Following 2019 draftees!!!

Draftexpress has their big board with Daniel Gafford at #25. Am I the only one who feels like that's too low? I really liked John Collins out of Wake Forest and I can't help but be reminded of him every time I see Gafford. High energy bouncy big with good hands and a knack for scoring. Collins had a better motor with a promising shooting touch on offense, but I think Gafford has better defensive instincts.

Here's their big board:
http://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable
It's about right tbh. If Robert Williams can slide to the end of the 1st so can he. I have him falling to the 2nd right now.

I'm not sure about John Collins, I root for Wake Forest in the ACC and caught wind of him freshman year and he has a special kinda knack for getting buckets, almost in a way like Marvin Bagley does.... Gafford isn't like that he's more raw athlete. He'd be interesting in a Kings uni if he fell tho for sure. Could add some punch to the end of the C depth chart.
 
It's about right tbh. If Robert Williams can slide to the end of the 1st so can he. I have him falling to the 2nd right now.

I'm not sure about John Collins, I root for Wake Forest in the ACC and caught wind of him freshman year and he has a special kinda knack for getting buckets, almost in a way like Marvin Bagley does.... Gafford isn't like that he's more raw athlete. He'd be interesting in a Kings uni if he fell tho for sure. Could add some punch to the end of the C depth chart.
I agree with the Bagley-Collins comparison in terms of bucket getter. In our latest game vs. the Blazers, I thought Bagley had a poor game...yet he still ended up with 12pts on 6-12 from the floor. He's showing a lot of flashes in the good and bad, still excited to see what he becomes.

Onto Robert Williams, I think his drop had more to do with his motor, attitude, and work ethic. After he was drafted by the Celts, Woj tweeted out:
"Williams is a lottery-level talent, a player with immense talent. If he can show a commitment to playing hard, this could be a steal of the first-round. ESPN's @Mike_Schmitz compares him to another 27th overall pick: Clint Capela."
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Draftexpress has their big board with Daniel Gafford at #25. Am I the only one who feels like that's too low? I really liked John Collins out of Wake Forest and I can't help but be reminded of him every time I see Gafford. High energy bouncy big with good hands and a knack for scoring. Collins had a better motor with a promising shooting touch on offense, but I think Gafford has better defensive instincts.

Here's their big board:
http://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable
I think they just revised Gafford up to number 8 or 9. Not sure so I'll have to check. But your right, Gafford at 25 is too low. However I think Gafford at 8 or 9 is too high. But what the hell do I know.

Edit: Just went back and looked, and your right, he's at 21. I need to take a closer look I guess. I saw Garland, and somehow in my brain it became Gafford. My bad!
 
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bajaden

Hall of Famer
I agree with the Bagley-Collins comparison in terms of bucket getter. In our latest game vs. the Blazers, I thought Bagley had a poor game...yet he still ended up with 12pts on 6-12 from the floor. He's showing a lot of flashes in the good and bad, still excited to see what he becomes.

Onto Robert Williams, I think his drop had more to do with his motor, attitude, and work ethic. After he was drafted by the Celts, Woj tweeted out:
"Williams is a lottery-level talent, a player with immense talent. If he can show a commitment to playing hard, this could be a steal of the first-round. ESPN's @Mike_Schmitz compares him to another 27th overall pick: Clint Capela."
Your dead right. He was a bit of a head case at times, and it scared off a lot of GM's. I commented on it at the time that I thought he might fall because of his antics. Plus he had more holes in his game than Bagley, although both players relied on their athleticism to score. I think my biggest concern with Williams was that I saw very little improvement from his freshman year to his sophmore year. I don't think I was alone in that observation. Who ever drafted him would have to light a fire under him. Sometimes, it just doesn't work.
 
John Petty dropped 30 off the bench in a near upset of Tennessee. 6-11 from 3. He's interesting. Their 17 year old PG Kira Lewis is gonna get crazy hype next season, he looks electric and about 6'2
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
John Petty dropped 30 off the bench in a near upset of Tennessee. 6-11 from 3. He's interesting. Their 17 year old PG Kira Lewis is gonna get crazy hype next season, he looks electric and about 6'2
Kira Lewis looks really good! Petty has been quite a disappointment to me when I've seen him this season - last year I thought he was poised to break out but I haven't really seen it this year. Nice to know he had a good game.
 
I think Tyler Herro will end up as a 1st round prospect. His stock will go up in workouts when he shows off his skills in the shooting drills. He's got high IQ with passing ability, but his handles aren't quite there. Defense is his biggest downside right now.

As long as he can hit the 3pt shot with consistency(right now it's below 35%), he'll always have a role in the NBA due to his IQ.
 
@bajaden we discussed Michael Weathers earlier in this thread IIRC. Miami of Ohio x-fer to Oklahoma State.

Short story update --- He stole someones wallet at a bar and spent $$ on the credit cards, being charged with larceny and concealing stolen property.. suspended indefinitely. Big smile on his booking picture...

 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
In my never ending search for players that might end up being contributing players out of the 2nd round, I've been very impressed with the play of Jon Teske from Michigan this season. If your looking for a future backup center at worse, Teske looks like a player that could fill the bill. At 7'1" and 260 lbs, he certainly has the size and length. At first glance, you'll probably think, oh no, it's white men can't jump all over again. Thing is, although he won't blow you away with his athleticism, he does run the floor well, and has much better lateral quickness than you might think. He's averaging over 2 blocked shots a game, and this season he's added the 3 pt shot to his bag of weapons.

Yeah, I know, he's only shooting around 33% from the three, but his form looks pretty good, and his shot appears to be effortless. He also has a very consistent 15 to 18 footer as well. I wouldn't say he's the 2nd coming of a post player, but he is skilled, efficient and smooth around the basket. Add in that he's a good passer and has very good BBIQ, and you just might have something of worth in the 2nd rd. Anyway, here's a short video.




 
In my never ending search for players that might end up being contributing players out of the 2nd round, I've been very impressed with the play of Jon Teske from Michigan this season. If your looking for a future backup center at worse, Teske looks like a player that could fill the bill. At 7'1" and 260 lbs, he certainly has the size and length. At first glance, you'll probably think, oh no, it's white men can't jump all over again. Thing is, although he won't blow you away with his athleticism, he does run the floor well, and has much better lateral quickness than you might think. He's averaging over 2 blocked shots a game, and this season he's added the 3 pt shot to his bag of weapons.

Yeah, I know, he's only shooting around 33% from the three, but his form looks pretty good, and his shot appears to be effortless. He also has a very consistent 15 to 18 footer as well. I wouldn't say he's the 2nd coming of a post player, but he is skilled, efficient and smooth around the basket. Add in that he's a good passer and has very good BBIQ, and you just might have something of worth in the 2nd rd. Anyway, here's a short video.


I haven't been able to watch much college basketball this year outside of some games and highlights(barely been able to watch Kings games). Not sure if I have said this before, but I always appreciate your draft insights and scouting. You have an amazing eye for finding guys in the 2nd round. I attended my first game of the season vs. the Portland Trailblazers. One guy who stood out was Jake Layman. I immediately thought about you, as you were the one who introduced me to him on this forum. No clue why Portland only gave him 22mins when he pretty much shredded us on both ends of the floor. He followed up that 12pt game with 18, 20, and 12 in his next 3. It's taken him 3 years with the Blazers on DNPs, but he looks like he's finally able to put it together.
I'm really curious on what your approach is when it comes to 2nd round picks. What are a few traits that you look for in them?

Another question...were you a former scout? Serious question, if not, why the heck weren't you? I'll be honest, over the years I've followed Chad Ford, Fan Fraschilla, Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, and the newer Stephien guys, and while Givony and Schmitz come extremely close, I've always found you to be the most knowledgeable and insightful.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Zion Williamson and Duke dismembering Notre Dame right now. Wiliamson is definitely the best specimen to come along since Lebron. His spin move out of a post up is lethal. He's very good defensively with terrific lateral quickness. Barring injury, he's going to be a future all star.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
I haven't been able to watch much college basketball this year outside of some games and highlights(barely been able to watch Kings games). Not sure if I have said this before, but I always appreciate your draft insights and scouting. You have an amazing eye for finding guys in the 2nd round. I attended my first game of the season vs. the Portland Trailblazers. One guy who stood out was Jake Layman. I immediately thought about you, as you were the one who introduced me to him on this forum. No clue why Portland only gave him 22mins when he pretty much shredded us on both ends of the floor. He followed up that 12pt game with 18, 20, and 12 in his next 3. It's taken him 3 years with the Blazers on DNPs, but he looks like he's finally able to put it together.
I'm really curious on what your approach is when it comes to 2nd round picks. What are a few traits that you look for in them?

Another question...were you a former scout? Serious question, if not, why the heck weren't you? I'll be honest, over the years I've followed Chad Ford, Fan Fraschilla, Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, and the newer Stephien guys, and while Givony and Schmitz come extremely close, I've always found you to be the most knowledgeable and insightful.
Well first of all, thank you. Much appreciated! It's will take me a while to deflate my very large head. Well seriously, I've bee watching college and NBA basketball for over 50 years, and during that time I've made my share of mistakes, but I like to believe I've learned from those mistakes. Regardless of how much experience you might have at this, it's still a bit of a crap shoot because the players are human beings, and therefore unpredictable. But by and large if you do all your homework, you can be pretty accurate.

First rule is to pay no attention to others. By others, I mean other people that are scouting like you are. Trust yourself, even if what you believe runs contrary to what other mock drafts might say. Believe your own eye's. A lot of prognosticators let their ego get in the way and get locked in to one belief. I seldom if ever look at a mock draft during the season because I don't want to be influenced in any way. Sometimes the other mocks will eventually come to see things the way you do. If your right!

When your looking at players in the 2nd rd you usually end up looking at juniors and seniors who have had 3 or 4 years of college experience. In many cases, late bloomers, or players that perhaps came to the game late, and therefore are a bit behind the curve. Not all 19 year old's are created equal. And because of that, some will get overlooked by the big programs. For instance, I always like to look for players that were 6'2"guards their freshman year of highschool, and end up being 6'11" centers by their senior year. Many will retain their guard skill level. Anthony Davis springs to mind.

Sometimes that doesn't work, Jason Thompson springs to mind. I always look for skill level first. Can they shoot, pass, dribble and do they seem to have a good feel for the game. Obvious things! To the best of your ability, try to find out about the players work ethic, and his desire. Many times you can go to the school newspaper or website and pick up a lot of info about a player.

The single most important thing, other than the obvious, is to take notice when a player you perhaps never heard of, stands out. He plays with confidence and looks like he belongs out there. Write down his name and make a note to take another look at him to make sure that it wasn't a one game aberration. It's easy to get locked in on the obvious names and ignore a really good performance by an unknown player.

I remember the first time I saw Donte DiVincenzo. I was watching Villanova to see Bridges and Spellman play, but when DiVincenzo came into the game I couldn't take my eye's off of him. I thought, man, this kid is good. From that moment on, I watched Villanova to see Donte play. I had already watched Bridges play for two years, so I was fairly sure of what he was. I wasn't sold on Paschall, but he may yet convince me. I haven't given up yet. So my advice is to really pay attention to all the players, and not just the top players. I stumbled across Parsons that way, Ditto Layman.

I also watch a fair share of high school basketball, and it's much easier to see the top guys now with most of them going to the academy schools, instead of being scattered across the country. I watched Matt Barnes play in person a lot since he was from Sacramento, and he was bud's with my best friend's son, who was his point guard at Del Campo. Their coach sucked big time, which left Barnes ill prepared for UCLA.

Which brings me to another point. If you want to be good at this, you have to know all the college coaches, and how they coach, or develop players. You have to take that into consideration when scouting a player. Was the player put in the best position to shine? Was he asked to play out of position. Did he get enough minutes for you to make a proper judgement. One thing I look for with 2nd rounders is does the player have at least one thing he does really really well, and if so, does the rest of his game look improvable.

Sometimes you won't get excited until a players 2nd or 3rd year. A player you noticed in his freshman year, might take a big step forward in his 2nd year. That's what happened with Kevin Huerter at Maryland. I liked his potential the first time I saw him, but my goodness, he really improved between his freshman and sophmore years. Unfortunately he improved a bit too much and ended up going higher than I originally thought. But I think the kid is going to be a star down the road. I noticed similar growth in Chandler Hutchinson as well. So look for growth in a player. You want to see it every year in school. If not, maybe you walk away.

I tend to shy away from extremely athletic players that haven't developed any significant skills. I tend to shy away from players that like to shoot the rock, but aren't efficient doing so. And I tend to shy away from undersized players for their position, but I can be convinced. I'm a bit skeptical of one year wonders when it belies past history. For that reason I wasn't totally sold on Justin Jackson, but it looks like he may turn out OK. Don't see him as a starter though, although right now, I would start him over Shumpert.

Mostly, trust yourself, and, allow your mind to change. And never never ever make a judgement on a player based on only one or two games. I tend to see the top guys play at least 20 times, and the lesser one's like Huerter at least 10 times. Otherwise you might see them in the best game of their life, or the worse game of their life. Gotta see them a bunch of times to be sure. I saw Thomas Robinson play at least 25/30 times over two years, and I was never convinced he'd make it in the NBA, much less be a top pick. I never would have drafted him. By the same token, I wouldn't have drafted Jimmer, but I did think he was capable of playing in the NBA. So what the hell do I know?
 
Well first of all, thank you. Much appreciated! It's will take me a while to deflate my very large head. Well seriously, I've bee watching college and NBA basketball for over 50 years, and during that time I've made my share of mistakes, but I like to believe I've learned from those mistakes. Regardless of how much experience you might have at this, it's still a bit of a crap shoot because the players are human beings, and therefore unpredictable. But by and large if you do all your homework, you can be pretty accurate.

First rule is to pay no attention to others. By others, I mean other people that are scouting like you are. Trust yourself, even if what you believe runs contrary to what other mock drafts might say. Believe your own eye's. A lot of prognosticators let their ego get in the way and get locked in to one belief. I seldom if ever look at a mock draft during the season because I don't want to be influenced in any way. Sometimes the other mocks will eventually come to see things the way you do. If your right!

When your looking at players in the 2nd rd you usually end up looking at juniors and seniors who have had 3 or 4 years of college experience. In many cases, late bloomers, or players that perhaps came to the game late, and therefore are a bit behind the curve. Not all 19 year old's are created equal. And because of that, some will get overlooked by the big programs. For instance, I always like to look for players that were 6'2"guards their freshman year of highschool, and end up being 6'11" centers by their senior year. Many will retain their guard skill level. Anthony Davis springs to mind.

Sometimes that doesn't work, Jason Thompson springs to mind. I always look for skill level first. Can they shoot, pass, dribble and do they seem to have a good feel for the game. Obvious things! To the best of your ability, try to find out about the players work ethic, and his desire. Many times you can go to the school newspaper or website and pick up a lot of info about a player.

The single most important thing, other than the obvious, is to take notice when a player you perhaps never heard of, stands out. He plays with confidence and looks like he belongs out there. Write down his name and make a note to take another look at him to make sure that it wasn't a one game aberration. It's easy to get locked in on the obvious names and ignore a really good performance by an unknown player.

I remember the first time I saw Donte DiVincenzo. I was watching Villanova to see Bridges and Spellman play, but when DiVincenzo came into the game I couldn't take my eye's off of him. I thought, man, this kid is good. From that moment on, I watched Villanova to see Donte play. I had already watched Bridges play for two years, so I was fairly sure of what he was. I wasn't sold on Paschall, but he may yet convince me. I haven't given up yet. So my advice is to really pay attention to all the players, and not just the top players. I stumbled across Parsons that way, Ditto Layman.

I also watch a fair share of high school basketball, and it's much easier to see the top guys now with most of them going to the academy schools, instead of being scattered across the country. I watched Matt Barnes play in person a lot since he was from Sacramento, and he was bud's with my best friend's son, who was his point guard at Del Campo. Their coach sucked big time, which left Barnes ill prepared for UCLA.

Which brings me to another point. If you want to be good at this, you have to know all the college coaches, and how they coach, or develop players. You have to take that into consideration when scouting a player. Was the player put in the best position to shine? Was he asked to play out of position. Did he get enough minutes for you to make a proper judgement. One thing I look for with 2nd rounders is does the player have at least one thing he does really really well, and if so, does the rest of his game look improvable.

Sometimes you won't get excited until a players 2nd or 3rd year. A player you noticed in his freshman year, might take a big step forward in his 2nd year. That's what happened with Kevin Huerter at Maryland. I liked his potential the first time I saw him, but my goodness, he really improved between his freshman and sophmore years. Unfortunately he improved a bit too much and ended up going higher than I originally thought. But I think the kid is going to be a star down the road. I noticed similar growth in Chandler Hutchinson as well. So look for growth in a player. You want to see it every year in school. If not, maybe you walk away.

I tend to shy away from extremely athletic players that haven't developed any significant skills. I tend to shy away from players that like to shoot the rock, but aren't efficient doing so. And I tend to shy away from undersized players for their position, but I can be convinced. I'm a bit skeptical of one year wonders when it belies past history. For that reason I wasn't totally sold on Justin Jackson, but it looks like he may turn out OK. Don't see him as a starter though, although right now, I would start him over Shumpert.

Mostly, trust yourself, and, allow your mind to change. And never never ever make a judgement on a player based on only one or two games. I tend to see the top guys play at least 20 times, and the lesser one's like Huerter at least 10 times. Otherwise you might see them in the best game of their life, or the worse game of their life. Gotta see them a bunch of times to be sure. I saw Thomas Robinson play at least 25/30 times over two years, and I was never convinced he'd make it in the NBA, much less be a top pick. I never would have drafted him. By the same token, I wouldn't have drafted Jimmer, but I did think he was capable of playing in the NBA. So what the hell do I know?
Thank you very much for the long detailed response! I've always been a very eager learner and I'm always trying new approaches when it comes to these prospects. Our ideologies align with skill level, but there's a lot I can take away from this. Won't go to waste at all. I'll apply this when watching games.

I think my biggest flaw is that I can be a very stat oriented person. If an unknown player stands out to me, I'll go check out their stats, but if it doesn't align with what I saw, I'm quick to dismiss them. While it works most of the time, I'll end up missing on major players who improve their stats all across the board since the time I watched them. I find myself much more patient and compromising with freshmen, but not so juniors and seniors. Actually...I think that might be my biggest flaw, age. I was very harsh on Buddy for turning 24 in the middle of his rookie year. Fun times..now he's our leading scorer.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Thank you very much for the long detailed response! I've always been a very eager learner and I'm always trying new approaches when it comes to these prospects. Our ideologies align with skill level, but there's a lot I can take away from this. Won't go to waste at all. I'll apply this when watching games.

I think my biggest flaw is that I can be a very stat oriented person. If an unknown player stands out to me, I'll go check out their stats, but if it doesn't align with what I saw, I'm quick to dismiss them. While it works most of the time, I'll end up missing on major players who improve their stats all across the board since the time I watched them. I find myself much more patient and compromising with freshmen, but not so juniors and seniors. Actually...I think that might be my biggest flaw, age. I was very harsh on Buddy for turning 24 in the middle of his rookie year. Fun times..now he's our leading scorer.
Yeah, the way I look at age is, lets say a player is a four year college player, and at draft time he's 22/23 years old. First, if your even looking at him that means he's talented, or other wise you wouldn't be interested, and if he's been in college for four years, that also means he's already worked out some of his flaws. Players like Jason Hart, who I was very high on coming out of Villanova. That also means that said player is more ready to take the floor and contribute, whether it means starting, or coming off the bench.

So lets compare a player like Hart, to Skal, who came out after one year at Kentucky. If Skal had stayed in school, this would be his senior year, and I think it's highly probable that he would be starting for Kentucky, and if not, he certainly would be getting significant minutes. So if your were to draft him at the end of this year, it's likely you would be getting a far more complete player than you originally got. And, you would just now be starting him on his four year rookie salary, instead of having a decision about what to do with him in the very near future.

Point being, you'll be getting more bang for your buck with a player that needs less development. Yeah, he's older when you draft him, but like I've said before, how long on average does a player play for one team? It's very rare in today's NBA for a player to play his entire career for the same team. As you pointed out, you were concerned about Buddy Hield because of his age, but now, at age 26, Hield is very close to being a star, and is still a year or two from entering his prime years. If you sign him to a five year extension a year from now, that would mean he'd be 32 years old at the end of that extension.

At that point, knowing how Buddy keeps himself in great shape, he'd probably still have 3 or 4 good years left in him. It does come down to an individual thing, but I don't think age is that relevant when your getting a player that's more ready to play. If anything, it can be a positive, especially if you do your homework. And, your job is a bit easier because you've had four years of college to watch the player play. After four years, I think you have a pretty good idea who this player is and how good he could be. Just my humble opinion..
 
One of the only players I really like in this draft is PJ Washington of Kentucky. I've been low key excited that he's listed deep in the 2nd round on most mocks. If the Kings could snag him that deep, oh boy, what a steal. He's been tearing it up lately though which I hope is going unnoticed!
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
One of the only players I really like in this draft is PJ Washington of Kentucky. I've been low key excited that he's listed deep in the 2nd round on most mocks. If the Kings could snag him that deep, oh boy, what a steal. He's been tearing it up lately though which I hope is going unnoticed!
I like Washington quite a bit, and to be honest, I think he has 1st rd talent, and before it's all said and done, I think he'll get drafted in the 1st rd. The style of basketball that Kentucky is playing right now doesn't give him, or for that matter anyone on the team the ability to stand out like Zion on Duke. They're playing a very unselfish brand of basketball right now, which in it's own way is commendable. So I agree that if the Kings could snag him in the 2nd rd, he could be a big steal, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Other players I like as possible 2nd rounders are Cameron Johnson from North Carolina, Jalen McDaniels from San Diego St., Charles Bassey from Western Kentucky, Bruno Fernando from Maryland, Killian Tillie from Gonazga, Dylan Winder from Belmont, and Darius Bazley who skipped college. You could also throw in Charles Mathews from Michigan. Some longer shots, but players that can really shoot the ball are Mike Daum from N. Dakota St., and Sam Hauser from Marquette. Both players are more PF's than they are SF's, and both are likely to struggle on the defensive side of the ball, but like I said, both players are very good shooters, and Daum is a terrific rebounder. I had to get a plug in for the Daumiator.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
Other players I like as possible 2nd rounders ... Darius Bazley who skipped college.
With Bazley, sometimes I see him listed as a PF, but in the limited highlights I've seen he looked a bit more like a SF. Do you think he's a small forward?
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Well after yesterdays games I thought I'd touch on a few players that might be available for the Kings in the 2nd rd, and a couple that probably won't, but who knows.
One is Charles Bassey, the 6'11" Center/PF who plays for Western Kentucky, a 2nd tier division one school. On potential alone he should be a 1st rd pick, but he's been a bit inconsistent at times and sometimes against lesser competition. Yesterday he had 18 pt's on 7 of 10 shooting to go along with 7 boards and 4 blocked shot. He's averaging 2.3 blocks per game along 10.2 rebounds per game.

Then there's the Dauminator, Mike Daum a 6'9" PF, who plays for S. Dakota St. and who went off for 29 pt's on 10 of 19 shooting, but only 1 for 8 from the three. He pulled down 20 rebounds and had 2 steals. He's only shooting 35.5% from the three this season and has been a bit streaky, but for his 4 year career he's averaged 41.1% from the three, so one has to believe he's a legit 3 pt threat. He's not a freak athlete like some, but you can't argue with his results. He's been a consistent scorer and rebounder every year.

I still like the 6'10" SF Jalen McDaniels from San Diego St. He doesn't blow you away, but you can sense there's something more there if you dig a little further. Yesterday he had 16 pts on 6 of 13 shooting overall while going 3 of 5 from the three. He also added 7 rebounds and 1 steal. For the season he's averaging 17.1 ppg while shooting 49.7% overall and 36.5% from the three. He's averaged 20.8 ppg over his last 5 games.

That brings me to Robert Franks, the 6'9" SF from Wash St. who was one of my pre-season favorites, and who started the season being a little inconsistent from the three. But since then he's gotten his act together and played like the player I thought he would be. Yesterday he had 31 pts on 11 of 17 shooting while going 7 of 9 from the three. He also had 8 rebounds and 1 blocked shot. Over the last five games he's averaging 26 ppg, while averaging 22.6 ppg for the season. He's also averaging 52.7% overall and 39.4% from the three. My concern for him entering the season was than he shot 30% or under from the three his freshman and sophmore years, and then made a big jump to 40% his junior year. So my fear was that his jump was a one year aberration. But he's right back there at just a tick under 40%, so he looks like the real deal.

Now on to Dedric Lawson the 6'9" PF/SF from Kansas, who scored 25 pts on 10 of 17 shooting while going 3 of 6 from the three. He added 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. On the year he's averaging 19.6 ppg while averaging 51.2% overall and 34.0% from the three. He's also averaging 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He's averaged 20.5 ppg over his last 5 games. He made the transfer from Memphis were he played his freshman and sophmore years flawlessly.

That brings me to another of my pre-season favorites. The 6'7"/6'8" SF/SG from Belmont, Dylan Windler. The only reason Windler isn't considered the best player in the Ohio Valley conference is because he shares the conference with Ja Morant. Sadly, the draft boards seem to have them worlds apart. Personally, I think that if the Kings could nab Windler in the 2nd rd, they'd have a steal. Yesterday he exploded for 41 pts on 12 of 20 shooting overall while going 8 of 14 from the three. He added 12 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 blocked shot.

They have Windler listed as a SG but he's quite capable of playing the SF position, and he's a terrific rebounder from that position, averaging 10.3 rebounds a game. He's also averaging 20.3 ppg on 52.5% shooting overall and 41.0% shooting from the three. He's averaged 41.1% from the three his last three years. He started the season being a bit erratic from the three but has settled down and become more consistent. Windler is a fan favorite because of his hustle. He always puts out the effort.



 
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bajaden

Hall of Famer
Cam Johnson is destroying Wake Forest right now.. He could be a nice pickup in the 2nd rd for the Kings.
Yeah, Cam is definitely on my 2nd rd possibilities list. Definitely something there. Cam might be one of those players that's a better NBA player than he is a college player. Meaning, I think the NBA style of play suits his game better, depending on which team he ends up on.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
P.J. Washington has been getting better and better as the season goes on. Really took advantage of mis-matches yesterday against Tenn. Abused them inside big time. Biggest improvement is his ability to step outside and hit the three consistently. Shooting 43% this season so far. Not sure whether he's a SF or a PF. Probably a little bit of both. He's turning into one of the best players on that Kentucky team. Johnson is the only player I would rank above him right now.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
I believe I've mentioned Jalen McDaniels of San Diego St. before, but he's been playing extremely well lately, so I thought I'd give him a shout out. McDaniels is a 6'10", 195lb SF who coming out of highschool, some compared to Kevin Durant. I think Durant was more skilled at the same point in time, but appearance wise, I can see the comparison. Both are tall lanky players, and both are very good athletes. But this isn't about Durant, it's about McDaniels, who I think has a chance to be a starter in the NBA, and if he works hard, perhaps a star.

Over the last 10 games McDaniels is averaging 20.1 ppg, while averaging 51.0% overall and 40.0% from the three. He's also averaging 10 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and unfortunately 2.8 turnovers. Other than the turnovers, those are excellent numbers, and the 51% overall is outstanding for a jumpshooter. What's amazing is how good a rebounder he is despite his skinny looking body. He's not afraid to get in and bang with the big boys. As a matter of fact, he's usually right in the middle of the fray.

Based on his freshman year, I had him going somewhere at the bottom of the first round or the top of the 2nd round. However, now I think he'll go somewhere in the middle of the first round, and if he keeps playing this way, and has good workouts, he might slip into the lottery. A player like McDaniels would be a great pickup for the Kings to develop behind Barnes. Not going to happen though unless Vlade somehow acquires a 1st rd pick. By the way, his defense has reminded people of Kawhi Leonard when he was at SDSU.

 
Andrew Nembhard Florida's freshman PG is silent but deadly, could make a real nice backup PG. Absolutely shut down Tremont Waters in this OT win, which is no easy task.
 
I believe I've mentioned Jalen McDaniels of San Diego St. before, but he's been playing extremely well lately, so I thought I'd give him a shout out. McDaniels is a 6'10", 195lb SF who coming out of highschool, some compared to Kevin Durant. I think Durant was more skilled at the same point in time, but appearance wise, I can see the comparison. Both are tall lanky players, and both are very good athletes. But this isn't about Durant, it's about McDaniels, who I think has a chance to be a starter in the NBA, and if he works hard, perhaps a star.

Over the last 10 games McDaniels is averaging 20.1 ppg, while averaging 51.0% overall and 40.0% from the three. He's also averaging 10 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and unfortunately 2.8 turnovers. Other than the turnovers, those are excellent numbers, and the 51% overall is outstanding for a jumpshooter. What's amazing is how good a rebounder he is despite his skinny looking body. He's not afraid to get in and bang with the big boys. As a matter of fact, he's usually right in the middle of the fray.

Based on his freshman year, I had him going somewhere at the bottom of the first round or the top of the 2nd round. However, now I think he'll go somewhere in the middle of the first round, and if he keeps playing this way, and has good workouts, he might slip into the lottery. A player like McDaniels would be a great pickup for the Kings to develop behind Barnes. Not going to happen though unless Vlade somehow acquires a 1st rd pick. By the way, his defense has reminded people of Kawhi Leonard when he was at SDSU.

SDSU vs Nevada tonight should be a good one!