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

[Uncia03]

I'm hearing a lot more love on this board for MKG than Robinson. Is Robinson for real? Pollard wasn't exactly ecstatic in his comments about him...

I'm not a huge fan of Kansas basketball and I didn't watch them anywhere near as much as Kentucky, UNC, Baylor, UCONN, Duke, Vanderbilt, Ohio St, ect.

But I will say this: Robinson is very quick and has a fantastic build.

In fact, as much as I love MKG, if Robinson measures out really well, I would consider taking him over MKG, because the quickness that he displays would be ultra-elite if he ends up being the same size as say JT.

The problem is that I don't think he'll measure out to be as big as JT. I loved watching Faried play in college last season and I felt that any team could use a Faried on their team, but the main question was Faried's size, as he had all the hustle, athleticism, and rebounding that you would want from a big. And not surprisingly, Faried measured out smaller in size than most people were comfortable with, and it impacted his draft stock.(Though he's shown how effective he can be with athleticism, heart, and hustle, despite the lack of size)

So if Robinson measures out to be as big as say JT or Blake Griffin, then I would probably take him #2, just inching by MKG. But if he measures out to be somewhat smaller (which I'm expecting and Pollard alluded to), then MKG gets slotted as my #2 since he will have very good size for the SF position.

If Robinson has a Cole Aldrich moment (Measures out extremely disappointing) then he could very well fall out of the top 5. I don't have any such worries with MKG, as his measurements seem to be more of a sure thing.

 

[Uncia03]

Forgive me if this has already been discussed, as I have yet to finish reading all the posts in this thread yet... but do you all see the Kings going after a certain position in this draft or the best player available? From what I have read the skill level at each position in our draft range seems to have pretty clear rankings which I think would make picking easier.

We are forunately in that there are a lot of good players available who can plug some of the holes in our roster. So there is a good chance that the best player available will also be one who fits our needs.

I think most would agree that the biggest needs the team has are:
1.) Starting SF
2.) Starting Big (Preferably Defense-Oriented) next to Cousins. (With JT playing super 3rd big)

Some might think we need another starting guard next to Tyreke (Doug Christie clone, or more defensive pass-oriented PG guard), but the none of the PGs are really in our range, unless we trade/reach for Marshall or Machado (2nd rd)

So here are the players that could be in contention with a top pick:

Small Forward
1.) MKG (Projected 3rd) Weakness: 3pt Shooting
2.) Barnes (Projected 7th) Weakness: One-on-One Dribble Penetration
3.) Terrance Jones (Projected 11th) Weakness: Might be PF rather than SF
4.) Terrence Ross (Projected 17th) Weakness: Might be best at SG position
5.) Quincy Miller (Projected 18th) Weakness: Still Young, Not sure if he'll reach potential
6.) Jeff Taylor (Projected 20th) (My favorite outside of MKG) Weakness: Senior & standing Reach

Bigs
1.) Anthony Davis (Projected 1st) Weakness: Needs to gain weight
2.) Andre Drummond (Projected 2nd) Weakness: Could be Bust due to lack of intangibles/intensity/commitment
3.) Thomas Robinson (Projected 4th) Weakness: Lack of Size, Not really defensive-oriented
4.) Jared Sullinger (Projected 6th) Weakness: Ground-bound, Best as Offensive-Post threat, which we don't really need with Cousins developing
5.) John Henson (Projected 8th) Weakness: Really slight, might not be physical enough for NBA. Little offensive game
6.) Perry Jones (Projected 9th) Weakness: Kevin Durant build. Not sure if he can make it as a PF. Also lacks intensity, physicality, and something else which prevents him from being dominant.
7.) Tyler Zeller (Projected 10th) Weakness: Average Athlete. Solid Offense/Defense, nothing amazing.

Of the Small Forwards available MKG is the no-brainer, and for the most part if Anthony Davis is off the board and MKG is available, then you take him.

You might consider taking Drummond or Robinson over Barnes, but you'd probably take Barnes over Sullinger, Henson, Perry Jones, & Tyler Zeller.

Probably the top 2 talents that don't fit a need that you might consider taking would be:
1.) Bradley Beal (SG projected 5th)
2.) Jeremy Lamb (SG projected 12)

I wouldn't be completely shocked if either of those guys were taken if Davis and MKG were off the board and Robinson measures poorly and Drummond doesn't impress in the interviews.

But looking just at position of need, my order is:
1.) Davis - Best talent & perfect fit next to Cousins
2.) MKG - Best SF, Total Winner, Brings all Intangibles & Leadership
3.) Robinson (If he measures out) - Can't pass on a big man with that athleticism
4.) Barnes - I think he'll turn out to be like Luol Deng, which I'd be perfectly happy with
5.) Drummond - Could be perfect fit next to Cousins, but I'm very leery of him due to bust potential
6.) Taylor - Elite Defender & probably best SF shooter available. (Worked extremely hard during college to get the shooting down)

So basically I think the issue of BPA vs. Need only comes into play if Beal is still on the board and you have some combination of Drummond/Barnes/Robinson also on the board. This is assuming we're picking in the top 6.

 

[Glenn]

I'm hearing a lot more love on this board for MKG than Robinson. Is Robinson for real? Pollard wasn't exactly ecstatic in his comments about him...

Pollard said don't expect him to be 6'11" which apparently it is stated somewhere. I believe he is more like a very athletic 6'9" which is fine by me. That was the only criticism that was clear to me.

To address someone else, I understand SF is our greatest area of need but if BPA can be ascertained clearly when it comes time to pick, I'd go for a PF/C also. Yes, JT is fine but we are short on numbers among bigs unless you consider Greene and Outlaw as PFs. One injury at that position and we are screwed big time. Considering injuries are part of the sport, I would take Robinson unless MKG or Davis were available.

 

[bajaden]

We are forunately in that there are a lot of good players available who can plug some of the holes in our roster. So there is a good chance that the best player available will also be one who fits our needs.

I think most would agree that the biggest needs the team has are:
1.) Starting SF
2.) Starting Big (Preferably Defense-Oriented) next to Cousins. (With JT playing super 3rd big)

Some might think we need another starting guard next to Tyreke (Doug Christie clone, or more defensive pass-oriented PG guard), but the none of the PGs are really in our range, unless we trade/reach for Marshall or Machado (2nd rd)

So here are the players that could be in contention with a top pick:

Small Forward
1.) MKG (Projected 3rd) Weakness: 3pt Shooting
2.) Barnes (Projected 7th) Weakness: One-on-One Dribble Penetration
3.) Terrance Jones (Projected 11th) Weakness: Might be PF rather than SF
4.) Terrence Ross (Projected 17th) Weakness: Might be best at SG position
5.) Quincy Miller (Projected 18th) Weakness: Still Young, Not sure if he'll reach potential
6.) Jeff Taylor (Projected 20th) (My favorite outside of MKG) Weakness: Senior & standing Reach

Bigs
1.) Anthony Davis (Projected 1st) Weakness: Needs to gain weight
2.) Andre Drummond (Projected 2nd) Weakness: Could be Bust due to lack of intangibles/intensity/commitment
3.) Thomas Robinson (Projected 4th) Weakness: Lack of Size, Not really defensive-oriented
4.) Jared Sullinger (Projected 6th) Weakness: Ground-bound, Best as Offensive-Post threat, which we don't really need with Cousins developing
5.) John Henson (Projected 8th) Weakness: Really slight, might not be physical enough for NBA. Little offensive game
6.) Perry Jones (Projected 9th) Weakness: Kevin Durant build. Not sure if he can make it as a PF. Also lacks intensity, physicality, and something else which prevents him from being dominant.
7.) Tyler Zeller (Projected 10th) Weakness: Average Athlete. Solid Offense/Defense, nothing amazing.

Of the Small Forwards available MKG is the no-brainer, and for the most part if Anthony Davis is off the board and MKG is available, then you take him.

You might consider taking Drummond or Robinson over Barnes, but you'd probably take Barnes over Sullinger, Henson, Perry Jones, & Tyler Zeller.

Probably the top 2 talents that don't fit a need that you might consider taking would be:
1.) Bradley Beal (SG projected 5th)
2.) Jeremy Lamb (SG projected 12)

I wouldn't be completely shocked if either of those guys were taken if Davis and MKG were off the board and Robinson measures poorly and Drummond doesn't impress in the interviews.

But looking just at position of need, my order is:
1.) Davis - Best talent & perfect fit next to Cousins
2.) MKG - Best SF, Total Winner, Brings all Intangibles & Leadership
3.) Robinson (If he measures out) - Can't pass on a big man with that athleticism
4.) Barnes - I think he'll turn out to be like Luol Deng, which I'd be perfectly happy with
5.) Drummond - Could be perfect fit next to Cousins, but I'm very leery of him due to bust potential
6.) Taylor - Elite Defender & probably best SF shooter available. (Worked extremely hard during college to get the shooting down)

So basically I think the issue of BPA vs. Need only comes into play if Beal is still on the board and you have some combination of Drummond/Barnes/Robinson also on the board. This is assuming we're picking in the top 6.

Once again, excellent breakdown. Couple of things I should mention. Coming out of highschool, Perry Jones was considered a SF. Of course because of his height, Baylor played him at PF. But I think you would have to take his SF skills into consideration at draft time. P. Jones is an above average athlete with ballhandling skills you just don't see from 6'11" players. Skill wise, he doesn't really have any major weaknesses other than being a weak rebounder for a guy his size. But he can shoot from the outside or put the ball on the floor. Anyway, something to consider.

Secondly, I was privy to listening to a little round table with some NBA scouts and Quincy Miller came up. It appears the big issue with Quincy has nothing to do with his skill level, but with him tearing his ACL at the beginning of his senior year. One of his attributes his junior year of highschool was his athleticism. Some of the scouts don't think he's fully recovered from the ACL tear, and that possibly he came back too soon. They all agreed that if they had a guarantee he would return to his prior form, he would be a top 10 pick. But with no guarantees, he's likely to slide down to the middle or bottom of the first round. Where by the way, he could end up being a steal. Two major things that they pointed out as to why, was that he didn't have the same explosiveness he did before, and his rebounding really fell off compared to his junior year of highschool where he dominated.

Also, because he basicly didn't play his senior year because of the ACL tear, there was bound to be a little rust.

 

[Kingster]

Pollard said don't expect him to be 6'11" which apparently it is stated somewhere. I believe he is more like a very athletic 6'9" which is fine by me. That was the only criticism that was clear to me.

To address someone else, I understand SF is our greatest area of need but if BPA can be ascertained clearly when it comes time to pick, I'd go for a PF/C also. Yes, JT is fine but we are short on numbers among bigs unless you consider Greene and Outlaw as PFs. One injury at that position and we are screwed big time. Considering injuries are part of the sport, I would take Robinson unless MKG or Davis were available.

Pollard was clear that he thought Robinson would have difficulty in getting his shot in the NBA. The inference was that he is a project in that regard and there is a risk whether he would develop that part of his game.

 

[spudfan]

Awesome post Uncia03, thanks!

 

[bajaden]

Pollard said don't expect him to be 6'11" which apparently it is stated somewhere. I believe he is more like a very athletic 6'9" which is fine by me. That was the only criticism that was clear to me.

To address someone else, I understand SF is our greatest area of need but if BPA can be ascertained clearly when it comes time to pick, I'd go for a PF/C also. Yes, JT is fine but we are short on numbers among bigs unless you consider Greene and Outlaw as PFs. One injury at that position and we are screwed big time. Considering injuries are part of the sport, I would take Robinson unless MKG or Davis were available.

I heard that comment by Pollard, and to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever said Robinson is 6'11". He's listed at 6'10" on many sites, including Kansas own site. But I've also seen him listed at 6'9". I'm going to go with the height that was given at the skills academy, which has a record of being very accurate. They listed him at 6'10" in shoes, which means he's probably around 6'9" in his bare feet. They also listed him with a 7'2" wingspan. If those measurements hold up, then I'd have a very hard time passing on him because of his elite athleticism. He is one of the quickest big men that I've seen in a while.

I also think that when judging Robinson's skill level, you have to take into consideration that although he's a junior, he hardly played his first two years at Kansas because of the Morris twins taking up just about all of the minutes. Remember they also had Aldrich for one of those years.

So what you may be getting with Robinson is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[gunks]

I'd be happy with Robinson if we end up at 3. Seems like he'll be a double double, fringe allstar type of PF. He, Cousins, and JT would have the glass on LOCK...Of course our interior D would still be awful.

Another thing to ponder (and this is a long shot) if we get the 3rd pick...Is packaging it with Jimmer "Jersey Sales" Fredette to Utah for Favors. Considering they traded Deron Williams for Favors, I'd imagine it would take a lot more than that to nab him, but wouldnt hurt to try.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

I'd be happy with Robinson if we end up at 3. Seems like he'll be a double double, fringe allstar type of PF. He, Cousins, and JT would have the glass on LOCK...Of course our interior D would still be awful.

Another thing to ponder (and this is a long shot) if we get the 3rd pick...Is packaging it with Jimmer "Jersey Sales" Fredette to Utah for Favors. Considering they traded Deron Williams for Favors, I'd imagine it would take a lot more than that to nab him, but wouldnt hurt to try.

what a waste of last years pick if we traded it this offseason. we could have had kawhi leonard and another pick to fill out the roster this year

 

[Uncia03]

Once again, excellent breakdown. Couple of things I should mention. Coming out of highschool, Perry Jones was considered a SF. Of course because of his height, Baylor played him at PF. But I think you would have to take his SF skills into consideration at draft time. P. Jones is an above average athlete with ballhandling skills you just don't see from 6'11" players. Skill wise, he doesn't really have any major weaknesses other than being a weak rebounder for a guy his size. But he can shoot from the outside or put the ball on the floor. Anyway, something to consider.

Secondly, I was privy to listening to a little round table with some NBA scouts and Quincy Miller came up. It appears the big issue with Quincy has nothing to do with his skill level, but with him tearing his ACL at the beginning of his senior year. One of his attributes his junior year of highschool was his athleticism. Some of the scouts don't think he's fully recovered from the ACL tear, and that possibly he came back too soon. They all agreed that if they had a guarantee he would return to his prior form, he would be a top 10 pick. But with no guarantees, he's likely to slide down to the middle or bottom of the first round. Where by the way, he could end up being a steal. Two major things that they pointed out as to why, was that he didn't have the same explosiveness he did before, and his rebounding really fell off compared to his junior year of highschool where he dominated.

Also, because he basicly didn't play his senior year because of the ACL tear, there was bound to be a little rust.

I agree.

I listed Perry Jones as a Big mostly because I don't see our current coach playing him at the SF position. I was one of those guys who saw him play early last year and was just amazed with his skill level and smooth elite athleticism. I don't think he has any chance of playing a normal PF game in the NBA due to his lack of physicality, and would be used most as a stretch-four if played that position. Ultimately I think his game is best served at the SF position due to his skill level.
I just wish he played more to his potential this last year so I could be happy if we ended up drafting him.

As far as Quincy Miller goes, I had mentioned him perhaps still being impacted by the ACL injury in a previous post in this thread. I don't know if it is physically limiting him or mentally limiting him, but I had heard some of the same chatter. Unfortunately I didn't see him play in high-school, and I missed the first Baylor games when PJ3 was out due to the suspension, so Miller never 'wow'd me. I thought he played more consistent basketball than PJ3, and I love his length and his willingness to battle, but just from what I saw on the court I wouldn't put him ahead of MKG/Barnes/Taylor.

 

[Uncia03]

Pollard was clear that he thought Robinson would have difficulty in getting his shot in the NBA. The inference was that he is a project in that regard and there is a risk whether he would develop that part of his game.

Robinson doesn't have anywhere near the post-skills that Sullinger has. But he's really quick and if the team is looking for it, he does a great job of quickly establishing good post position. He then uses his strength and athleticism to finish around the rim, rather than the skill that Sullinger uses.

I think a couple years down the line Robinson is going to be more effective in finishing around the rim due to his physical gifts, compared to what Sullinger is going to be able to do. Sullinger's skills are really good, but it's hard to count out someone who has Robinson's athletic tools, especially when Robinson has shown some developing of skills.

 

[Uncia03]

I heard that comment by Pollard, and to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever said Robinson is 6'11". He's listed at 6'10" on many sites, including Kansas own site. But I've also seen him listed at 6'9". I'm going to go with the height that was given at the skills academy, which has a record of being very accurate. They listed him at 6'10" in shoes, which means he's probably around 6'9" in his bare feet. They also listed him with a 7'2" wingspan. If those measurements hold up, then I'd have a very hard time passing on him because of his elite athleticism. He is one of the quickest big men that I've seen in a while.

I also think that when judging Robinson's skill level, you have to take into consideration that although he's a junior, he hardly played his first two years at Kansas because of the Morris twins taking up just about all of the minutes. Remember they also had Aldrich for one of those years.

So what you may be getting with Robinson is just the tip of the iceberg.

For me the worry is that he measures out at under 6'9 and the wingspan isn't quite as advertised. At that point I start getting hesitant if both Davis and MKG are off the board and I have to choose between him and Barnes, and if he really disappoints and ends up at 6'8 1/4 or something, then perhaps Drummond takes a step ahead of him as well.
Though I don't have any of the fears with Robinson as I do with Drummond as far as intensity/intangibles. Robinson has shown his metal over the last two seasons and is going to be a good locker-room guy as well as a hard worker, so he'll probably be as good as his athletic gifts and size takes him, and it could end up being very, very good.

I think the bigger question is: If Robinson measures out larger than advertised at say 6'10 3/4 with 7'4 wingspan do you take him over MKG with the 2nd pick. I love MKG, but I don't know if I could pass that up.

Let me just say, if we end up with the difficult choice of who to pick at the 3rd slot, I'll be extremely pleased to have been put in that position.

 

[bajaden]

For me the worry is that he measures out at under 6'9 and the wingspan isn't quite as advertised. At that point I start getting hesitant if both Davis and MKG are off the board and I have to choose between him and Barnes, and if he really disappoints and ends up at 6'8 1/4 or something, then perhaps Drummond takes a step ahead of him as well.
Though I don't have any of the fears with Robinson as I do with Drummond as far as intensity/intangibles. Robinson has shown his metal over the last two seasons and is going to be a good locker-room guy as well as a hard worker, so he'll probably be as good as his athletic gifts and size takes him, and it could end up being very, very good.

I think the bigger question is: If Robinson measures out larger than advertised at say 6'10 3/4 with 7'4 wingspan do you take him over MKG with the 2nd pick. I love MKG, but I don't know if I could pass that up.

Let me just say, if we end up with the difficult choice of who to pick at the 3rd slot, I'll be extremely pleased to have been put in that position.

Well, I really doubt that will happen, but to be honest, if he just measures out at 6'10" in shoes, with the 7'2" wingspan, I think you have to give him consideration. I would compare his post skills as similar to, but a little less than Blake Griffins coming out of college. As you said, Sullinger is a very skilled player, and I'll tell you, I worry more about his true height than I do Robinsons. Reason being, Sullinger's vertical is probably around 28", if that, whereas I wouldn't be surprised to see Robinsons to be in the upper 30's. I think what Withey did to Sullinger hurt his stock quite a bit.

Let me put it this way, I think Robinson could guard Sullinger, but I don't think Sullinger could guard Robinson.

 

[Uncia03]

Well, I really doubt that will happen, but to be honest, if he just measures out at 6'10" in shoes, with the 7'2" wingspan, I think you have to give him consideration. I would compare his post skills as similar to, but a little less than Blake Griffins coming out of college. As you said, Sullinger is a very skilled player, and I'll tell you, I worry more about his true height than I do Robinsons. Reason being, Sullinger's vertical is probably around 28", if that, whereas I wouldn't be surprised to see Robinsons to be in the upper 30's. I think what Withey did to Sullinger hurt his stock quite a bit.

Let me put it this way, I think Robinson could guard Sullinger, but I don't think Sullinger could guard Robinson.

I agree about Sullinger.
Since we had Cousins I was so-so regarding Sullinger all last year.
When Sullinger lost weight this year, I felt that he lost some of his post game since he didn't have as big a backside to use to gain position, and it didn't seem to help his elevation all that much. So this year I was even less thrilled about him.
Withey basically shutting him down just confirmed what I'd been feeling, so considering that we already have Cousins, I want no part of Sullinger. If we end up somehow drafting 9th and Sullinger is on the board, I'd still pass on him for T.Jones, Lamb, Taylor, P.Jones, ect.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

If we end up somehow drafting 9th and Sullinger is on the board, I'd still pass on him for T.Jones, Lamb, Taylor, P.Jones, ect.

Keep in mind that we can't draft lower than 8th, unless we trade down.

 

[Uncia03]

Keep in mind that we can't draft lower than 8th, unless we trade down.

Yep, guess I should have clarified regarding 'drafting 9th' or said something like 'if we end up trading down', ect.

In the end, I expect there to be players on the board into the mid-to-late teens that I would take before I'd take Sullinger, mostly due to him not being a good fit with Cousins, and his strengths not being so overwhelming that they justify taking him over a good player that also fills a need.

If we end up with the 8th pick, I'd be perfectly fine trading down if we were able to get another 1st round pick.
I'd take Taylor and Wroten in the 1st, then Ezeli/Withey in the 2nd.
Taylor would be our starting SF and then pair either T.Williams or Tony Wroten along-side Tyreke at the guard spot, with IT & Thornton & 2nd Rnd Big off the bench.
Taylor would give us the outside shooting and our wing defense for all 3 positions would be terrific.

 

[Kingster]

If the Kings pick MKG, and if Tyreke returns as the 2-guard next year, assuming Tyreke's outside shooting isn't a lot better, how is that going to work? Are they going to be compatible?

 

[hrdboild]

If the Kings pick MKG, and if Tyreke returns as the 2-guard next year, assuming Tyreke's outside shooting isn't a lot better, how is that going to work? Are they going to be compatible?

We'd likely have some trouble scoring on the perimeter in the short-term until one or both of them gets better. Tyreke has had some ups and downs with his shooting percentages (to say the least), but overall he's not a terrible outside shooter -- he just doesn't have 3-point range yet. The bigger issue for him is that he's much better shooting off the dribble than he is at spotting up and that limits his usefulness in the offense. But getting back to MKG, I don't think the shooting issue is a deal breaker. Having a wing defender as good as Gilchrist on our team, not to mention an unselfish potential star with a knack for making smart decisions, is going to help the team so much in every other area that I can live with some shaky offense for a while.

 

[upinsmoke]

If the Kings pick MKG, and if Tyreke returns as the 2-guard next year, assuming Tyreke's outside shooting isn't a lot better, how is that going to work? Are they going to be compatible?

The same has been on my mind but i look at it from this angle, MKG's work ethic and style of play might just bring out the best of Evans. Even the biggest of Evans fans have to admit at times his play is lackadaisical on the defensive end in particular. A stretch 4 and the continued progression of Jimmer/IT would be crucial factors tie everything together.

1. IT/Jimmer
2. Evans/Thornton/Garcia
3. MKG/Honeycutt/Outlaw
4. Ersan Ilyasova or Ryan Anderson/Hayes/Whiteside
5. CUZ/JT

Leaving T-will with a ? next to his name unless GP can trade any combination of Garcia/Outlaw/Honeycutt

 

[Kingster]

The same has been on my mind but i look at it from this angle, MKG's work ethic and style of play might just bring out the best of Evans. Even the biggest of Evans fans have to admit at times his play is lackadaisical on the defensive end in particular. A stretch 4 and the continued progression of Jimmer/IT would be crucial factors tie everything together.

1. IT/Jimmer
2. Evans/Thornton/Garcia
3. MKG/Honeycutt/Outlaw
4. Ersan Ilyasova or Ryan Anderson/Hayes/Whiteside
5. CUZ/JT

Leaving T-will with a ? next to his name unless GP can trade any combination of Garcia/Outlaw/Honeycutt

I'm getting way ahead of things on this, but if they do draft MKG I sure hope Kings coaching staff break down his stroke from day 1 and actually have a plan to get his stroke right. Everything I've read indicates he needs a total rebuild.

 

[Uncia03]

I'm getting way ahead of things on this, but if they do draft MKG I sure hope Kings coaching staff break down his stroke from day 1 and actually have a plan to get his stroke right. Everything I've read indicates he needs a total rebuild.

MKG's release gives the ball some side-spin, so it definitely isn't a good shot.
With that said, he's actually a good shooter from mid-range, and I think back to the 1st half of the last Bulls/Philly game when Noah kept knocking down all those mid-range jumpers with a release that is far worse that MKG's.

So while I definitely agree that MKG's release is a problem right now, it isn't something that would prevent me from drafting him, considering his work ethic and the simple fact that sometimes players can become adequate shooters even with-out a standard release.

 

[Boogie-havoc]

We'd likely have some trouble scoring on the perimeter in the short-term until one or both of them gets better. Tyreke has had some ups and downs with his shooting percentages (to say the least), but overall he's not a terrible outside shooter -- he just doesn't have 3-point range yet.

Cmon man.

3-9 Feet - 26.6%
10-15 Feet - 23.5%
16-23 Feet - 30.0%
3 point line - 20.2%

He's even worst then a terrible outside shooter, he's arguably the worst overall shooter in the league from any range other then the rim (where he's arguably the best in the league)

It's gonna be a huge issue if Reke keeps this up and MKG doesn't show himself to be even an average shooter.

 

[hrdboild]

Cmon man.

3-9 Feet - 26.6%
10-15 Feet - 23.5%
16-23 Feet - 30.0%
3 point line - 20.2%

He's even worst then a terrible outside shooter, he's arguably the worst overall shooter in the league from any range other then the rim (where he's arguably the best in the league)

It's gonna be a huge issue if Reke keeps this up and MKG doesn't show himself to be even an average shooter.

http://aroyalpain.com/2012/03/26/why-sacramento-king-fans-shouldnt-worry-about-tyreke-evans-shooting-woes/

Look, you can pretend that the first two years of Tyreke's NBA career didn't happen if you want to. Looking at the big picture, he's never been able to hit the 3 consistently, but he's done respectable from everywhere else. I don't know what the problem was this season as I'm not in Tyreke's head. I could speculate that trying to adjust to new shooting mechanics mid-season would throw off anyone's shot or that attempting to play off-the-ball for the first time in his career was a factor as well but than you're just going to accuse me of making excuses. It's a subjective assessment anyway.

I'd like to think it's possible to have a conversation about basketball without being condescended to.

 

[vikinginferno]

http://aroyalpain.com/2012/03/26/why-sacramento-king-fans-shouldnt-worry-about-tyreke-evans-shooting-woes/

Look, you can pretend that the first two years of Tyreke's NBA career didn't happen if you want to. Looking at the big picture, he's never been able to hit the 3 consistently, but he's done respectable from everywhere else. I don't know what the problem was this season as I'm not in Tyreke's head. I could speculate that trying to adjust to new shooting mechanics mid-season would throw off anyone's shot or that attempting to play off-the-ball for the first time in his career was a factor as well but than you're just going to accuse me of making excuses. It's a subjective assessment anyway.

I'd like to think it's possible to have a conversation about basketball without being condescended to.

Not sure how he was being condescending, looked to me like he was just correcting you.

 

[hrdboild]

Not sure how he was being condescending, looked to me like he was just correcting you.

You know what? I try really hard to take the high road, but I have nothing more to say to you, ever.

 

[Boogie-havoc]

http://aroyalpain.com/2012/03/26/wh...uldnt-worry-about-tyreke-evans-shooting-woes/

Look, you can pretend that the first two years of Tyreke's NBA career didn't happen if you want to. Looking at the big picture, he's never been able to hit the 3 consistently, but he's done respectable from everywhere else. I don't know what the problem was this season as I'm not in Tyreke's head. I could speculate that trying to adjust to new shooting mechanics mid-season would throw off anyone's shot or that attempting to play off-the-ball for the first time in his career was a factor as well but than you're just going to accuse me of making excuses. It's a subjective assessment anyway.

I'd like to think it's possible to have a conversation about basketball without being condescended to.

You say he's not a terrible outside shooter, I just showed you last year he was arguably the worst shooter in the league from anywhere but under the rim.

Trying to paint a picture as if the only real problem Reke has is not having a 3point shot, and that he's done RESPECTABLE from anywhere else is just wrong.

I mean, I just showed you he didn't - so what are you talking about?

He's gotten gradually worst since he came into the league from almost every range

3-9 Feet
1st year : 33.3%
2nd year : 25.2%
3rd year : 26.6%

10-15 Feet
1st year : 43.2%
2nd year : 25.0%
3rd year : 23.5%

16-23 Feet
1st year : 32.0%
2nd year : 33.0%
3rd year : 30.0%

Threes
1st year : 25.5%
2nd year : 29.1%
3rd year : 20.2%

Please tell me where the 'respectable from eveywhere else' claim comes from, or how the only real problem he has is a 3p shot - cause the way I see it his troubles starts from 3 feet out.

I like how you try and spin it on me as if I come at you personally, when all I did was call you out on something wrong you said, nothing more nothing less.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Facts can be so pesky and inconvenient sometimes.

 

[bajaden]

I think we can all agree that Tyreke's jumpshot needs work. And to be critical of that part of his game, doesn't mean we don't like Tyreke. The credit I'll give him, and this is just a visual thing, because I haven't gone to Synergy to check the stat breakdowns, is that his midrange jumper seemed more consistent the last third of the season. So to my mind, he made more of them in that period. However, I still saw the fade away on most of his shots. There's only one way to correct that folks. Rebuild your muscle memory! And that takes shooting thousands of shots over and over again under supervision and review on film. We're talking about a lot of hard work.

Hopefully Tyreke realizes how important he is to this team, and that NBA basketball, while still a game, is also a profession. Not saying you shouldn't have fun playing the game. That should never go away. But its also a job your being paid to do. And how many of us get the opportunity to be paid to do something we love to do? You've got a problem Tyreke! Fix the damm problem!

 

[bajaden]

MKG's release gives the ball some side-spin, so it definitely isn't a good shot.
With that said, he's actually a good shooter from mid-range, and I think back to the 1st half of the last Bulls/Philly game when Noah kept knocking down all those mid-range jumpers with a release that is far worse that MKG's.

So while I definitely agree that MKG's release is a problem right now, it isn't something that would prevent me from drafting him, considering his work ethic and the simple fact that sometimes players can become adequate shooters even with-out a standard release.

A lot has been made of MGK's inconsistency from behind the line. But it should be pointed out that only took around one 3pt shot a game. So unlike Donte Greene at Syracuse, he didn't just stand out there and chuck 3 pt'ers. And as you said, his midrange game was pretty good.

MKG is one of those guys, that if you challenge him, he'll respond. For reasons that are obvious, athletic players in general suffer with their consistency from the outside. I could name hundreds of players that came into the NBA without a good outside shot. Once again, in general, its your players that lack athleticism that tend to come into the NBA as good outside shooters. I think the reasons are obvious, so I won't waste your time explaining it. There are exceptions of course.

MKG isn't even 19 yr's old yet. So I'm not too worried about his development in that area. I'll worry about that if we're lucky enough to draft him.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Chances are, Evans is not going to improve his jump shot all that much, and he won't be the franchise player that everyone declared him to be. People need to take a step back and start looking at it from a detached POV.