Should we start Whiteside in D-League?

Vlade4GM

Vlade4GM

All-Star
#1
#1
Look, I think Whiteside is obviously very talented and is a great value at 33, but I don't think he's really ready for the NBA yet. So it's either keep him on the bench and hope he develops in practice with the NBA coaches, or get him more minutes in real albeit weaker competition. I can see advantages in both directions, but I think with the questions about his maturity, it might build humility if he plays in the D-League and has to earn a spot in the NBA. I'm not trying to dump on him or anything, I'm a big fan of the pick, but I just really value young guys getting competitive minutes as opposed to sitting on a bench. Mullens was sent to the d-league and he was probably more ready for the NBA than Whiteside. Plus, we have a lot of talent in the frontcourt already.

Obviously this question would be better answered after the SPL and pre-season, but it's TDOS...
 
Anthony1

Anthony1

Bench
#4
#4
Minutes will definitely be hard to come by for him, if we keep all the front court guys we have right now. Obviously, we could put him in the game as a defensive specialist, and he should be able to drift near the basket as a dangerous shot blocking threat. The problem is his weight is so low, that he will get muscled out of position when trying to play one on one D against other power forwards. It's going to be a situational thing with him until he bulks up enough. He'll only be able to guard the less physical 4's.

One thing that the FO is going to have to consider, is whether to deal Dalembert at the trade deadline, or just let him come off the books at the end of the season. I doubt we resign Dalembert unless it's for significantly less money. So, if Dalembert is a half-season rental, or one year rental, then we know that Whiteside could become a major factor on this team in his second season. If he can bulk up enough by then, and develop his game enough by then, he could possibly start next to Cousins on the front line.
 
Sac.1989

Sac.1989

Starter
#5
#5
Yeah totally agree, dont know how the dalembert situation will unfold but i really do think we will take a long hard look at him through the season and potentially look to resign him if the price is right. I really dont think hes here just till the trade deadline.

If Whiteside can develop quicker then expected to the point of being able to backup DC then he could well be on the way out considering we would have a massive log jam at the 5.

Just as long as we dont pay over the odds to keep big Sammy id say we will look to resign him, dont see whiteside coming along that quickly but moreso after a few seasons
 
H

hammystyle

Starter
#7
#7
I think for the most part keep him with the big club. In the end I don't think it will matter much either way because how good he gets will be up to him. But I'd rather he spends most of the year practicing with the team against real professionals. That kind of serious mindset and expectation I think will do more for him than just floor minutes against decent college players.

Now you might send him down a couple times just to get him some serious run and work on the things you're teaching him. But you want the teaching to be done at the top level. So maybe play 10-20 games in the D-League, but most of the time working with the team.

BTW - People have talked about veteran leadership. I think we actually have a young veteran leader in Carl Landry. Particularly for the frontcourt. He's only been in the league 3 years, but he's 26. He's been on an overachieving winning team, and he's gotten better every year. He's clearly a real pro. And I think the guys will respect him because quite frankly he'll be kicking their *** in practice.
 
Sparky6string

Sparky6string

Bench
#8
#8
They'll probably evaluate him and decide where he fits in right now. I'm thinking if he can at least defend whatever position he goes with he could get some bench minutes for the time being.
 
Vlade4GM

Vlade4GM

All-Star
#9
#9
Sparky6string said:
They'll probably evaluate him and decide where he fits in right now. I'm thinking if he can at least defend whatever position he goes with he could get some bench minutes for the time being.
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Not many bench minutes though. What's better 7-10 minutes at the NBA level, or 30 minutes in the D-League? In the NBA he'll get to practice with the big boys, but in the D-League he'll get to play in real competition. There are some tough customers in the D-League, those guys want to make the NBA. It could be a humbling learning experience for him.
 
Sparky6string

Sparky6string

Bench
#10
#10
Vlade4GM said:
Not many bench minutes though. What's better 7-10 minutes at the NBA level, or 30 minutes in the D-League? In the NBA he'll get to practice with the big boys, but in the D-League he'll get to play in real competition. There are some tough customers in the D-League, those guys want to make the NBA. It could be a humbling learning experience for him.
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7-10 NBA minutes>30 DLeague mins IMO PST AARP YMMV. On the job training. :)
 
Chupacabra

Chupacabra

Starter
#11
#11
hammystyle said:
I think for the most part keep him with the big club. In the end I don't think it will matter much either way because how good he gets will be up to him. But I'd rather he spends most of the year practicing with the team against real professionals. That kind of serious mindset and expectation I think will do more for him than just floor minutes against decent college players.

Now you might send him down a couple times just to get him some serious run and work on the things you're teaching him. But you want the teaching to be done at the top level. So maybe play 10-20 games in the D-League, but most of the time working with the team.

BTW - People have talked about veteran leadership. I think we actually have a young veteran leader in Carl Landry. Particularly for the frontcourt. He's only been in the league 3 years, but he's 26. He's been on an overachieving winning team, and he's gotten better every year. He's clearly a real pro. And I think the guys will respect him because quite frankly he'll be kicking their *** in practice.
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Youve successfully changed my mind. It doesnt happen often. I admit it when it happens. Keep Whiteside with the pro's. Dont kow why i didnt think of it.
 
P

Peter_Gibbons

Starter
#12
#12
I think its way too early to say if he belongs in the D-league from the start. While it was reported he is super raw, his workouts showed that he is actually farther along than what most expected.

He has a good shooting form and it showed in his workouts. Both GP and PW said he can shoot the ball really well. Also in the post moves they showed, he performed them smoothly.

Apparently Hakeem doesn't think Hassan belongs in the D League. I agree with him a lot that when he said that if Hassan goes to a team with a lot of bigs that he can practice against, he can get confidence just from that alone.

I think this thread is a topic for after summer league and training camp. I think he will do fine even in the NBA.
 
F

fnordius

All-Star
#13
#13
I think there's a reasonable chance of a period of lockout this year, as the CBA negotiations get nasty. I'm leaning towards DL for him anyway, but if it's 30 minutes in the DL vs 0 minutes in the NBA, that'd definitely clinch it.
 
Bricklayer

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
#15
#15
I think this would be my plan. Bring back Brock as old reliable -- the hustling 12th man now. And Whiteside can be big man #6, on the practice squad, and sent down to d-league to learn, and then recalled when we have some injuries. We have crazy depth, but the beauty is that our crazy depth is incredibly cheap, so we don't have to rush things now. Let him grow, play him when we have a need, if he starts showing he's ready, bump Brock back to the practice squad, get Whiteside some more time, and see how he does.

I love Hassan's potential, but with Daly and Cousins there, we don't need to keep him active until he's ready. If he is, great. Otherwise finally a D-League usage that makes sense.
 
Kings4life23

Kings4life23

G-League
#16
#16
Vlade4GM said:
Not many bench minutes though. What's better 7-10 minutes at the NBA level, or 30 minutes in the D-League? In the NBA he'll get to practice with the big boys, but in the D-League he'll get to play in real competition. There are some tough customers in the D-League, those guys want to make the NBA. It could be a humbling learning experience for him.
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I think its a bad idea to send him to the D-League in general. He needs playing time with Nba talent not scrubs in the D-League. It may be limited minutes, but they will be quality minutes. In general if you play basketball you know that playing better competition makes you better over time, but playing competition your going to dominate makes you complacent and develop bad habits. Its not like he will be practicing with former king Spencer Hawes he will be bumping heads with some pretty good bigs in practice that will make him better in the long run.
 
Vlade4GM

Vlade4GM

All-Star
#17
#17
Kings4life23 said:
I think its a bad idea to send him to the D-League in general. He needs playing time with Nba talent not scrubs in the D-League. It may be limited minutes, but they will be quality minutes. In general if you play basketball you know that playing better competition makes you better over time, but playing competition your going to dominate makes you complacent and develop bad habits. Its not like he will be practicing with former king Spencer Hawes he will be bumping heads with some pretty good bigs in practice that will make him better in the long run.
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I wouldn't assume he'd dominate the D-League.
 
A

apollo916

Bench
#18
#18
Extremely premature to make the notion he belongs in D-League, ask Hakeem. Let him play and give him the chance to block shots atleast. He is ready! To do the small things. We dont need 5 allstar starters, he is more than ready to roll play rite now.
 
Vlade4GM

Vlade4GM

All-Star
#19
#19
It's just discussion fodder, that's all. I thought it was a viable suggestion worth contemplating. Obviously nothing needs to be decided now.
 
Gary

Gary

All-Star
#20
#20
No Whiteside should not go to the D-League. We are talking about someone who by all means should have been in the first round. You don't send first round talent to the D-League unless there is no way you can play him.. I think we will have minutes for him with how Thompson, and Dalembert is prone to foul trouble.
 
kennadog

kennadog

Dog On It!
#22
#22
Mixed feelings about the idea. Certainly, he would have more opportunity to play in Reno, so some time there could be a benefit. However, I think he could benefit a lot from being around the Kings coaching staff and front office guys like Petrie, BJax, etc, as well as being around Westphal and the rest of the coaching staff.

Fat Lever is the player development person, who is sepcifically designated to help rookies adjust to life in the NBA.

Both Whiteside and Cousins have a need to "mature." I think they are likely to get more individual coaching, guidance and supervision if they are with the Kings. I also think they will have better trainers and workout facilites in Sacramento.
 
MassachusettsKingsFan

MassachusettsKingsFan

All-Star
#23
#23
As soon as we drafted him I thought the DLeague would be perfect for the guy.

At least until the deadline, where the expiring deals of Dalembert and Landry could be moved. He needs playing time somewhere, and he isnt going to get it here. For Whiteside, I think playing is more important than sitting here on the bench. Our coaching staff is already going to have there hands full with Cousins, Casspi, Greene, Thompson, Evans and there development. Let someone else handle Whiteside for a few months.

You have to figure the competition in the Dleague is just as good as the competition he played against while he was at Marshall. It can act as another college year for him. A good place for him to test out moves, and polish his game without getting benched or yelled at for making mistakes.
 
Kingster

Kingster

Hall of Famer
#24
#24
Vlade4GM said:
Look, I think Whiteside is obviously very talented and is a great value at 33, but I don't think he's really ready for the NBA yet. So it's either keep him on the bench and hope he develops in practice with the NBA coaches, or get him more minutes in real albeit weaker competition. I can see advantages in both directions, but I think with the questions about his maturity, it might build humility if he plays in the D-League and has to earn a spot in the NBA. I'm not trying to dump on him or anything, I'm a big fan of the pick, but I just really value young guys getting competitive minutes as opposed to sitting on a bench. Mullens was sent to the d-league and he was probably more ready for the NBA than Whiteside. Plus, we have a lot of talent in the frontcourt already.

Obviously this question would be better answered after the SPL and pre-season, but it's TDOS...
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If you immediately send him to the D-League you're not even giving him a chance with the big leaguers. Let him test his mettle in practice and in some NBA games. Let the coaches get a sense of exactly how far away he really is from playing some minutes. The kid's going to then find out for himself if he's not ready, and at that point would be much more amenable to going down to the D-League, if it is necessary.
 
funkykingston

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
#25
#25
I don't think he starts the season in the D-League, nor should he.

I think he goes through summer league with the team, training camp and preseason and then rides the pine for the first 8-10 games of the season. Reason being, he should see what kind of effort it takes to be successful in the NBA and get a taste of what the big time is all about.

THEN he should be sent down with a clear idea of what he needs to develop in order to get a ticket back to the NBA.

The biggest thing with Whiteside is that he just lacks a feel for the game. And you only get that with coaching and playing big minutes, if you get it at all. He is a prime candidate for the D-League.
 
H

hiero

G-League
#26
#26
Sparky6string said:
7-10 NBA minutes>30 DLeague mins IMO PST AARP YMMV. On the job training. :)
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I have to agree with this and Hakeem. I'd rather have him get 10 minutes a game in the league and stay with the team and all the vets and learn better habits and technique get coaching from westphal. maybe we can bring in Hakeem to help him out. I would like to see him get big boy minutes and his role could increase if we trade dalembert at the deadline. I think he definitely has a future in the league andon the kings him and cousins are gonna be the future along with JT. I think a lot of people are selling this kid short on his motivation and desire to get better
 
Rookie

Rookie

Starter
#27
#27
I agree with keeping him where he should be...in the NBA.

Give the guy a chance to prove his place before you send him off.
Personally I think he will be better than Sammy D.
 
A

apollo916

Bench
#30
#30
I think hes 21 already, i remember him being older than most other than Wesley. Hes no Thabeet, Hassan stays on the bench and gets 10 minutes a game starting off, WHEN he handles it well on the defensive end, watch Jason's minutes go down eventually.
 
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