From nbadraft.net's 2009 post draft grades: Kings C-: On one hand, the trio adds much-needed toughness to a very soft team. On the other hand, Evans isn't a true point guard and will struggle to get shooters like Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia involved. They should have went with Rubio. Casspi should be a nice addition on the wing, though. Brockman: NBA, really?
With the 7th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select .....
- Thread starter sterö
- Start date
Chad Ford saying Kings are working out Fredette soon, and like him if Knight and Walker are gone. I'm actually pretty intrigued by Fredette, but don't want to publicly admit it. 
This may be a draft where you go after a specialist: Fredette's shooting, Singleton's D, Faried's hustle/motor. At least you know you're getting something.
This may be a draft where you go after a specialist: Fredette's shooting, Singleton's D, Faried's hustle/motor. At least you know you're getting something.
chadfordinsider Chad Ford
NBA Chat Wrap: Kings high on Jimmer, Knight better than Irving? Monta Ellis trade scenarios, more ... http://t.co/6ZeElau
chadfordinsider Chad Ford
If Knight & Walker are off the board ... Jimmer could be an option for Sacramento.
NBA Chat Wrap: Kings high on Jimmer, Knight better than Irving? Monta Ellis trade scenarios, more ... http://t.co/6ZeElau
chadfordinsider Chad Ford
If Knight & Walker are off the board ... Jimmer could be an option for Sacramento.
I don't mind Fredette if Knight/Kanter/Singleton are off the board. Might take him over Singleton, and of Petrie does, that might mean he's confident in his ability to get a vet sf through free agency. But Fredette, vet sf, Thorton, and Dally would be a pretty successful off season for me. I'd be very happy going into camp.
I will say IMO, Fredette will be a top 6th man, regardless of his defense. Now, if he can in fact play defense in this league, and is quick enough on that end, he could be a potential starting pg in this league. I'm not worried about his playmaking at all.
I will say IMO, Fredette will be a top 6th man, regardless of his defense. Now, if he can in fact play defense in this league, and is quick enough on that end, he could be a potential starting pg in this league. I'm not worried about his playmaking at all.
Last edited:
I'll say he won't be a Gordon Hayward. For one thing, two different positions and vastly different players. I might add that hayward didn't average 28 points a game while being doubleteamed every time down the floor. As I've stated before, I'm biased when it comes to Fredette. I love the guy. He's a tough hardnosed player. And I think he's going to be just fine defensively. I think he proved at the combine that he's athletic enough, coming in as the 12th best athlete at the combine, based on the results of the athletic testing.
I'm not saying Petrie should take him, but I won't be disappointed, nor surprised if he does. I'm sure a lot will depend on who else is available. I'd be just as happy with Singleton. Actually, I'd like both of them...
I'm not saying Petrie should take him, but I won't be disappointed, nor surprised if he does. I'm sure a lot will depend on who else is available. I'd be just as happy with Singleton. Actually, I'd like both of them...
I will be a stuck record. I would like Kanter but suspect he isn't going to be available. Singleton sounds ideal no matter what we do in free agency. He can start at SF on our team or be a 6th man at several positions depending on matchups. In some ways Singleton is ideal.
Then there is Jimmer. He fascinates me. He has a unique talent that may make him a one trick pony on a team that can afford that. At #7 it may be too high and breaks the BPA rule but as to need, he might be just right. We know he can shoot and the Combine showed some quickness people didn't know he had. As a 6th man, I am not so concerned as to his defense which I think is more than compensated for by the fire power he can bring. I also will hold out a bit on his defense as I think he might evolve into someone decent at defense for all the reasons other people have mentioned. In any case, it may be "good enough." Certainly he won't be a sieve.
Petrie said he wanted to upgrade the SF position and wanted more three point firepower. I wish I had the link.
I think our pick will sit on the bench unless the team does the unsuspected and simply gets Singleton and lives with it. For extraneous reasons, I think they need to do more to keep the city interested if not frothing at the mouth. Hence, they need to show activity and sign a free agent or use the #7 plus a player to upgrade the SF spot.
If we use the 7th pick and sign two FAs, which is possible, simply penciling out a team will show a huge possibility of a dysfunctional team with guys wanting to play who will get 10 minutes. We already have two starting guards and a good reserve, two starting bigs and one reserve, and three SFs depending on what you call Cisco. It's a mess that might need solving by two for one or three for one trades.
And then there are the Euros and I don't have a clue where they fit in. At the least they can give us a better chance at a very useful pick or be the useful pick. This is one area Petrie has shown some skill.
So, I guess my bottom line is that I would be satisfied with Singleton assuming we sign our own FAs. Otherwise, I'd like to take a flyer at Fredette and sign a free agent. None of this causes a disruption in the team that seems to have good chemistry. I DO NOT WANT DISRUPTION OF THIS TEAM especially if is to move bodies simply to show activity.
Then there is Jimmer. He fascinates me. He has a unique talent that may make him a one trick pony on a team that can afford that. At #7 it may be too high and breaks the BPA rule but as to need, he might be just right. We know he can shoot and the Combine showed some quickness people didn't know he had. As a 6th man, I am not so concerned as to his defense which I think is more than compensated for by the fire power he can bring. I also will hold out a bit on his defense as I think he might evolve into someone decent at defense for all the reasons other people have mentioned. In any case, it may be "good enough." Certainly he won't be a sieve.
Petrie said he wanted to upgrade the SF position and wanted more three point firepower. I wish I had the link.
I think our pick will sit on the bench unless the team does the unsuspected and simply gets Singleton and lives with it. For extraneous reasons, I think they need to do more to keep the city interested if not frothing at the mouth. Hence, they need to show activity and sign a free agent or use the #7 plus a player to upgrade the SF spot.
If we use the 7th pick and sign two FAs, which is possible, simply penciling out a team will show a huge possibility of a dysfunctional team with guys wanting to play who will get 10 minutes. We already have two starting guards and a good reserve, two starting bigs and one reserve, and three SFs depending on what you call Cisco. It's a mess that might need solving by two for one or three for one trades.
And then there are the Euros and I don't have a clue where they fit in. At the least they can give us a better chance at a very useful pick or be the useful pick. This is one area Petrie has shown some skill.
So, I guess my bottom line is that I would be satisfied with Singleton assuming we sign our own FAs. Otherwise, I'd like to take a flyer at Fredette and sign a free agent. None of this causes a disruption in the team that seems to have good chemistry. I DO NOT WANT DISRUPTION OF THIS TEAM especially if is to move bodies simply to show activity.
Last edited:
If we are at the point where Jimmer is the guy we target at #7, I pray to god we make every effort to trade down or completely out of this draft.
I dont think this team needs anymore guards, period. But You can talk me into Brandon Knight because he can do something no one else on this team can do - defend quicker PGs. I dont see how Jimmer would fit in with this team .. I just dont see the value of taking him that high. He is an offensive player who is best at creating his own shot... Not something we should be looking for. He'd be a fine player with so many other teams .. I just dont see how it would work here.
I still think the best player for this team in terms of fit in this ENTIRE draft is Kanter. Its just too bad the lottery just about killed our chances to land him.
I actually like a lot of the second round guard quite a bit, which makes me want Jimmer even less. At best he is a fourth guard on this team next year behind Beno/Thornton/Evans. Guys like Isaiah Thomas, Reggie Jackson (who might fall because of his leg injury), and Nolan Smith can all play fourth guard next year.
I dont think this team needs anymore guards, period. But You can talk me into Brandon Knight because he can do something no one else on this team can do - defend quicker PGs. I dont see how Jimmer would fit in with this team .. I just dont see the value of taking him that high. He is an offensive player who is best at creating his own shot... Not something we should be looking for. He'd be a fine player with so many other teams .. I just dont see how it would work here.
I still think the best player for this team in terms of fit in this ENTIRE draft is Kanter. Its just too bad the lottery just about killed our chances to land him.
I actually like a lot of the second round guard quite a bit, which makes me want Jimmer even less. At best he is a fourth guard on this team next year behind Beno/Thornton/Evans. Guys like Isaiah Thomas, Reggie Jackson (who might fall because of his leg injury), and Nolan Smith can all play fourth guard next year.
I would resign Dally also. None of my thoughts exclude Dally. Kanter would replace JT, I suppose or simply have the luxury of finding his way around the NBA while Cousins is doing the same. Bigs tend to foul and are in a position where fouling sometimes is a necessity demanded by the game. Four big guys of better than decent quality would allow all to play there games without fearing that fouling out would kill the team in a major way. As it has been this year, I have held my breath as Dally and Cousins seemed to acquire fouls at a rate far faster than I would like. Perhaps I have been the only one to have my fingers crossed about this particular stat.
By the time Dally hits advanced old age, a lot of things can change but I would see the Kanter and Cousins to cement the "big" position for the next decade and that is a very nice luxury. There is no telling how a duo of Kanter and Cousins might fit together by the time Dally's time is up. Heck, by that time Whiteside may be a contributor and offer all kinds of options.
By the time Dally hits advanced old age, a lot of things can change but I would see the Kanter and Cousins to cement the "big" position for the next decade and that is a very nice luxury. There is no telling how a duo of Kanter and Cousins might fit together by the time Dally's time is up. Heck, by that time Whiteside may be a contributor and offer all kinds of options.
I guess its all about what your approach to the draft is, and what your looking for. Petrie has stated that he's looking for another backcourt ballhandler, that can shoot the ball. Call it talented depth if you will. If thats his main goal in the draft, then Fredette fits the bill. He's a very good ballhandler, and he can certainly shoot the ball. Its very possible that he can redefine himself in the NBA from the role he played at BYU. You just can't take a snapshot of him and call it a day.
I just spent the entire morning going around the league reading all the local rags, from what I've read, Fredette is the fastest rising player at the moment. There has to be a reason for that. The Knicks have said he'll never get past them at 17. Utah is hoping he'll last till 12, where they have their second pick in the first round. The Rockets are said to have been blown away by him when they attended one of his workouts. The Suns would love to draft him, especially with Nash approaching retirement. They said they see a lot of Nash in Fredette. One team thats extremely high on Fredette, and rumors are that they've already approached a team higher in the draft about trading up, is Indy. Whichever team they approached, turned them down. countless papers or blogs that I read, have said that the Kings are extremely high on Fredette. Now it could all be a giant smoke screen. Or it could be a final fall back position for the Kings. There's always a lot of BS flying around this time of the year.
That aside, I don't get why you don't think he would be good fit for the Kings. He is the perfect description of what the Kings are looking for in another guard. Fredette is a POINT GUARD! Now some may not believe that. But that just means they didn't actually see him play, and all their doing is reading the views of pundits around the league that probably didn't see him play. No one in the know, and I mean no one, questions his abilities as an offensive player, or his ability to run the point. The biggest question mark is on the defensive side of the ball. And if he's able to answer those questions in the team workouts, which accordinig to those that were there, he did in Indy, then what is there not to like?
By the way, Isaiah Thomas was shut down by every other guard that was taller and just as quick as he was. I scratched him off my list about halfway through the season. He's Pooh Jeter at best, and he's not as quick as Jeter, and he doesn't shoot the ball as well as Jeter does right now. So if I can have Jeter, why the hell would I waste a draft pick on Thomas. Reggie Jackson I like, but he is injured, and there is no way in hell that he's as good a player as Fredette. If for some reason we don't take a PG in the first round, then I would take Smith over the other two guys. He's not spectacular, but he's solid and dependable, and he can shoot the ball.
Beno's contract is up in two years. Its possible that Petrie is looking toward the future with Fredette. At worse, Fredette's ceiling is Beno, but probably much higher. Fredette is a better ballhandler and definitely a better long range shooter. And personally I think he's a better passer than Beno. And one thing I know for sure. If there's 5 seconds left in the game and you have to have a basket, Fredette isn't afraid to take that shot. The dude has ice water in his veins.
I just spent the entire morning going around the league reading all the local rags, from what I've read, Fredette is the fastest rising player at the moment. There has to be a reason for that. The Knicks have said he'll never get past them at 17. Utah is hoping he'll last till 12, where they have their second pick in the first round. The Rockets are said to have been blown away by him when they attended one of his workouts. The Suns would love to draft him, especially with Nash approaching retirement. They said they see a lot of Nash in Fredette. One team thats extremely high on Fredette, and rumors are that they've already approached a team higher in the draft about trading up, is Indy. Whichever team they approached, turned them down. countless papers or blogs that I read, have said that the Kings are extremely high on Fredette. Now it could all be a giant smoke screen. Or it could be a final fall back position for the Kings. There's always a lot of BS flying around this time of the year.
That aside, I don't get why you don't think he would be good fit for the Kings. He is the perfect description of what the Kings are looking for in another guard. Fredette is a POINT GUARD! Now some may not believe that. But that just means they didn't actually see him play, and all their doing is reading the views of pundits around the league that probably didn't see him play. No one in the know, and I mean no one, questions his abilities as an offensive player, or his ability to run the point. The biggest question mark is on the defensive side of the ball. And if he's able to answer those questions in the team workouts, which accordinig to those that were there, he did in Indy, then what is there not to like?
By the way, Isaiah Thomas was shut down by every other guard that was taller and just as quick as he was. I scratched him off my list about halfway through the season. He's Pooh Jeter at best, and he's not as quick as Jeter, and he doesn't shoot the ball as well as Jeter does right now. So if I can have Jeter, why the hell would I waste a draft pick on Thomas. Reggie Jackson I like, but he is injured, and there is no way in hell that he's as good a player as Fredette. If for some reason we don't take a PG in the first round, then I would take Smith over the other two guys. He's not spectacular, but he's solid and dependable, and he can shoot the ball.
Beno's contract is up in two years. Its possible that Petrie is looking toward the future with Fredette. At worse, Fredette's ceiling is Beno, but probably much higher. Fredette is a better ballhandler and definitely a better long range shooter. And personally I think he's a better passer than Beno. And one thing I know for sure. If there's 5 seconds left in the game and you have to have a basket, Fredette isn't afraid to take that shot. The dude has ice water in his veins.
I dont like Jimmer on the Kings because I think drafting or signing any guard that would deserve a lot of playtime, like Jimmer, would be a waste of an asset. Maybe Im higher on Beno than most, but I really like him. I think as a backup PG in this league, which is what Beno will be next year .. there arent many better than him. He has one of the best midrange jumpers in the game to the point where I am far more surprised when he misses than when he makes it. He can also drive to the rim way better than a player with his size and speed should be able too .. And on a team full of young players, Beno is one of the few guys on our team that can settle things down. He's too good to bench for Jimmer next season, and I think with this draft we have the oppurtunity to pick a player who CAN come in right away and help in a bigger role than Jimmer would.
I'm also of the thought that we can hopefully stop playing Garcia at the 3. That would leave Evans/Thornton/Udrih/Cisco as our four main guards next year. I'll take that.
I think most will agree that this is the year we 'go for it'. This is the year we make a push for the 8th seed. Maybe we dont get it, but we should at least be in contention for it. We have the 7th pick in a weaker draft where the difference between guys who will be picked around 6-15 isnt that great, so you can more or less pick for need.
I look at a guy like Hamilton who I know you like .. I think being able to bring Hamilton into the game off the bench next season will be better for this team than having Jimmer ride the pine for a few years till Beno moves on. Same goes for a guy like Singleton or Kawhi Leonard, who can play both the PF as the fourth big if we want him too or backup the SF position.
I think in this draft, our best bet is to go for a big or a 3. Someone mentioned how they didnt think Kanter would be a good fit. I disagree. First, at 19 he is one of the youngest players in the draft, so he could actually benefit from not playing a ton in his first year. (unlike a guy like Jimmer who is 22 who has proved he DESERVES to come in and play right away). Plus Dally/JT/DMC all have a bit of a foul problem. I see no reason why he wouldnt be able to come in here and get around 10-15 minutes a night, which is fine for him right now. Same deal with any other big (possibly Valaciunas) .. I think there will be minutes for a rookie bigman on this roster.
And the SF position is obvious. We have no real starting calibur small forwards on this team. That position is wide open.
One more point on Isaiah Thomas, I think he'll be a better player than Pooh Jeter. He isnt a great shooter right now .. but Pooh is a terrible shooter, especially from 3. I think Thomas is at least as good as Pooh is right now, and is much younger. But he wouldnt be my first choice either. I'll take Jackson, Smith, Norris Cole, and one of your other guys Demetri McCamey before I take Thomas.
I'm also of the thought that we can hopefully stop playing Garcia at the 3. That would leave Evans/Thornton/Udrih/Cisco as our four main guards next year. I'll take that.
I think most will agree that this is the year we 'go for it'. This is the year we make a push for the 8th seed. Maybe we dont get it, but we should at least be in contention for it. We have the 7th pick in a weaker draft where the difference between guys who will be picked around 6-15 isnt that great, so you can more or less pick for need.
I look at a guy like Hamilton who I know you like .. I think being able to bring Hamilton into the game off the bench next season will be better for this team than having Jimmer ride the pine for a few years till Beno moves on. Same goes for a guy like Singleton or Kawhi Leonard, who can play both the PF as the fourth big if we want him too or backup the SF position.
I think in this draft, our best bet is to go for a big or a 3. Someone mentioned how they didnt think Kanter would be a good fit. I disagree. First, at 19 he is one of the youngest players in the draft, so he could actually benefit from not playing a ton in his first year. (unlike a guy like Jimmer who is 22 who has proved he DESERVES to come in and play right away). Plus Dally/JT/DMC all have a bit of a foul problem. I see no reason why he wouldnt be able to come in here and get around 10-15 minutes a night, which is fine for him right now. Same deal with any other big (possibly Valaciunas) .. I think there will be minutes for a rookie bigman on this roster.
And the SF position is obvious. We have no real starting calibur small forwards on this team. That position is wide open.
One more point on Isaiah Thomas, I think he'll be a better player than Pooh Jeter. He isnt a great shooter right now .. but Pooh is a terrible shooter, especially from 3. I think Thomas is at least as good as Pooh is right now, and is much younger. But he wouldnt be my first choice either. I'll take Jackson, Smith, Norris Cole, and one of your other guys Demetri McCamey before I take Thomas.
I agree with Kanter, would love to have him, but he's going top 4 from all indications. After we acquired Thornton, he provided that shooting guard that we needed. I still think our most pressing need is a SF, preferably one who can defend and hit open shots. I would prefer to get that starting SF through free agency and get a veteran, since this team is so lacking in experience. But it wouldn't hurt to pick a SF in the draft, in case we can't get this veteran SF (ie Prince, AK47, etc). I'm not optimistic that Donte will ever grow up and reach his potential. Omri imo is a good backup SF, a guy who comes in to provide energy and a spark.
Here's an up-to-date interview with Petrie that may shape our discussion.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/02/3593768/facing-big-offseason-petrie-sees.html
The final paragraph is a quick summary of his thoughts going forward:
To further summarize, he is very happy if not thrilled with Cousins and Thornton. Seems very happy with Reke and recognizes that the foot problem really hurt him. He likes Dally. He also likes JT, a healthy Cisco, and Beno and isn't totally down on Omri although that paragraph left my head spinnning. Donte better get his butt in gear - my translation.
My interpretation is that Thornton, Cuz, and Reke are untouchable. I think he'd like to see another year of Dally as he recognizes Dally never really hit his stride. He might see Cisco as a keeper especially if he stays healthy because of his leadership and his decent three point shooting. A healthy Cisco! Very much happy with the last month or two from JT. I don't know what he meant by adding to the front court as I don't know his definition of "frontcourt." I assume he means a SF is a frontcourt player which isn't how I define the position. In any case, given this team, he simply can't ignore that position.
I have to add, only on draft day and after the free agency period will these vague and perhaps misleading generalities reveal themselves in specific names. I don't recall a time when I was able to predict what he would do except that in this case, this is twice he has mentioned the desire for a three point shooter. Not a peep about defense or specifically a defensive SF. Interesting.
If he kept things closer to the vest, they'd be inside his chest.
Just so I don't need to write another note as I recognize there is a critical mass of seeing my avatar where people get scared: Dally went into the off season saying he wanted to work on his offense. There is only one team that used him in offense and although it occasionaly brought cries of anguish, that team was the Kings. He made a point of saying that the Kings were the only team to ask him to play offense and I would dare anyone to point out a basketball player that doesn't like to score. My interpretation is that he plans to come back and this idea we won't have him is a very long stretch.
But then I am a Dally lover and biased.
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/02/3593768/facing-big-offseason-petrie-sees.html
The final paragraph is a quick summary of his thoughts going forward:
"I think we need another creator, ballhandler. We need some more leadership on the court, either by the form of maturity or addition to the roster. Certainly we need to try to improve our three-point shooting, which fell off from a year ago. … We'll have to look to fill out our roster with another frontcourt player of some kind."
To further summarize, he is very happy if not thrilled with Cousins and Thornton. Seems very happy with Reke and recognizes that the foot problem really hurt him. He likes Dally. He also likes JT, a healthy Cisco, and Beno and isn't totally down on Omri although that paragraph left my head spinnning. Donte better get his butt in gear - my translation.
My interpretation is that Thornton, Cuz, and Reke are untouchable. I think he'd like to see another year of Dally as he recognizes Dally never really hit his stride. He might see Cisco as a keeper especially if he stays healthy because of his leadership and his decent three point shooting. A healthy Cisco! Very much happy with the last month or two from JT. I don't know what he meant by adding to the front court as I don't know his definition of "frontcourt." I assume he means a SF is a frontcourt player which isn't how I define the position. In any case, given this team, he simply can't ignore that position.
I have to add, only on draft day and after the free agency period will these vague and perhaps misleading generalities reveal themselves in specific names. I don't recall a time when I was able to predict what he would do except that in this case, this is twice he has mentioned the desire for a three point shooter. Not a peep about defense or specifically a defensive SF. Interesting.
If he kept things closer to the vest, they'd be inside his chest.
Just so I don't need to write another note as I recognize there is a critical mass of seeing my avatar where people get scared: Dally went into the off season saying he wanted to work on his offense. There is only one team that used him in offense and although it occasionaly brought cries of anguish, that team was the Kings. He made a point of saying that the Kings were the only team to ask him to play offense and I would dare anyone to point out a basketball player that doesn't like to score. My interpretation is that he plans to come back and this idea we won't have him is a very long stretch.
But then I am a Dally lover and biased.
Last edited:
From Sam Amick's twitter:
sam_amick Sam Amick
Just left Brandon Knight workout in Sacto. They'd be over the moon if he was still there at 7. He went one on none.
Also from Amick:
sam_amick Sam Amick
Much better workout expected next week, when source says Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker are slated to face off in Sacto.
sam_amick Sam Amick
Just left Brandon Knight workout in Sacto. They'd be over the moon if he was still there at 7. He went one on none.
Also from Amick:
sam_amick Sam Amick
Much better workout expected next week, when source says Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker are slated to face off in Sacto.
Last edited:
I'am by no means saying that we should draft Fredette. What I'am saying is that I think he would be a good fit on our team. So thats where our opinions differ. I'd still rather have Hamilton or Singleton. But if the Kings decide the guy is Fredette, then I'm fine with that. I think Fredette is going to be a very good player, and eventually a better player than Beno. So, if true, then he's an upgrade, and anytime you can upgrade at a position, then the team just got better.
What we don't know, is whats happening behind closed doors. The Kings may have already worked out a deal for a veteran SF for all we know. And if so, then its doubtful they'll be looking at that position in the draft. A lot of folks seem to think its fine to draft Irving, Walker, or Knight, but if one of them isn't there, then forget looking at that position. Odd, since Fredette has more medals hanging on his chest than just about all of them, except Walker, who has a national championship ring. Just what if, Fredette is just as good as any of them. What if his defense was just a result of the system he played in. Subjective arguments, I know! And I leave those answers to Petrie.
This I know. There were times last season when the Kings needed a basket to win or tie the game. They needed to be able to spread the floor in order to keep all options open. With both Fredette and Thornton on the floor at the same time, it opens up the middle for Tyreke and Cousins. Fredette, contrary to what some might think, is a team player. He tried every game to get his teammates involved. He'll do whatever the team wants or needs him to do. I don't see how he's a bad fit. Which is different than thinking he's not a need.
What we don't know, is whats happening behind closed doors. The Kings may have already worked out a deal for a veteran SF for all we know. And if so, then its doubtful they'll be looking at that position in the draft. A lot of folks seem to think its fine to draft Irving, Walker, or Knight, but if one of them isn't there, then forget looking at that position. Odd, since Fredette has more medals hanging on his chest than just about all of them, except Walker, who has a national championship ring. Just what if, Fredette is just as good as any of them. What if his defense was just a result of the system he played in. Subjective arguments, I know! And I leave those answers to Petrie.
This I know. There were times last season when the Kings needed a basket to win or tie the game. They needed to be able to spread the floor in order to keep all options open. With both Fredette and Thornton on the floor at the same time, it opens up the middle for Tyreke and Cousins. Fredette, contrary to what some might think, is a team player. He tried every game to get his teammates involved. He'll do whatever the team wants or needs him to do. I don't see how he's a bad fit. Which is different than thinking he's not a need.
Fredette can do all those things. Believe it or not, he can be a pass first point guard. I don't know how many of you remember Steve Nash when he came into the league, but he was known as a scorer first and pass second type player. And for the first 2 or 3 years in the league he lived up to that reputation. Fredette is a good passer with great basketball IQ, and good court vision. If you were to ask him what he is, he'll tell you that he's a Point guard, and not a shooting guard. Fredette just happens to be a very good shooter as well. Being good at one thing isn't necessarily exclusive of being good at other things as well.
Since we're now looking at PGs at #7 (IMO, a dumb move; we can get better ones out of free agency, and the PGs up top are overrated), I've created a list:
NO CHANCE) Kyrie Irving
--Certified NBA ready with elite level offensive upside--best among draftees. Great offensive player. Might be an excellent shooter. Elite level offensive construct, preferred slasher but takes a fair share of threes. Nil bust potential.
--Pure PG.
--Very good at making defensive plays for his size (6'4"ish) without fouling.
--Very small wingspan. Bad conditioning.
--Bad rebounder.
NBA Comparison: Taller Chris Paul (now)
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 4-7 FGs, 2-2 3FG, 4-4 FTs, 0 reb, 6 ast, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 TOs
GOODISH OPTION:
1) Kemba Walker
--NBA ready. Very good offensive player. Good shooter with good offensive construct. Preferred slasher.
--Good PG skills. More scorer the past year.
--Very good at making defensive plays for his size (6'1") without fouling.
--Very good leaping ability, both straight up and with a running start. Good conditioning. Good lateral quickness. Goodish transition speed.
--Bad wingspan and bad reach--very small on court. Needs to add strength.
--Poor rebounder.
--NBA Comparison: Darren Collison
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 4-9 FGs, 1-2 3FG, 5-6 FTs, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2 steals, 2 TOs
SLEEPERS:
2) Reggie Jackson
--Quite NBA ready. Very good rebounder for size (6'3"). Goodish PG skills.
--Just a fair offensive player. Decent shooter, but poor offensive construct.
--Poor defensive playmaker. Conserves energy for offense.
--NBA Comparison: Jarrett Jack
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 2-5 FGs, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FTs, 5 reb, 3 ast, 0 steals, 1 TOs
3) Jimmer Fredette
--Elite level scorer. Elite shooter with good offensive construct. Draws fouls and shoots from distance.
--Has a bit of combo PG skills. Much more of a scorer this year.
--Quite strong. Good lateral quickness. Nondescript in transition. Middling conditioning. Subpar leaping ability. Bad wingspan.
--Poor defensive playmaker. Very much conserves his energy for offense.
--Nonexistent rebounder for size (6'3"ish).
--Just OK NBA-readiness.
--NBA Comparison: Mike Bibby/JJ Redick
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 3-5 FGs, 2-3 3FG, 4-4 FTs, 0 reb, 2 ast, 0 steals, 1 TO
4) Brandon Knight
--Good offensive player. Good shooter with good offensive construct. Preferred three point shooter.
--Good lateral quickness and very good in transition. Very good conditioning. Good leaping ability with a running start. OK strength. Poor wingspan.
--SG level passer/court vision at 6'3". Turnover prone.
--Nonexistent defensive playmaker. Very bad rebounder.
--Poor NBA readiness.
--NBA Comparison: Brandon Jennings
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 2-6 FGs, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FTs, 0 reb, 2 ast, 0 steals, 3 TOs
NO CHANCE) Kyrie Irving
--Certified NBA ready with elite level offensive upside--best among draftees. Great offensive player. Might be an excellent shooter. Elite level offensive construct, preferred slasher but takes a fair share of threes. Nil bust potential.
--Pure PG.
--Very good at making defensive plays for his size (6'4"ish) without fouling.
--Very small wingspan. Bad conditioning.
--Bad rebounder.
NBA Comparison: Taller Chris Paul (now)
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 4-7 FGs, 2-2 3FG, 4-4 FTs, 0 reb, 6 ast, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 TOs
GOODISH OPTION:
1) Kemba Walker
--NBA ready. Very good offensive player. Good shooter with good offensive construct. Preferred slasher.
--Good PG skills. More scorer the past year.
--Very good at making defensive plays for his size (6'1") without fouling.
--Very good leaping ability, both straight up and with a running start. Good conditioning. Good lateral quickness. Goodish transition speed.
--Bad wingspan and bad reach--very small on court. Needs to add strength.
--Poor rebounder.
--NBA Comparison: Darren Collison
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 4-9 FGs, 1-2 3FG, 5-6 FTs, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2 steals, 2 TOs
SLEEPERS:
2) Reggie Jackson
--Quite NBA ready. Very good rebounder for size (6'3"). Goodish PG skills.
--Just a fair offensive player. Decent shooter, but poor offensive construct.
--Poor defensive playmaker. Conserves energy for offense.
--NBA Comparison: Jarrett Jack
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 2-5 FGs, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FTs, 5 reb, 3 ast, 0 steals, 1 TOs
3) Jimmer Fredette
--Elite level scorer. Elite shooter with good offensive construct. Draws fouls and shoots from distance.
--Has a bit of combo PG skills. Much more of a scorer this year.
--Quite strong. Good lateral quickness. Nondescript in transition. Middling conditioning. Subpar leaping ability. Bad wingspan.
--Poor defensive playmaker. Very much conserves his energy for offense.
--Nonexistent rebounder for size (6'3"ish).
--Just OK NBA-readiness.
--NBA Comparison: Mike Bibby/JJ Redick
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 3-5 FGs, 2-3 3FG, 4-4 FTs, 0 reb, 2 ast, 0 steals, 1 TO
4) Brandon Knight
--Good offensive player. Good shooter with good offensive construct. Preferred three point shooter.
--Good lateral quickness and very good in transition. Very good conditioning. Good leaping ability with a running start. OK strength. Poor wingspan.
--SG level passer/court vision at 6'3". Turnover prone.
--Nonexistent defensive playmaker. Very bad rebounder.
--Poor NBA readiness.
--NBA Comparison: Brandon Jennings
--Rook Stat Line (in 20 mins): 2-6 FGs, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FTs, 0 reb, 2 ast, 0 steals, 3 TOs
Kemba Walker had an average of 5.4 rebs per game last year. He's a very good rebounder for a guard. His quickness allows him to get to balls that most guys can't get to. Quickness to the ball isn't a great strength of the Kings. Kemba would be an upgrade in that area.
Knight has a good wingspan. He has the makings of a very good defensive player. He just very raw at this point when it comes to running a team. I don't see the Jennings comparison. Knight is a rangier player, Jennings a quicker player.
Both players make big shots at big times. I haven't seen any stats for that.
Knight has a good wingspan. He has the makings of a very good defensive player. He just very raw at this point when it comes to running a team. I don't see the Jennings comparison. Knight is a rangier player, Jennings a quicker player.
Both players make big shots at big times. I haven't seen any stats for that.
Yeah, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but Knight has a wingspan of 6'6.75", which is above average. I don't get his saying that Fredette has a bad wingspan. Fredette stants 6'2.5" in shoes, and his wingspan is 6'4.5". Which is about average or slightly above average. Now when compared to some freaks out there like Eric Gordon, who has a 6'9" wingspan for a guy thats 6'3" in shoes, is seems small. But its that large wingspan that allows Gordon to play SG. Here are the wingspans on several PG's.
Darren Collison: 6'3"
Jordan Farmer: 6'3"
Luke Ridnour: 6'3"
Jarryd Bayless: 6'3.5"
Monte Ellis: 6'2.5"
Stephen Curry: 6'3.5"
Eric Maynor: 6'2.5"
Kyrie Irving: 6'4"
Josh Selby: 6'5.5"
Chris Paul: 6'4.5"
Nolan Smith: 6'5.5"
Michael Conley: 6'5.75"
Andrew Goudelock: 6'4.5"
Now some of these guys are a little shorter than Fredette, but some are a little taller as well. Based on those figures I would hardly call Fredette's or Knights wingspans poor. I'm also getting a little tired of people comparing Fredette to J.J. Redick. Other than both players being good outside shooters, the two players are nothing alike. Redick is a SG, and Fredette is a PG. Fredette is a better athlete, ballhandler, and passer than Redick. Jon Diebler comes closer in comparison to Redick. I also love how Reggie Jackson is listed as NBA ready, but both Knight and Fredette aren't, with Fredette coming the closest.
And by the way, Reggie Jackson, who is susposed to be the superior rebounder aveaged a whole 9 tenths of a rebound more than Fredette, and was out rebounded by Walker. I also find it interesting that he said Fredette was in only middling condition. Not bad for a guy that played the entire 40 minutes a game many times and averaged around 37 minutes a game. Amazing how he was able to do that in middling condition. As for Irving, I cut him some slack for his conditioning because he out almost the entire season. I doubt anyone expected him to be in great condition when he couldn't use his foot.
What's the world coming to! It's not often I find myself agreeing with all of your post. You're spot on. Kemba is a very good rebounder for a guard of his size. He really goes after it.
Knight has a lot of potential defensively. I'm really not seeing how he's poor defensively. He's quick laterally, has long arms, and is very smart. I think he can be a very good defender at the next level. Also, he's nothing like Jennings. A very poor comparison in my opinion.
I don't think people realise it's much harder to rack up rebounds in college than in the NBA. In the NBA there's more time, shorter shot clocks etc.. If you can rebound at the college level, chances are you can do it in the NBA.
Baja, the Reddick comparisons are there because of the shooting ability and the fact that they're both white. It's funny, but you rarely see players compared to those of different ethnicities. I'm not going to get into that, though. I agree that the comparison doesn't hold much weight, and is likely made by people who haven't seen them play much. I think Curry is a solid comparison for Fredette. Different body types, but both had/have doubts about their ability to play PG, both shoot lights out, both are very crafty and both can handle and pass the ball. They don't have identical games, but I think it's a solid comparison. Both also came from small programmes and had to carry their teams by themselves.
Knight has a lot of potential defensively. I'm really not seeing how he's poor defensively. He's quick laterally, has long arms, and is very smart. I think he can be a very good defender at the next level. Also, he's nothing like Jennings. A very poor comparison in my opinion.
I don't think people realise it's much harder to rack up rebounds in college than in the NBA. In the NBA there's more time, shorter shot clocks etc.. If you can rebound at the college level, chances are you can do it in the NBA.
Baja, the Reddick comparisons are there because of the shooting ability and the fact that they're both white. It's funny, but you rarely see players compared to those of different ethnicities. I'm not going to get into that, though. I agree that the comparison doesn't hold much weight, and is likely made by people who haven't seen them play much. I think Curry is a solid comparison for Fredette. Different body types, but both had/have doubts about their ability to play PG, both shoot lights out, both are very crafty and both can handle and pass the ball. They don't have identical games, but I think it's a solid comparison. Both also came from small programmes and had to carry their teams by themselves.