Hello All, I've been away so I wasn't able to chime in on all of the discussion until now...from what I've read it's been quite the debate. 
Since the last thread was closed I believe that there should be at least one discussion about our only offseason move, hopefully more civility will be kept this time...so here we go.
I've made quite a few posts saying how Hawes was the most likely bust in this draft and that opinion has not changed. I've also made some posts discussing that this draft was really a 9-player draft and the Kings just missed out. I thought there was a chance one of those 9 might fall because Hawes or Wright would be taken higher, but that wasn't the case. Bottom Line: Hawes still is the most likely to bust, but he was the best player available at the time.
IMO Julian Wright is simply a poor man's Jeff Green and I don't believe he'll be anymore than a John Salmons type. Al Thornton was definitely intriguing but he's the ultimate tweener. Unless we go super run & gun ala Phoenix or Dallas where a SF can play PF such as Shawn Marion or Josh Howard then Thornton would have to play SF and the Kings already have an abundance of them. So here is my take on Hawes.
Strengths: If developed correctly with extensive playing time he could become a powerhouse on the offensive end in the form of a Tim Duncan with better range. Remember how effective Vlade was in his prime with simply a small hook, an up-and-under, and inconsistent jump shot? He was a 12-14 point per game player. Hawes has every post move you can think of, he has a variety of hook shots, drop steps, baseline one handers, turnaround and step back jumpers and consistent range out to 18 feet. Not to mention he is extremely coordinated handling the ball and using pump fakes to find an opening. Other than the outside jumper he is the complete opposite of Brad Miller offensively, Hawes should demand a double team everytime down the floor.
Weaknesses: Defense and shot blocking, I won't call these even close to a strength, but it's not Brad Miller bad either. Hawes works hard on the defensive end (unlike Miller), he just doesn't have the quickness or athleticism to consistently stop penetration and sometimes he is late for the help defense. He won't be a dominant shot blocker either but expect one a game. How much this can be improved I'm not sure, you can't teach athleticism.
The biggest concern here and it's a major one is his rebounding and it's flat out poor. He only had three game last season with 10 or more and I believe had around 10 games with less than 5. He just never seems to be in position for rebounds and unlike his post defense he does seem to lack effort in this department. I do think with his length, size, and coordination that this could be improved upon with good coaching...remember that he is only 19 years old.
Since the last thread was closed I believe that there should be at least one discussion about our only offseason move, hopefully more civility will be kept this time...so here we go.I've made quite a few posts saying how Hawes was the most likely bust in this draft and that opinion has not changed. I've also made some posts discussing that this draft was really a 9-player draft and the Kings just missed out. I thought there was a chance one of those 9 might fall because Hawes or Wright would be taken higher, but that wasn't the case. Bottom Line: Hawes still is the most likely to bust, but he was the best player available at the time.
IMO Julian Wright is simply a poor man's Jeff Green and I don't believe he'll be anymore than a John Salmons type. Al Thornton was definitely intriguing but he's the ultimate tweener. Unless we go super run & gun ala Phoenix or Dallas where a SF can play PF such as Shawn Marion or Josh Howard then Thornton would have to play SF and the Kings already have an abundance of them. So here is my take on Hawes.
Strengths: If developed correctly with extensive playing time he could become a powerhouse on the offensive end in the form of a Tim Duncan with better range. Remember how effective Vlade was in his prime with simply a small hook, an up-and-under, and inconsistent jump shot? He was a 12-14 point per game player. Hawes has every post move you can think of, he has a variety of hook shots, drop steps, baseline one handers, turnaround and step back jumpers and consistent range out to 18 feet. Not to mention he is extremely coordinated handling the ball and using pump fakes to find an opening. Other than the outside jumper he is the complete opposite of Brad Miller offensively, Hawes should demand a double team everytime down the floor.
Weaknesses: Defense and shot blocking, I won't call these even close to a strength, but it's not Brad Miller bad either. Hawes works hard on the defensive end (unlike Miller), he just doesn't have the quickness or athleticism to consistently stop penetration and sometimes he is late for the help defense. He won't be a dominant shot blocker either but expect one a game. How much this can be improved I'm not sure, you can't teach athleticism.
The biggest concern here and it's a major one is his rebounding and it's flat out poor. He only had three game last season with 10 or more and I believe had around 10 games with less than 5. He just never seems to be in position for rebounds and unlike his post defense he does seem to lack effort in this department. I do think with his length, size, and coordination that this could be improved upon with good coaching...remember that he is only 19 years old.
