It's early, but anybody have a draft wish list yet?

[bajaden]

I see the focus is on SFs. This assumes that Salmons will not recover to his historically solid (not great) stats. If we add a SF, we then have Salmons, Outlaw, Greene, Garcia, and Honeycutt along with whoever is added. I wouldn't expect the Maloofs to throw away money by amnestying anyone. Sure we can work out the details later but I'm not so sure how. We don't exactly have desireable pieces to trade.

In short, any SF, in my opinion, would have to be a clear cut upgrade over Salmons. And I mean clear cut. As I expect more from Salmons as the year progresses, I don't see this as being so easy. Now if Salmons drifts back to the ugliness that began the year, I'd be more interested in a SF but still it creates problems. You can't have half a team of average to below average SFs.

Now if the guy can play PF, that's a different matter. I don't think a team can have too many bigs within reason of course.

Salmons can also play the SG position. Matter of fact, I think thats his natural position. Greene's contract is up at the end of this year if we don't give him a qualifing offer. Honeycutt is on a rookie, and very small salary. Outlaw is only being paid around 3 mil, and only for another year if memory serves. So if the right player comes up, you could eat Outlaws salary, or retain him as a backup PF and emergency SF. You cut Greene and move Salmons to the SG postion as a backup. There's also the possibility of trades. Probably hard to move Salmons unless he would be part of a bigger deal.

Point is, if you have a chance to aquire the SF of the future, you do it and figure out the rest later.

 

[bajaden]

Baja, have you seen Damian Lillard play at all?

Yes I have, and I had a bunch of notes on him before I moved. As soon as I find the box with all my notes I'll post something on him.

 

[Glenn]

++

Salmons can also play the SG position. Matter of fact, I think thats his natural position. Greene's contract is up at the end of this year if we don't give him a qualifing offer. Honeycutt is on a rookie, and very small salary. Outlaw is only being paid around 3 mil, and only for another year if memory serves. So if the right player comes up, you could eat Outlaws salary, or retain him as a backup PF and emergency SF. You cut Greene and move Salmons to the SG postion as a backup. There's also the possibility of trades. Probably hard to move Salmons unless he would be part of a bigger deal.

Point is, if you have a chance to aquire the SF of the future, you do it and figure out the rest later.

If Salmons is switched to SG, we then have Tyreke, Thornton, Salmons, IT, and Jimmer. The way things are going, that leaves Jimmer on the bench with only occasional minutes.

In any case, I don't understand why we don't need a big.

 

[Dime Dropper]

++

If Salmons is switched to SG, we then have Tyreke, Thornton, Salmons, IT, and Jimmer. The way things are going, that leaves Jimmer on the bench with only occasional minutes.

In any case, I don't understand why we don't need a big.

In reality, we do need a big. So you're right there. Hickson will not (or at least, should not) be in the Kings long term plans. JT is a superior player and a better fit. In all honesty, Chuck will not start for a very good team, at least not with the way this team is structured. I like him, but think he's better suited as a third or fourth big, and much of his value comes through his veteran presence. So that's Cousins, JT and Chuck. It's not really realistic to include Whiteside as he's nothing more than a wildcard at this point. Although I think he has great potential defensively, unfortunately I think he's unlikely to ever reach that given his mental makeup and intangibles.

Now, while three big men are generally going to eat up the majority of the minutes available between PF and C, we could still do with a long-term starter that fits next to Cousins. You don't overlook that just because we also need a SF. This draft is hard to call because we're in need of both a quality SF and an additional big, not to mention possibly another PG who can steady the ship at times (Machado in 2nd round will do nicely). So a lot depends on whose available. It's late here and this post is jumbled so I won't continue further at the moment, but I do agree that our need for a mobile, defensive big is not any less relevant because of our lackluster SFs.

 

[bajaden]

In reality, we do need a big. So you're right there. Hickson will not (or at least, should not) be in the Kings long term plans. JT is a superior player and a better fit. In all honesty, Chuck will not start for a very good team, at least not with the way this team is structured. I like him, but think he's better suited as a third or fourth big, and much of his value comes through his veteran presence. So that's Cousins, JT and Chuck. It's not really realistic to include Whiteside as he's nothing more than a wildcard at this point. Although I think he has great potential defensively, unfortunately I think he's unlikely to ever reach that given his mental makeup and intangibles.

Now, while three big men are generally going to eat up the majority of the minutes available between PF and C, we could still do with a long-term starter that fits next to Cousins. You don't overlook that just because we also need a SF. This draft is hard to call because we're in need of both a quality SF and an additional big, not to mention possibly another PG who can steady the ship at times (Machado in 2nd round will do nicely). So a lot depends on whose available. It's late here and this post is jumbled so I won't continue further at the moment, but I do agree that our need for a mobile, defensive big is not any less relevant because of our lackluster SFs.

Actually you made a lot of sense. I guess I need to clarify my position on who we draft. I have always been, and still am, a take the best player available. If that happens to be a big, then you take a big, and solve the SF propblem through a trade or freeagency. Kirilenko is still a viable option this next offseason. If I have the first pick in the draft, I'm picking Anthony Davis, who I think would be the perfect fit next to Cousins. If I end up with the second pick in the draft, and Drummond declares, then I probably take him, although I have more reservations about him than I do Davis. So there's two bigs in a row.

Right now, Thomas Robinson is making a case for being a top five pick, and I would have a hard time passing him up, and I would take him over Sullinger. My point is, I have nothing against taking a big man. But if we end up picking 10th, 11th, or 12th, then a SF or perhaps even a SG may be the best player available, and thats who I take. I realize I'm preaching to the choir with you, but I wanted to clarify my position in general.

 

[bajaden]

what does anyone know about Marquis Teague much he looks good but again i havent seen much of him

Also shouldnt we move to the prospects area of the board???

Marquis Teague, the brother of Jeff Teague, is probably the most athletic, and is therefore considered the PG with the most potential of all the PG's in the draft. He's loaded with talent, but lacks experience. In other words, he's a work in progress. And, he's making very good progress since the beginning of the season. His turnovers have dropped and his assists have gone up. He has serious handles, and has an ankle breaking crossover that he needs to use more often. There are PG's in the draft that are more fundamentally sound, like Marshall. Or who are better defenders like Craft. Both of whom I love. But if your looking long range for a player that might, and I emphasize the word might, be a star, then you take a gamble on Teague. I don't think the gamble would be that big, because even if he's not a star, I think he'll be a very good player.

 

[Return To Glory]

First, my gut tells me that Leonard will stay another year at Illinois. Which is probably a good decision on his part, because I seriously doubt he would be a lottery pick, if even a 1st round pick this season. Don't get me wrong. I like Leonard, but this is a very deep draft, and he has some flaws. He's having a good year, and its possible he could slip into the bottom of the first round if he were to declare, but its iffy.

I like Jeffery Taylor quite a bit, and he's an excellent defensive player. Offensively he's gotten better every year. I doubt he's a lottery pick, and at the moment, he's a borderline first round pick. He's a player that frustrates me at times. In his recent game against Kentucky, he was invisible in the first half, and then in the second half, he looked like an all star. He's done this his entire college career. The talent is there. There are times I'm just screaming at my TV. Just play dude! Just let it go!

Thanks for the insights on both players Baja! I'm a big fan of both Leonard and Taylor. If we do have a chance to draft a big man in the lottery (to pair with Demarcus), which prospects do you think would be the best options (besides Davis and Drummond)?

 

[Uk kings fan]

i know this will sound stupid but what should i be looking out for in each position... for example PGs are assists, good D and points right??

 

[Glenn]

i know this will sound stupid but what should i be looking out for in each position... for example PGs are assists, good D and points right??

I am not even going to give this a try. I could better describe what to look for in rugby players position by position than answer this one.

There are multiple ways of playing each position and that's part of the problem. Another part of the problem is that each person may have a different picture of how each position should be played. Another problem is that sometimes the greatest may not be so great when you watch them and you will simply scratch your head. I had that reaction to Larry Bird.

Maybe someone else has the courage. I think you have to keep reading the notes and watching the games. The trouble with the notes here is that they tend to focus on what a player doesn't do than what he does do but still you can learn. Pick out the contributors who seem to make the most sense and study what they say.

BTW, can you explain how Richie McCaw has been IRB player of the year three years in his lifetime? It's not easy.

 

[Uk kings fan]

well Richie is there because of the fact he puts his body on the line every game and tbh he cheats in every ruck...

But thats what im asking is there some things which you do look out for like IQ and Athletisim but some things you hope they can take with them like Shooting and defence??

 

[bajaden]

Thanks for the insights on both players Baja! I'm a big fan of both Leonard and Taylor. If we do have a chance to draft a big man in the lottery (to pair with Demarcus), which prospects do you think would be the best options (besides Davis and Drummond)?

Well Henson would be an obvious choice because of his shotblocking abilities. He's mobile and has the ability to cover PF's and would be a great weakside help defender. I love Thomas Robinson, who is doing his best imitation of Blake Griffin. He's a little raw with his post skills, but is a terrific athlete that plays with an edge. You probably can't miss completely with Jared Sullinger, who will probably translate offensively but there's question marks about his defensive ability.

Futher down the line there are guys like Meyers Leonard the 7 footer out of Illinois. Patrick Young the 6'9" PF out of Florida, Arnett Moutrie the 6'11" C/PF from Miss St., and a kid I really like, Festus Ezeli from Vanderbilt. Ezeli has been injuried, and its kept his stats down some. But I think the kid is very talented, a good athlete, and a good defender.

 

[bajaden]

i know this will sound stupid but what should i be looking out for in each position... for example PGs are assists, good D and points right??

Regardless of position, look at results. If a player is averaging lets say 20 pt's a game, how many shots does he take to average 20 Pt's. What is his shooting percentage. If he's a PF or a Center, how does he score his points? Outside or inside. How well does he rebound? Does he score using basic fundamentals in the post, or does he rely on his athleticism? How well does the player handle the ball regardless of position. Obviously, a guard is going to have better handles than a center, but a big has to have the ability to put the ball on the floor. How well does the player pass the ball regardless of position?

Regardless of position, your looking for consistency, efficiency, and potential for growth. Obviously each position requires somewhat different skills, but in the end, its still basketball. You dribble the ball, you pass the ball, you shoot the ball, and you defend the ball. Lastly, you look at a players intensity and focus, and whether he brings that every game.

Remember that your watching college basketball. In may cases there is only one, maybe two players on a team with NBA potential. Everyone else is cannon fodder. So you have to take some things into consideration. If you have a highly touted PF from highschool on a team, and he's not living up to expectations, does he have a good PG on the team that can get him the ball in the right situation. Derrick Favors is an example of a young player that played on a team with terrible guard play. As a result, his growth suffered along with his freshman stats. You can have a very good passing PG, who doesn't rack up assists because he doesn't have anyone on his team that can finish. In short, there's a lot to consider.

 

[bajaden]

Ok, I found some notes from my PG's post in the prospects fourm. Lillard was at the bottom of my list and I left him off that thread. Reason being that I'm not quite sure what he is. A PG or a SG. In fairness to him, like Jimmer from last season, he's being asked to carry the offensive load for Webber St. As a matter of fact, he's been compared to Fredette quite a bit. Lillard isn't a bad passer and his turnovers have dropped since his freshman year. So at present he has a very good assist to turnover ratio.

I think he's a better athlete than Jimmer, although he's not a special athlete in the John Wall, Derrick Rose class. At 6'2"/6'3" depending on who you believe, I think his destiny has to be at PG, although I think he'll always be a shoot first type PG. He handles the ball well enough and with either hand. He's decent to good at getting to the basket and finishing or dishing. He has a very nice teardrop floater in the key, and is downright deadly from the three. At present he's shooting 45.3% from beyond the arc, which is outstanding, and he's shooting 47.6% overall. He's also a 90% freethrow shooter.

He's only averaging 3.9 assists a game, but in fairness to him, a lot of his nice passes go unrewarded. His release is a little low and more out in front of him instead of up above his head, but he has a very quick release and has little trouble getting his shot off. He's outstanding at shooting off the pick and roll if his defender goes under the pick. His shooting percentage is almost exactly the same whether he's spotting up, or coming off a pick, which is a testament to his shooting ability.

Defensively, he's pretty good. He has good intensity, and good lateral quickness. When you consider how much effort he puts in on the offensive side of the ball, I think his defense is damm good. It should be noted that when Webber St. played Sac St. in sacramento, the game was attended by none other than Petrie. Also in attendence were DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson.

 

[kingsboi]

I hope Barnes falls to us =)

 

[UK_King]

I watched Louisville vs Syracuse last night great game. Wasn't that impressed with the Orange to be honest but i liked the two forwards for Louisville. Behanan and Dieng, Dieng made a really costly error but he was good at the high post. That Peyton Siva is one quick guy, man he might be quicker than John Wall on the run.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Well Henson would be an obvious choice because of his shotblocking abilities. He's mobile and has the ability to cover PF's and would be a great weakside help defender. I love Thomas Robinson, who is doing his best imitation of Blake Griffin. He's a little raw with his post skills, but is a terrific athlete that plays with an edge. You probably can't miss completely with Jared Sullinger, who will probably translate offensively but there's question marks about his defensive ability.

Futher down the line there are guys like Meyers Leonard the 7 footer out of Illinois. Patrick Young the 6'9" PF out of Florida, Arnett Moutrie the 6'11" C/PF from Miss St., and a kid I really like, Festus Ezeli from Vanderbilt. Ezeli has been injuried, and its kept his stats down some. But I think the kid is very talented, a good athlete, and a good defender.

Big fan of him too - why didn't he play more prior to this year? I know the Morris twins were ahead of him, but why? He's a better player.

BTW, Robinson is one tough kid. He's an incredible person. Lost both grandparents and his mother in the space of 25 days, very interesting piece about it on youtube.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Ok, I found some notes from my PG's post in the prospects fourm. Lillard was at the bottom of my list and I left him off that thread. Reason being that I'm not quite sure what he is. A PG or a SG. In fairness to him, like Jimmer from last season, he's being asked to carry the offensive load for Webber St. As a matter of fact, he's been compared to Fredette quite a bit. Lillard isn't a bad passer and his turnovers have dropped since his freshman year. So at present he has a very good assist to turnover ratio.

I think he's a better athlete than Jimmer, although he's not a special athlete in the John Wall, Derrick Rose class. At 6'2"/6'3" depending on who you believe, I think his destiny has to be at PG, although I think he'll always be a shoot first type PG. He handles the ball well enough and with either hand. He's decent to good at getting to the basket and finishing or dishing. He has a very nice teardrop floater in the key, and is downright deadly from the three. At present he's shooting 45.3% from beyond the arc, which is outstanding, and he's shooting 47.6% overall. He's also a 90% freethrow shooter.

He's only averaging 3.9 assists a game, but in fairness to him, a lot of his nice passes go unrewarded. His release is a little low and more out in front of him instead of up above his head, but he has a very quick release and has little trouble getting his shot off. He's outstanding at shooting off the pick and roll if his defender goes under the pick. His shooting percentage is almost exactly the same whether he's spotting up, or coming off a pick, which is a testament to his shooting ability.

Defensively, he's pretty good. He has good intensity, and good lateral quickness. When you consider how much effort he puts in on the offensive side of the ball, I think his defense is damm good. It should be noted that when Webber St. played Sac St. in sacramento, the game was attended by none other than Petrie. Also in attendence were DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson.

Thanks Baja. I really love his shooting percentages and a/t ratio, makes me think of Stephen Curry, but Curry got more assists in his junior year. His low release is concerning though.

 

[bajaden]

Big fan of him too - why didn't he play more prior to this year? I know the Morris twins were ahead of him, but why? He's a better player.

BTW, Robinson is one tough kid. He's an incredible person. Lost both grandparents and his mother in the space of 25 days, very interesting piece about it on youtube.

Yeah, I read the whole story on him. Tough Hombre, and plays like he's on a mission. As far as playing time last season, it was just the Morris twins that took almost all his minutes. what leaped out at me last season was that he led all of college in rebounds per minute. So although he didn't get many minutes, he made them count. Made me wonder at the time how good he could be with regular minutes. Pretty good it turns out.

 

[bajaden]

Thanks Baja. I really love his shooting percentages and a/t ratio, makes me think of Stephen Curry, but Curry got more assists in his junior year. His low release is concerning though.

I should have pointed out that I don't think he's had one jumpshot blocked all season. Although he listed as a junior, he should be senior. He was injured last season after playing in just nine games. So he was given a medical redshirt for the year.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I should have pointed out that I don't think he's had one jumpshot blocked all season. Although he listed as a junior, he should be senior. He was injured last season after playing in just nine games. So he was given a medical redshirt for the year.

Well not getting your shot blocked isn't always indicative of what kind of shots you can get away with, because you can adjust your game to avoid being in risky situations, so it can still be limiting even if you're not actually getting your shot blocked. Marion's shot is super low, but when he was with the Suns he'd rarely get blocked because his release was so quick and he'd only shoot it in certain situations. Anyway, I'm not saying it's Marion low, but it's in Jeff Teague territory, which could limit him in certain situations.

 

[Uk kings fan]

i have just read that west virgina has left the big east to join the big 12 (i assume next season) i assume they are a good team but how good are they going to be next year i aw some people expect them to win the conference???

 

[bajaden]

i have just read that west virgina has left the big east to join the big 12 (i assume next season) i assume they are a good team but how good are they going to be next year i aw some people expect them to win the conference???

I think they would have a better chance of winning the big east than the big 12. Both are tough conferences, but the big 12 has Texas, Kansas, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma St.. Almost all of these teams are yearly visitors to the NCAA tournament, and on any given year, any one of them might win the Big East title. So for anyone to say that West Virgina will win the Big 12, they have to be out of their mind.

That said, yes, West Virginia consistently puts very good teams on the floor, and I'm sure they would be competitive in the Big 12. But right now, I think the Big 12 is a tougher conference than the Big East. No offense to Pittsburg, UCONN, Cinncinatti or St. Johns.

By the way, I hadn't heard about that move, which geographicly I find strange. There's a reason West Virginia plays in the Big East. They happen to be on the east coast.

 

[bluntsnbball]

Big fan of him too - why didn't he play more prior to this year? I know the Morris twins were ahead of him, but why? He's a better player.

BTW, Robinson is one tough kid. He's an incredible person. Lost both grandparents and his mother in the space of 25 days, very interesting piece about it on youtube.

i watched a lot of Kansas ball last year, my sister worked for the athletic department over there. The morris twins were pretty dominant, they played with a lot of intensity and passion. Robinson played plenty last year, but i think he was a bit more raw compared to now and just didnt get nearly the amount of touches with selby and the morris twins next to him. i remember i was actually at allen fieldhouse and watched them play texas, and out of all the players robinson impressed me the most. i asked my sister if she thought he was an NBA prospect and she said ya, "probably." She was at every single kansas game last season and even she didnt know he was gonna be this good when the selby and the twins left. To me, i see that as someone who improved fast and will still progress with time.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

Festus Ezeli is a terrific name.

 

[bajaden]

Festus Ezeli is a terrific name.

Just has to be a star, don't you think?

 

[bajaden]

i watched a lot of Kansas ball last year, my sister worked for the athletic department over there. The morris twins were pretty dominant, they played with a lot of intensity and passion. Robinson played plenty last year, but i think he was a bit more raw compared to now and just didnt get nearly the amount of touches with selby and the morris twins next to him. i remember i was actually at allen fieldhouse and watched them play texas, and out of all the players robinson impressed me the most. i asked my sister if she thought he was an NBA prospect and she said ya, "probably." She was at every single kansas game last season and even she didnt know he was gonna be this good when the selby and the twins left. To me, i see that as someone who improved fast and will still progress with time.

I've seen him improve this season from the beginning till now. He's still very raw in a lot of areas, but he's a terrific athlete, and a terrific person. The sky's the limit if he works hard and gets the right help.

 

[Gilles]

I think they would have a better chance of winning the big east than the big 12. Both are tough conferences, but the big 12 has Texas, Kansas, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oklahoma St.. Almost all of these teams are yearly visitors to the NCAA tournament, and on any given year, any one of them might win the Big East title. So for anyone to say that West Virgina will win the Big 12, they have to be out of their mind.

That said, yes, West Virginia consistently puts very good teams on the floor, and I'm sure they would be competitive in the Big 12. But right now, I think the Big 12 is a tougher conference than the Big East. No offense to Pittsburg, UCONN, Cinncinatti or St. Johns.

By the way, I hadn't heard about that move, which geographicly I find strange. There's a reason West Virginia plays in the Big East. They happen to be on the east coast.

Apparently there's major reshuffling between Majors. It seems everybody wants to get into SEC and a few want to get into ACC. In the end Big 12 is screwed because of geographics and in fact becomes Big 10 next season.

 

[Uk kings fan]

on a different note does anyone know of a app like draft express for a phone???

 

[bajaden]

Apparently there's major reshuffling between Majors. It seems everybody wants to get into SEC and a few want to get into ACC. In the end Big 12 is screwed because of geographics and in fact becomes Big 10 next season.

Yeah, I know, but West Virginia playing in the Big 12/10 just sounds strange. But then Utah and Colorado playing in the Pac 10/12 makes about as much sense. Everyone is running to the TV money. The only reason Texas opted out of moving to the Pac conference is because they have their own big TV contract, and would have to give it up if they moved. Just follow the money!

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Yeah, I know, but West Virginia playing in the Big 12/10 just sounds strange. But then Utah and Colorado playing in the Pac 10/12 makes about as much sense.

Hey now! As a Pac-12, guy, I have to object to the "Pac 10/12" moniker! We actually went ahead and simply changed the name of the conference when the number of teams changed, unlike some numerically-challenged conferences I might mention!