#7 pick - Your top 5.

Nikolizzle

G-League
Okay, so I was thinking, let's all just see where our thinking is for our team's pick.

Who, in order, would you like to see us take at #7? Assuming that they're available.

Let's try and keep it realistic though - Clearly Noel, McLemore, Porter aren't going to drop that far. Burke could, however, so i'd put him in there.

Mine:

1. Trey Burke - Assuming he's there, he's ours.
2. Michael Carter-Williams
3. Anthony Bennett
4. Cody Zeller - Not as defensively-minded as Len, but without the health risks.
5. Shabazz Muhammed - If the top 3 aren't in the plan, go with a wildcard.
 
Is Oladipo theoretically still available? If so, my list would go like this (and is subject to change):

1. Oladipo
2. Burke
3. Schroeder
4. Karasev
5. Len/Gobert/Zeller
 
I'll assume my top six are gone... so no Noel, Oladipo, McLemore, Porter, Bennett, or Burke.

1. C.J. McCollum... doesn't fit what we need at all but he's the clear cut best guy I see left. Hopefully a Damian Lillard type here.
2. Shane Larkin... if we're picking a bench player then I'll take Larkin as he looks to be a Nate Robinson type that will provide instant offense as a sixth man for yrs to come.
3. Cody Zeller... solid rotaional 4/5 if nothing else. Will be able to score some at the very least.
4. Carter-Williams... maybe an Andre Miller type? Can't score but can do everything else.
5. Dennis Schroeder... hopefully will move up my list as I learn more about his game.
6.
 
This is stupid. Just do a top 7 list and that last guy has to be there. Don't assume anyone won't be there, lots can happen in workouts.
 
There are three guys who I think have no chance of falling to us: McLemore, Noel, and Oladipo.

After that I would take:

1. Bennett
2. Burke
3. Porter
4. McCollum
5. Carter-Williams
 
People seem to think CJ McCollum is a bad fit for us. Not the case at all. The problem with Isaiah, Brooks, and Jimmer isn't that they are all scorers, which is fine, or that they're not good enough passers, which is also fine. The problem with them is that they'll all dominate a possession to get a stat. McCollum will score quickly and efficiently, unlike the aforementioned. He'd put up far better assist numbers in most cases, but really, name one other player at Lehigh. I think he'll do fine as a PG in the NBA.
 
Well look at Debbie Downer over here.

Has a point. You're going to have all these people with different rankings not because of their true ranks, but based on what people think is available. You could have removed what you thought were 5 picks that were going to be gone and then asked, etc. But especially with this draft, you have someone who thinks Oladipo has "no chance" of falling to us, and someone else that thinks that it's somewhat possible. And then you lose the ability to really compare or get a sense of what people want. I think the only guys people don't think have a chance of falling are Noel/Mclemore.
 
Well look at Debbie Downer over here.

I think that was actually more of a statement about the uncertainty regarding the draft this year. To list your top 5 for the #7 spot you have to assume certain players are off the board and we aren't all going to make the same assumptions. We can be pretty sure that Noel and McLemore are gone but what about Porter, Oladipo, Bennett or Burke? What if Porter goes #1? What if somebody in the top 4 falls in love with one of the centers? And it's actually more productive to list your top 7 in order anyway because it gives a clearer picture of what you'd be willing to give up in a trade situation. If Noel is somehow still on the board at #4 for instance and you have him ranked #1 then it's probably worth it to at least attempt to trade up 3 spots to get a player you have ranked 1 instead of picking the player you have ranked 7 right? If you think he's only the 4th best player in the draft, there might be less motivation to do so.

I guess what you're going for is more of a "how pissed would you be if we passed on player X" type of list though, which is also interesting. Especially because the players projected to be available around the #7 pick this year all have a serious flaw of some kind which makes them risky for different reasons. I don't like the idea of drafting a center or a PG because the ones available (with the possible exception of Schroeder) don't really fit my concept of how I'd like to see the roster constructed. In fact, right now I'd say if we can't work out a deal of some kind for Noel, McLemore, Porter, or Oladipo I'd rather we trade the pick then take someone who isn't really going to help us. I've actually been wondering if it's possible for us to somehow make a trade with Cleveland in which the primary return for them is to remove the protection on the 2014 pick we owe them. I know they said they want to get out of the lottery next year, but everyone loves the 2014 draft's talent over this year's. And I think Noel, McLemore, or Oladipo are all such good fits for our roster that I would give up whatever minuscule shot we had at winning next year for the certainty of adding a talented player right now who also fits into the team concept built around Cousins and Evans.
 
Okay, fair enough. Let me rephrase:

Assuming the projected top 3 (Noel, McLemore, Porter) all go in order, consider what we may have left, and list your top 5.
 
This... Except replace McCollum with MCW.. Sorry I like MCW lol.

I understand where you're coming from, but I don't really like MCW that much. Ball dominant, lack of offensive game, turnover machine, bad handle- yuck. He will be a liability in the NBA, good passing or no. He's got lots of potential, but he strikes me as a rondo clone with a worse handle- and that isn't a compliment.
 
1st choice: Trade our 7th pick and any player(s) but Evans and Cousins to Charlotte for their 2014 1st round pick.
2nd choice: Trade up to 3rd to draft Otto Porter if he's still available at 3rd.
3rd choice: If one of: Noel, McLemore, Porter, or Oladipo slips and does fall to us, then draft him.
4th choice: If #1, #2 or #3 doesn't happen, then trade our 7th pick for Utah's 14th and 21st picks and draft two of the following: Schroeder, Carter-Williams, Len, Adams, Whithey, or Adetokunbo.
 
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1st choice: Trade our 7th pick and any player(s) but Evans and Cousins to Charlotte for their 2014 1st round pick.
2nd choice: Trade up to 3rd to draft Otto Porter if he's still available at 3rd.
3rd choice: If one of: Noel, McLemore, Porter, or Oladipo slips and does fall to us, then draft him.
4th choice: If #1, #2 or #3 doesn't happen, then trade our 7th pick for Utah's 14th and 21st picks and draft two of the following: Schroeder, Carter-Williams, Len, Adams, Whithey, or Adetokunbo.

I would be happy if any of these happen I think. A couple of other names I like which you havent put in your 4th choice were Karasev and Saric. I like the euro small forwards this year for some reason.
 
Charlotte gave up their future pick to Chicago, so they can't trade another for the same reason Kings can't include theirs right now - Stepien rule.
 
1: Trade up to 2nd or 3rd to draft Otto Porter jr.
2: Trade down, since the guys we needed wont be available anyway. try to get a good player and like a 15th-23rd pick and take Glen Robinson Jr.
3: Trey Burke (doubt he will still be there)
4: Anthony Bennet
5: make a trade up to 5th to try to get Oladipo or Burke
 
The Mav's want to trade thier first round pick, which I believe is the 13th. I would offer them whatever amount of money they want for the pick, and then relequish our rights to the 7th pick back to Cleveland, thereby guaranting we retain our first round pick next year, which will be a much stronger draft. The difference between 13 and 7 isn't that great. I'm assuming that the Mav's don't want any players in return since their trying to aquire as much money under the cap as possible, and aquiring a player in place of the pick would defeat that purpose. Hell, they might take a future 2nd round pick for their first round pick.
 
My #1 is Gorgui Dieng. He does everyone you would want from a defensive anchor. I was gushing throughout this whole vid:


He honestly looks like he should go #1.
 
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The Mav's want to trade thier first round pick, which I believe is the 13th. I would offer them whatever amount of money they want for the pick, and then relequish our rights to the 7th pick back to Cleveland, thereby guaranting we retain our first round pick next year, which will be a much stronger draft. The difference between 13 and 7 isn't that great. I'm assuming that the Mav's don't want any players in return since their trying to aquire as much money under the cap as possible, and aquiring a player in place of the pick would defeat that purpose. Hell, they might take a future 2nd round pick for their first round pick.

you could use the Mavs' firstrounder to satisfy the Cavs' right as well. in fact, any firstrounder would do.
 
you could use the Mavs' firstrounder to satisfy the Cavs' right as well. in fact, any firstrounder would do.

Well I think that would be up to them. The first rounder that was promised in the deal was ours, and that would be the 7th pick. I don't think we can force them to take a lesser pick. However, it might be attractive them money wise.
 
My #1 is Gorgui Dieng. He does everyone you would want from a defensive anchor. I was gushing throughout this whole vid:


He honestly looks like he should go #1.

I havn't watched the video, but I've certainly watched Dieng play a lot. He's a solid, but not a prolific shotblocker. He playes good man on man defense, and knows how to rotate on defense. He's a good, but not a great athlete, and there might be some question as to whether he could guard some of the quicker PF's in the league. I say that because I suspect your thinking of putting him on the floor next to Cousins, and it might work. Offensively, he has a nice little midrange jumper that he's pretty consistent with when left open. But other than that, he's very limited offensively, which again, might be just fine with the focus on the Kings being elsewhere.

He's a good rebounder. He's hardly the number one pick in the draft, but he's a solid first round pick that can come in and play right away. One of the things going against him is his age. I believe he's going to be 24 years old in Jan. I see him going somewhere from 15 on down in the first round.
 
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Well I think that would be up to them. The first rounder that was promised in the deal was ours, and that would be the 7th pick. I don't think we can force them to take a lesser pick. However, it might be attractive them money wise.

Keep in mind that next year the 1st rounder owed to the Cavs is top 12 protected. And in the next two years it is top 10 protected. If we haven't sent them a pick at that point it becomes just a 2nd rounder in 2017. I think the Kings will improve next season but still be a lottery team, meaning we'd keep our pick.

As for Dieng, he makes for a nice highlight real but watching Louisville games he IS a steady, defensive anchor who challenges shots and rebounds well. I think the length to challenge shots and being a good help defender are prerequisites for whoever we play next to DMC. Ideally you'd like a guy who can post a bit so Cousins can play at the elbow some, but the "must have" offensively is a midrange jumper to keep opposing bigs from doubling Cousins in the blocks.

Dalembert fit well with Cousins and I think Dieng would too. As for guarding very quick or "stretch" fours the team still has Patterson and Outlaw (for a couple more years) if they are getting burned outside. Dieng's age might hurt him a bit on draft day, but getting a late start to organized basketball I think he's got more upside than the average 24 year old prospect.
 
1.trade up to get otto porter
2.trey burke
3. trade back and get two first round picks grab gorgui dieng and reggie bullock
4. cj mccollum
5.trade for a veteran sf
 
Of course this comes with the massive disclaimer that we'll be lucky to get a long-term starter out of this year's draft, but here goes:

1. Trey Burke. I see him as a fringe starter long-term due to his size, inability to drive/finish in the paint, and defensive capabilities. However, he'd do WONDERS for this team in the short-term, as a pass-first PG would really allow us to better evaluate other players on the roster as well.
2. Porter/Oladipo (should either fall). Again - fringe starters long-term but they bring some nice tools to the table. Oladipo has better potential as a defender thanks to his athleticism, but Porter brings better basketball IQ. However, both player's inability to handle the ball and questionable jump-shooting capabilities (both are one-year wonders) really limit their impact long-term. Either way though, each player would be a nice upgrade in talent and character.
3. Cody Zeller. I hate a poor-rebounding stiff as much as the next guy, but believe me, this guy is too low on everyone's boards and would be a steal at 7. What he brings to the table far outweigh his weaknesses, IMO, which have been greatly magnified due to the spotlight he's been under (while not close in talent, he's facing similar unwarranted criticism that caused Joakim Noah to drop in '07). I see him as a LaMarcus Aldridge-type, who will put up 16/8 but definitely can't carry a franchise on his own. Solid pickup for the Kings especially given the tenuous nature of DMC's long-term prospects.
4. Michael Carter-Williams. This draft's so awful - sure, why not. He shoots so poorly at a college level that I'm not sure he'll ever average >40% FG in the NBA, but his size, passing and ability to create for himself are worth the risk in what could be the worst draft since 2000.
5. Alex Len. Classic stiff with underwhelming numbers, but again, worth a shot in an underwhelming draft and DMC's long-term stay being a question-mark.

Player to ABSOLUTELY avoid: Anthony Bennett. This guy will be out of the league in five years, guaranteed. Can't/won't defend, low basketball IQ, poor team player, poor work ethic, potential to get out of shape quickly, undersized, limited post game. Recipe for disaster IMO - and not good for our culture either.
 
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