2014 Draft Prospects:
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bajaden
Hall of Famer
I listened to an interview with someone, (forgot who it was) and he was asked to appraise Wiggins and Parker against one another. He said he looks at each player as a glass. In Parkers case, the glass is 75% full of his potential and he has about 25% left. In Wiggins case the glass is about 25% full of his potential, and he has around 75% left. So in his appraisal, Parker is the better player right now, and he will get even better as he reaches all of his potential. Wiggins's isn't that far behind Parker, and if he reaches his full potential, he'll eventually be the overall better player. The question of course, is will Wiggins reach that potential. Are you willing to gamble on what might be, or would you rather take what appears to be a sure thing.
Personally, if my choice is between Parker and Wiggins, I'm taking Parker. I know I'm getting a hell of a player, and a player that can come in and contribute right away. Maybe even be an impact player. But, if we end up with Wiggins, I'll still be a happy man. A lot has been made of McLemore's shortcomings. I will admit that I thought his overall shooting percentages would be a little higher, but I'm not shocked at his overall performance. I've seen it to many times from rookies. Does anyone remember Paul George's rookie year. It's eerily similar to McLemore's. Of course George wasn't has highly touted as McLemore coming out of Fresno St. And George wasn't known for being a good outside shooter either. He was known for being a very good athlete, and a slasher.
But draft position is a subjective position. It has nothing to do with eventual results. Other than putting you on a good team verses a bad team. Point being, its far too early to start worrying about McLemroe. It took George four years to become an all star. So anythings possible.
Hallama
Starter
Watching Wiggins go for 41 against WV, you can see his pro potential. Kansas needed him to go in attack mode when they went down a ton, and he responded. If he can keep that sort of attack mentality consistently, he's #1 in my book for this draft.
Good to see Marcus Smart get his head back in the game. He had a great week, showing his strengths; creating havoc on D, attacking on O.
I like the Bosh comparison for Vonleh at the next level.
Good to see Marcus Smart get his head back in the game. He had a great week, showing his strengths; creating havoc on D, attacking on O.
I like the Bosh comparison for Vonleh at the next level.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
With Nurkic your betting on his skill level, and with Capela, your betting he becomes the next Ibaka. Capela is a big gamble. He appears to be very very raw, but a great athlete. Nurkic will probably bring more to the table in the immediate. If our draft position drops too far down the board, somewhere between 9 and 12, then I wouldn't be surprised to see the Kings go with a european player. I know their heavily scouting over there.
Hallama
Starter
As Euro's/Internationals usually rise closer to the draft, the King might be in position to pick the best one. Of course, Exum is probably off the board. But there is talent to be had, and I'm always amazed at how well some of these guys perform in the NBA against their Euro numbers...limited minutes when they're young, 40 minute games, etc.
Saric is one guy I'm not to keen on, and if Gay opts-in, no need for him in the near future.
Saric is one guy I'm not to keen on, and if Gay opts-in, no need for him in the near future.
S
SacKings2002NBAChampions
Guest
I think Saric will be a good NBA player. He won't be a Dirk but maybe an impact like Peja and Gasol have had.
This, I have to disagree. As a rookie PG was clearly the best defender on a PO team - it was clear, he was special by the end of the year. And .909 from FT line on 4.5 attempts per game as a sophomore in Fresno? He was bound to become an elite shooter.
George actually shot very well from outside his freshman year. He and McLemore took about the same number of 3's per game (4.1 to 4.7 respectively) and George shot a higher percentage (.447 vs .420)
Now in PG's sophomore year his shooting percentages dropped as every other stat increased due to him being asked to do a lot more on both ends.
I wouldn't have called George a pure shooter by any stretch but he was a very good one. In fact my biggest criticism of him at Fresno was that too often he settled for long jumpers instead of using his atleticism to attack the rim.
In a lot of ways Wiggins is similar to George. Somewhat smaller and somewhat more athletic but Wiggins is also a wing with a bundle of untapped potential with a ton of tools that he can build on.
If I were the Sixers or Magic or Celtics I'd probably take Parker over Wiggins. He gives all of those teams a potential go to scorer who should produce right away. But if the Kings had the #2 pick and Embiid is gone I'd take Wiggins or Exum. I don't think Parker's game compliments Cousins' as well and I think Wiggins could man the 2 with Gay at the 3.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
I certainly wasn't comparing George's defense with McLemore's. George was outstanding at defense his rookie year. I was comparing their offensive. I, like you, really liked George coming out of Fresno St., but I'd bet the majority of fans around the country, and a majority in sacramento didn't know who George was coming out of college. George showed glimpses of being a good shooter in college, but his rookie year was nothing to write home about, and that was my point. George shot 29.8% from the three his rookie year. Thus I'm implying that we shouldn't be too worried about McLemore not shooting as well as he did in college. Where George had an advantage over McLemore, was in his ability to get to the basket and score.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Not that it'll ultimately affect where he's picked but Embiid has apparently had back issues for a couple of years now.
http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/mar/12/prep-coach-embiid-had-back-pain-last-year-too/
http://www2.kusports.com/news/2014/mar/12/prep-coach-embiid-had-back-pain-last-year-too/
This scares me if I have a top 3 pick. GM's could get freaked it's the whole Oden-Durant all over again, which is entirely possibly considering the potential of Parker and Wiggins.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
The latest report said he had a stress fracture in his back. Depending on how bad, it might be better than having a disc problem. As much as I would love to see him play in the tournament, I hope they shut him down for the rest of the year and let him mend. I'm sure his back will be looked at by more doctors than you can shake a stick at between now and the draft, and any team that drafts him will have pretty good idea of how serious it is.
Well let me ask you. If he's cleared by all doctors before the draft, does knowing he has somewhat a history of back issues scare you off at all? Especially considering all the other talent in this draft?
randymoss1881
Starter
I'm starting to like Smart if we are drafting outside the top 5. He really brings it defensively and took it upon himself to guard Wiggins. We don't have a player outside McCallum who thinks like that.
Hallama
Starter
Yeah Smart has been playing really well since his return.
If the Kings are picking in the 7-9 range, he's a fine option. He could easily start, put IT back as the 6th man. Would need to add a shooter like Meeks.
Smart
Meeks
Gay
???
Cousins
PF is the biggest need. JT is ok, Landry is better off the bench. Evans is an option if he isn't traded. Small steps...
If the Kings are picking in the 7-9 range, he's a fine option. He could easily start, put IT back as the 6th man. Would need to add a shooter like Meeks.
Smart
Meeks
Gay
???
Cousins
PF is the biggest need. JT is ok, Landry is better off the bench. Evans is an option if he isn't traded. Small steps...
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Glad you brought it up. First, Smart can't shoot, Smart can't shoot!!!!!!!!!! I can't stand watching him. He drives me nuts with his off balance shots. Now, you say he guarded Wiggins. Well Wiggins scored 30 points on 9 of 17 shooting while going 3 of 6 from the three. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Smart scored 14 points on 4 of 14 shooting while going 1 of 4 from the three. Oh, and Smart had a blistering 3 assists. Smart's overall shooting percentage for the game was 28.6%. Yes, he's a very good defender, but his PG skills don't blow me away, and he shoots way too much for a player that can't shoot.
One thing you have to take into account is how Smarts team is doing with him as the floor general. Well, their not going to go to the tournament. You tell me, how much patience do you think the fan base will have with another player that jacks up wild shots from all over the court. Can his shooting woes be corrected? Maybe, but Tyreke still can't shoot, and I'd rather have Tyreke on my team than Smart. OK, I'm done ranting!
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Well I'd be lying if I said it didn't concern me. But I'd be willing to rely on my team doctors judgement. Some back issues are chronic, and some aren't. Stress fractures usually heal themselves with rest. It appears that he's had this stress fracture for some time, but it wasn't detected until now. Probably because its been getting worse. But I'm not a doctor, and its not my money. But the last thing the Kings need is a Greg Odom clone.
Hallama
Starter
Fair enough....
Smart reminds me of Eric Snow without the control yet. He's already a fine defensive player(!) with some upside to his offense. If he can be harnessed as a PG, he will fit in the NBA. The shooting is a concern, obviously.
S
SacKings2002NBAChampions
Guest
LOL If Kings starting 5 consisted of Smart and Meeks, I'll stop watching Kings basketball period.
ilmago
Prospect
Wiggins on fire last matches!
Today Kansas against Iowa St. (that defeated Kansas State, so no "derby"), while Jabari's debut on ACC Tourn. is vs Clemson.
Meanwhile McDermott had 35 last night and .. https://vine.co/v/MbXJgMr0ABI
We'll see..
Today Kansas against Iowa St. (that defeated Kansas State, so no "derby"), while Jabari's debut on ACC Tourn. is vs Clemson.
Meanwhile McDermott had 35 last night and .. https://vine.co/v/MbXJgMr0ABI
We'll see..
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Wiggins has definitely picked things up with Embiid out of the equation and playing like how many scouts were expecting him to from the get-go. Still certainly room for improvement as well, which makes him scary. I'm still not sure if it's enough to put him over Parker on my draft board though and still certainly not going to displace Embiid at the top either.
Your overall board? Or for us?
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Fair enough....
Look, a lot of people like Smart. So maybe there's something wrong with me. Believe me, I've tried to like him, and I've probably watched him play as much or more than anyone else in this draft. But I just don't see what all the hype is about. He's a decent athlete, but there's nothing special in that area. He doesn't have great hops. He's a good ballhandler, but again, he's no Tyreke Evans or even a Tony Wroten in that area. He's a good passer, but he doesn't blow me away with his creativity in setting up his teammates. He takes too many shots for a PG in my opinion, ( I don't like PG's that dominate the ball unless their Steve Nash or John Stockton clones) and he's just not a good shooter. I do think his shooting could improve if he would take the time to work on his form, and get squared up before shooting.
Defense is the one area where he's special. And, I'm not sure how much of his effectiveness will translate to the NBA. But its certainly a plus. My main objection to him is that we already had a player named Tyreke Evans that could do everything Smart can do and we didn't keep him. So I'll be just a little upset if we draft Smart after letting Tyreke go. If they didn't think Tyreke was a good fit for this team, then how is Smart a good fit? If they think IT shoots too much and doesn't look for his teammates enough, then how is Smart, who shoots too much a good fit?
I'll be honest. If my choice is between Ennis and Smart, I'd take Ennis. I know a lot of poeple will disagree with me. I also know that Ennis will never be the defensive player that Smart is, but I think you can make too big an issue of defense when judging the all around abilities of a player. Steve Nash is going to be in the HOF, and not many people have discussions about his defense. If a player is downright horrible on defense, thats a different story, and I realize that with Syracuse players its difficult to judge how good or bad they might be. But one thing I do know about Ennis, is that he's a very good PG in the strict sense of the word. And, he can at least hit the outside shot
Smart: 17.8 PPG - 42.5% FGP - 30.2% 3PP - 5.7 RPG - 4.7 APG - 2.8 Steals
Ennis: 12.4 PPG - 41.3% FGP - 37.1% 3PP - 3.4 RPG - 5.5 APG - 2.2 Steals
I realize that stats don't tell the whole story, but also remember, Syracuse is going to the big dance, and was ranked number one for a lot of the season with Ennis as the floor general. At the same time Oklahoma St. has struggled all year and is going to miss the tournament with Smart at the helm. Results matter! If Smart is such a great leader, why can't he lead his team into the tournament? Oklahoma has talent on that team. Enough talent to at least make the tournament. Hey, I could be dead wrong, and I'm willing to eat all the crow if I'am. Actually, I hope I'm wrong. I don't want to see any young player fail. But if he does fail, then I want it to be on someone else's team.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Yeah, Wiggins is doing what your want him to do, rise to the occasion. He put up 30 on Oklahoma St. but more importantly, he was clutch with the game on the line. The only thing I have to say about having to choose between Wiggins and Parker, is that I hope I get the chance. Parker is more ready, but Wiggins his more versatile. Wiggins is a better defender, and can probably defend three different positions. And, if he can improve his ballhandling a bit, the can play some SG. Parker can score from anywhere on the floor, and in theory he can play both PF and SF. So he would fit the description of a stretch four, although, I see him mostly as a SF. I love Parker and would have a hard time passing on him, but, I'll go home happy if we were to end up with Wiggins. Both guys are potential all stars. There's that damm word again!
randymoss1881
Starter
Ya Eniis is a true pg he just runs the team and doesn't turn it over he has 16-6 with 0 turnovers today. He has scored more in the last 10 games I would take him over Smart also.
Syracuse was avoiding losses on the strength of their defense, not offense. Ennis is not a dynamic playmaker, who creates for his teammates, he's the one, who finds them, when they get open, kinda like PG, Kings already have coming off the bench - no need to spend a lottery pick on another one. That's why your point about Nash and defense is not applicable here: Ennis doesn't bring enough offensively to be a sieve on D. Oklahoma lost one their two best forwardsin the early season, so I would've liked to see, where Syracuse would be, if Fair or Grant were out most of the season. As for defense Trevor Cooney gets more steals than Ennis in that system...nuff said.
Looking at your last point I have to say, if Wiggins or Embiid are going to fail, I would like it to happen on another team.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Didn't say I wanted to draft Ennis. I was just throwing him out as a comparison to Smart, who I don't like. Look, I could be wrong about Smart, but I'm not going to say I like a player just because everyone else is in love with him. As to your last comment, I assume it was in jest. I hope any player in the draft that's going to fail does it on another team. As to Ennis defensive ability, I'll say the same thing about him that I do about any player on the Syracuse team. I don't know! I can make a guess based on a players athletic ability, but there are players with just average athletic ability that are decent to good defenders. A lot of it comes down to commitment and BBIQ. Of course the only thing that can protect you against being taken off the dribble is good team defense.
For the most part, I don't see players in a black and white scenario. I have my exceptions, and Smart is probably one of those. I just don't like how he plays the game. Except on the defensive side of the ball. That said, I try not to take things to the extreme. I guess you could say that I'm leaving myself wiggle room, and that would be a fair argument. I try to look at it as leaving the player some wiggle room. Semantics I guess. Bottom line, is that the only PG I'm truely interested in in this draft is Exum, and even that is based on a limited amount video, and feedback by some that I trust. I love players that can play both ends of the court. Unfortunately, most prospects happen to excel on just one side of the court. If I have to choose between a great offensive player and a great defensive player, I'll reluctantly take the great offensive player. Regardless of how much you love defense, at the end of the day, you still have to put the ball in the basket more times than the other team. Plus, from a fans perspective, its more entertaining to watch a great offense than a great defense.
Don't misunderstand, I love great defensive players. Its just that you can't look at every player from a defensive mind set. I don't know how you look at players, and by that, I mean what your priorities are. What moves a player up and down your board? I ask because I respect your opinion. I don't look at this as a contest between you and I or anyone else. Everyone see's things a little differently. There's no one on this forum that I respect more than Uncia03. I spend march maddness with him every year, and he's one of the brightest people I know. We don't agree on everything, but he's caused me to re-think my positon on a player more than once. By the way, were at summer league every year. If possible, you should join us sometime.
Oh well, we'll have a cervesa for you.I wouldn't say, my view is far from yours, but my main point is this: current roster even minus IT can still put the ball in the basket, so guard with ability to defend both positions, pass and get to the basket at will fit pretty well. Lack of shooting is troubling, no doubt...
That would be Cleveland's move.Neither Smart nor Ennis, holy sh** Kyle Anderson!
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