list of who I should be looking at for pick 24?

not really there are a ton of guys being floated around. I will say Monte has made 6 draft picks and 1 rookie free agent signing and only one of them was a freshman or under 20

 

[iowamcnabb]

If I was a betting man my money would be on Monte drafting Max Lewis, Twin Murray or the man formally known as Dillon Brooks

 

[Ozymandias]

Sharavjamts aka Mongolian Mike (Dayton Flyers)

First Mongolian player to ever see the floor for an NCAA, with a unique combination of skills and size.

At 6'9”, 180 lbs his floor vision and IQ are very high, can handle the ball as a point guard with a vast passing repertoire even with some advanced level of passing for his size. He can space the floor, being a threat from the perimeter at 38.6% with a high release point, which allows him to shoot over defenders and is an elite catch-and-shooter. The drawback is his lack of an NBA-ready body.

Considered one of the low-floor, high-ceiling prospects of the 2023 Draft.

BTW, he's currently invited to Bucks', Mavericks' pre-draft camp.

What’s your take on this kid, NCAA followers?

So I actually posted about him here in the preseason, as Dayton has several players on the radar I was excited to see them.

He is very skinny. Its of note he didnt shoot 38.6% from the perimeter as you said, thats what he shot from the field. He shot 31.5% from 3.

I'd say almost certainly he'll be back in college next season, and a xfer portal guy, not at Dayton. I can't see him getting drafted in 2023, but who knows how his workouts go, strange things happen in the 50's in the drafts and we've got a pick there so its a name worth monitoring. Future pro for sure but i'll keep it short n say he returns to school.

 

[Ozymandias]

I'll be honest, GG Jackson scares me. I've seen him play at least 8 or 10 times, and he's so inconsistent and erratic. He gets totally lost on defense at times and takes a lot of bad shots. So the question is one you brought up. Is he coachable? I don't have the answer to that without talking to his coach or other people of influence in his life. I've dug in as much as I can to find out what I can, and it's not enough to satisfy me. That doesn't mean he won't become a good player. I just don't know!

I'd rather take a chance on Max Lewis who I think is more talented than Jackson. And yes, he was very erratic at times as well. It's one of those deals where I'm trying to talk myself into Jackson, and I'm trying to talk myself out of Lewis. Nine times out of ten, I'm right about the players that I'm trying to talk myself out of. I tried to talk myself out of Murray last year, but couldn't. I tried to talk myself out of Haliburton, but couldn't. Another player I'm trying to talk myself out of is Trace Jackson-Davis, and so far I haven't been able to.

He would be a perfect backup for Sabonis. Of course the question is, how would he match up against the Steven Adams of the world. Well, maybe Queta can answer that question. I watched him play in the G-League, and there's not doubt he's dramatically improved. My main criticism is that he's not aggressive enough on the rebounding end. Especially on Offensive rebounds. On the nights he is, he pulls down 14 or 15 rebounds. On other nights, he pulls down 4 or 5.

Well in 2 weeks we have combine measurements finally. So uh obviously you remember how high I was on Taylor Hendricks back when he was thought to be in our range, of course it was a too good to be true situation. so to me, all the alternatives were going thru at the PF position seem a bit worse of a fit ever since.

But theres still someplayers to be excited about. As for Jackson his wingspan scares me a bit but at the same time I believe he can really move around so he'll be able to hustle and beat players to spots, he needs to be brought along slowly with baby steps and from what I've seen from Coach Brown he's excellent at that sort of thing. With him the first step is just defense and rebounding and running the floor and hustling, thats the capacity I'd want to see him in on the Kings early on, and let the offense come to him without forcing it.

Sure hope that Queta can answer that question... That would be helpful to the Kings cause..

I kinda differ greatly on the Trayce Jackson-Davis thing, I find many reasons to talk myself out of it but my main worry is just; Sabonis-Lyles-TJD (and Richaun Holmes will be here still) seems too similar, thats 4 C's with the same sort of dimensions. I mean we saw in the playoffs Coach Brown likes to use a big guy like Len, the majority of the C minutes are accounted for so it's really about being able to throw a different look, thats why I'd really hope Lively would fall to us instead of a TJD scenario, we'd get a space-eater, starting sized rim protector.


I also just belive the Kings are in a position to draft young players. I think to have older players we hope to plug in, and if they dont fit or dont shoot it or whatever readymade skill we draft them for goes sour, they quickly become a depreciating asset, so to me some of these older players present higher risk than the younger ones.. If Queta is truly ready to step up and be the backup too, that situation IMO makes even more sense to take young players to develop. I say feed the pipelines like a baseball team, its the 2020's this is the new normal.

If I'm TJD's agent I want him to land on a team where he's got a chance to outright win the backup C spot in the near future and we have Lyles here, so best he gets like this backup by committee situation where Lyles is backup a and he's backup b and sometimes they cna play together. Do you think TJD can beat Lyles outright for the backup C job and relegate him to PF?

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Random thought: If the Kings were to draft Kris Murray as best player available....and he looks like he's lets say 85-90% of the NBA player that his brother is at a future point in time, would you then consider trading Keegan for a player that you believe turns the Kings into a real contender?

I have a hard time picturing getting the most out of the Murray twins on the same NBA team, for more than 1 season together.

Maybe not a popular feel good move initially,... but trading Haliburton probably wasn't either

 

[Ozymandias]

Random thought: If the Kings were to draft Kris Murray as best player available....and he looks like he's lets say 85-90% of the NBA player that his brother is at a future point in time, would you then consider trading Keegan for a player that you believe turns them into a real contender?

I have a hard time picturing getting the most out of the Murray twins on the same NBA team, for more than 1 season together.

Maybe not a popular feel good move initially,... but trading Haliburton probably wasn't either

Well, Keegan right now is helping Kris prepare for the predraft process and if he kills it in workouts he wont make it to the Kings right? hahah funny how that works.