Ben McLemore

#2
[video]http://www.nba.com/kings/video/originals/[/video]

Press conference from Vivek, Malone, and Pete. Answers a few major questions.
 
Last edited:
#3
this guy is a potential Star. he has the shooting ability and the athleticism to be an Elite player in this league. and they say he has a very good work ethic, which is also great news.
 
#4
[yt=MHaCrtbL_zg]MHaCrtbL_zg[/yt]

Very interesting scouting report of his strengths and weaknesses.

Would JR Smith be a good comparison?
 
Last edited:
#5
I just hope his head is on straight - I think it is at this point. McLemore said strong influence keeping him straight was his coach Bill Self at KU. But Ben also mentioned his older brother (Keith) in draft day ESPN interview as an influence, currently serving 15 year sentence for armed robbery.
 
#7
Plays like a 35 year old Ray Allen. Likes to defer. Not a ball stopper or ball hog. Only shoots open shots. Noel and Len were off the board, so I'm ok with the pick. He will be a great fit next to Evans. The success of an Evans/McLemore back court will depend entirely on Evans' ability to be an effective PG, so if it doesn't work none of the blame should fall on McLemore.

I don't see him becoming a star. Like I said, he likes to defer. He's really passive, but that's a good thing for this team.
 
Last edited:
#8
[yt=MHaCrtbL_zg]MHaCrtbL_zg[/yt]

Very interesting scouting report of his strengths and weaknesses.

Would JR Smith be a good comparison?
Don't like the JR Smith comparison. I can see why he compares himself to Ray Allen the way he comes off screens. But when I watch him take the ball to the hole, he turns into D. Wade. Not saying he's going to be D. Wade. Just that there is so much potential there. Let's hope our coaching staff can get the most out of him.
 
#9
McLemore looks like a Ray Allen, Bradley Beal type of player. Super Athletic Shooting Guard that can shoot well and slash. Limited shot creator due to his limited dribbling ability, but we have Tyreke for that. He will go well with Tyreke's penetration ability.
 
#10
I hope chuck has been teaching the boys how to set screens! Our setting and using of screens was pretty sad, I hope we straighten that out some to take advantage of Ben.
 
#11
I just hope his head is on straight - I think it is at this point. McLemore said strong influence keeping him straight was his coach Bill Self at KU. But Ben also mentioned his older brother (Keith) in draft day ESPN interview as an influence, currently serving 15 year sentence for armed robbery.

We need to keep an eye on him and surround him with some good people. Don't want him to turn into a Aaron Hernandez.
 
#14
Plays like a 35 year old Ray Allen. Likes to defer. Not a ball stopper or ball hog. Only shoots open shots. Noel and Len were off the board, so I'm ok with the pick. He will be a great fit next to Evans. The success of an Evans/McLemore back court will depend entirely on Evans' ability to be an effective PG, so if it doesn't work none of the blame should fall on McLemore.

I don't see him becoming a star. Like I said, he likes to defer. He's really passive, but that's a good thing for this team.
35 year old Ray Allen doesn't have a 40 inch vertical. :p
 
#15
I'm very happy with the pick. It's nice to have a player that is athletic and can shoot (it seems like we tend to draft players that can do one without the other). I'm not a draft guru, so I won't pretend to know a lot about his game, but from everything I'm reading he sounds like a great pick. It's never bad to have your incoming rookie compared to Ray Allen (seriously, if you're going to slide Reke in at PG, can you think of a better player than Ray Allen to put next to him at SG?). He'll help space the floor and apparently plays pretty solid defense (held his man to 25% shooting in college). Athletic, fantastic shooter, solid defense, some star potential...sounds like exactly what we needed. Crazy that in a draft as mediocre as this one, he fell to seventh.
 
#18
[video]http://www.nba.com/kings/video/originals/[/video]

Press conference from Vivek, Malone, and Pete. Answers a few major questions.
Thanks for sharing this.

Really letdown that the same philosophy of getting the BPA is still the best move. For years, the Maloof and Petrie team did this and for the same exact reason: the current team loss a lot of games. However, I do not see the Kings as a team lacking talent. Actually, they are full of talent that could help many playoff teams, but the talent they have doesn't fit with each other. The team has had a hole at PG for years and a hole at SF for years. They have lacked a defensive anchor since losing Sammy. You have to understand when a player is talented but in a bad situation for them to succeed. This is a common problem in much of sports. If they want a guy like Cousins to succeed, you can't just do BPA. You have to look at team fit. You have to get guys that help him. McLemore being a good shooter helps, but not filling the hole at SF and PG hurts more than a shooter helps. Having a logjam of guards who need shots is murder for Cousins' career.
 
#19
Thanks for sharing this.

Really letdown that the same philosophy of getting the BPA is still the best move. For years, the Maloof and Petrie team did this and for the same exact reason: the current team loss a lot of games. However, I do not see the Kings as a team lacking talent. Actually, they are full of talent that could help many playoff teams, but the talent they have doesn't fit with each other. The team has had a hole at PG for years and a hole at SF for years. They have lacked a defensive anchor since losing Sammy. You have to understand when a player is talented but in a bad situation for them to succeed. This is a common problem in much of sports. If they want a guy like Cousins to succeed, you can't just do BPA. You have to look at team fit. You have to get guys that help him. McLemore being a good shooter helps, but not filling the hole at SF and PG hurts more than a shooter helps. Having a logjam of guards who need shots is murder for Cousins' career.
I think, in time, Vivek and company will ease most of your concerns. McLemore fills our desperate need for a great shooter on the floor next to Cousins and Tyreke. Both of them needed that badly.. we all saw it the last two seasons teams just collapsed the paint every single time. Not anymore! Our SF situation will be solved in FA or trade this summer. Several times in the press conference all 3 of them stated there is still a lot left to do and work on. They are just getting started! Patience will be a virtue. In regards to your BPA I do agree with you somewhat. It does stink always going for BPA, but at the same time we won 28 games, even with all of our odd shaped talent. You can have talent, but if it doesn't work together it doesn't amount to anything and you become a talent-less team because everyone takes away from the other. McLemore doesn't do that. He adds. We are headed in the right direction, but that's just my opinion.
 
#21
Plays like a 35 year old Ray Allen. Likes to defer. Not a ball stopper or ball hog. Only shoots open shots. Noel and Len were off the board, so I'm ok with the pick. He will be a great fit next to Evans. The success of an Evans/McLemore back court will depend entirely on Evans' ability to be an effective PG, so if it doesn't work none of the blame should fall on McLemore.

I don't see him becoming a star. Like I said, he likes to defer. He's really passive, but that's a good thing for this team.

...am I the only one who remembers Reke getting cheated out of a handful of assists on a nightly basis due to guys like Omri Casspi and Donte Greene not having the ability to knock down wide open shots. The guy can get to the paint and dish it out whenever the hell he wants, all he needs is his boy Benny Mac to knock down open shots.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#22
I like the pick. There's something special getting started, fellow Kings fans. Grab a seat now, and get ready for the ride of your life. We're gonna have fun!
 
#23
...am I the only one who remembers Reke getting cheated out of a handful of assists on a nightly basis due to guys like Omri Casspi and Donte Greene not having the ability to knock down wide open shots. The guy can get to the paint and dish it out whenever the hell he wants, all he needs is his boy Benny Mac to knock down open shots.
Right there with you
 
#24
This is an interesting stat:

Shooting efficiency was off the charts for a freshman, hitting 50% FG, 42% 3p and 87% from the line (totaling 179, he was a point away from being in the 180 club) More efficient shooting than Steph Curry was in his freshman season at Davidson (172
 
#25
...am I the only one who remembers Reke getting cheated out of a handful of assists on a nightly basis due to guys like Omri Casspi and Donte Greene not having the ability to knock down wide open shots. The guy can get to the paint and dish it out whenever the hell he wants, all he needs is his boy Benny Mac to knock down open shots.
I remember this, and I do believe that Evans can be as effective as a player like Westbrook or Rose at PG duties.

This is an interesting stat:
Not surprised. He refused to shoot unless he was wide open, but that's a good thing on this team.
 
#26
[video]http://www.nba.com/kings/video/originals/[/video]

Press conference from Vivek, Malone, and Pete. Answers a few major questions.
Ok, positive tone, very likeable owner, all cheers, great talent got for 7th pick....and with all that I have negative feeling from groups answer to the question about crowdy guard position.
Statements that we do not have guard clout becouse they are talented and VERSATILE is the source of that feeling.
Reke is the only guard that can play more than one position, and statement above makes me nervous.
If this is just PR stuff, cool. But if Kings top 3 guys really believe in that versatility to be true...not cool.
 
#27
Ok, positive tone, very likeable owner, all cheers, great talent got for 7th pick....and with all that I have negative feeling from groups answer to the question about crowdy guard position.
Statements that we do not have guard clout becouse they are talented and VERSATILE is the source of that feeling.
Reke is the only guard that can play more than one position, and statement above makes me nervous.
If this is just PR stuff, cool. But if Kings top 3 guys really believe in that versatility to be true...not cool.
I don't think there is anything positive or negative to take from the statements. They were typical front office posturing.
 
#28
Ok, positive tone, very likeable owner, all cheers, great talent got for 7th pick....and with all that I have negative feeling from groups answer to the question about crowdy guard position.
Statements that we do not have guard clout becouse they are talented and VERSATILE is the source of that feeling.
Reke is the only guard that can play more than one position, and statement above makes me nervous.
If this is just PR stuff, cool. But if Kings top 3 guys really believe in that versatility to be true...not cool.
Of course this is standard PR stuff. They arent going to bash players currently on the roster, but I think we can see the writing on the wall, that the logjam at the position will be thinned out one way or another.
 
#30
...am I the only one who remembers Reke getting cheated out of a handful of assists on a nightly basis due to guys like Omri Casspi and Donte Greene not having the ability to knock down wide open shots. The guy can get to the paint and dish it out whenever the hell he wants, all he needs is his boy Benny Mac to knock down open shots.
Exactly! So many bricks from those guys.