Alright, we got the 8th pick, options...

[Dime Dropper]

I'd trade the 8th straight up for Gibson. Gibson was a beast last year despite being the 4th option and playing less than 30 minutes a game. Aaron Gordon just looks way too raw to me and doesn't look like his game will translate all that well to the nba. He isn't a good dribbler, can't shoot, and has no post game. I'd rather try and bring in taj who I think would thrive playing next to cousins.

A beast? Bit of an exaggeration. 13/7 is good production in 28mpg but not beastly. That's 16/8 per36. He shot 47% from the field, solid but nothing special. Now I know you'd be getting him for his defense, but I don't think he's an anchor whose going to significantly improve our defense. He's more of a good man defender who can block a shot a game. Not going to really deter people from driving to the rim. I like him, just need to be careful what you give up for him.

I'm not a big fan of Gordon as it stands. I'd rather trade down and look at a combination of Peyton/Caplea/Lavine.

I knew LaVine was athletic but this is pretty crazy:

 

[Albatros]

Well now at least we know these prospects can dunk in an empty gym.

 

[pshn80]

Looking at 4 of today's many mock drafts - I see our most likely candidates are McDermott, Gordon, Saric and Harris. Today is Sunday, May 25, - it's always interesting to watch the ebb and flow of others selections. I should correct myself - the above names are not No.8 picks, they are 8,9, and 10 picks, the ones we would get to choose from.

 

[Dime Dropper]

I'll be extremely unhappy if we take McDermott.

 

[jdbraver]

We already have enough Mc's

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

A beast? Bit of an exaggeration. 13/7 is good production in 28mpg but not beastly. That's 16/8 per36. He shot 47% from the field, solid but nothing special. Now I know you'd be getting him for his defense, but I don't think he's an anchor whose going to significantly improve our defense. He's more of a good man defender who can block a shot a game. Not going to really deter people from driving to the rim. I like him, just need to be careful what you give up for him.

I'm not a big fan of Gordon as it stands. I'd rather trade down and look at a combination of Peyton/Caplea/Lavine.

I knew LaVine was athletic but this is pretty crazy:

I would also be in favor of trading down and try an get both of the bulls picks or the suns picks. I really like Elfrid Payton. Seems like a fluid point guard who doesn't make to many mistakes. As far as Lavine goes I like him a lot but he is such a wild card. IMO he has the 3rd highest ceiling after wiggins and embiid, but has a tendency to disappear an was a non factor in many games.

 

[SacTownKid]

Marion would be a steal at #8 in any draft.

But Gordon is not a lock to be nearly as productive as Marion. The knock on Gordon is his productivity was sub par at times. What is a 12 and 8 Shawn Marion worth?

 

[Dime Dropper]

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 16m
Jabari Parker's measurements at workout on Friday: 6' 9" in shoes, 6' 11.75" wingspan, 8' 11.5" standing reach.

Those are elite measurements for a SF.

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 18m
Joel Embiid's measurements at the workout on Fri: 7' 1" in shoes, 7' 5.75" wingspan, 9' 5.5" standing reach.

Physical freak. Cleveland really should take him, which is why they won't. They'll go with Wiggins, whose the biggest risk out of the top 3 in my view.

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 6m
Andrew Wiggins measurements from today. 6' 8.75" in shoes, 7' 0" wingspan, 8" 11" standing reach.

Slightly shocked. Wiggins does not look that tall to me. Great length too.

 

[KingMilz]

But Gordon is not a lock to be nearly as productive as Marion. The knock on Gordon is his productivity was sub par at times. What is a 12 and 8 Shawn Marion worth?

If you can get a 12 and 8 player who defends the 3/4 position well at the 8th pick I'm taking that, in particular if he can fit in with Cousins. (Not saying Gordon is Marion cause I never really seen him play). 12 and 8 with D is literally a million times better than any lottery pick outside Reke/Cousins we have had in a while.

 

[ParniValjak]

Gordon scares the crap out of me! Classic uber athletic tweener without enough finesse who gets taken inside 10 and busts! We've had our fair share of these. Please trade the sucker for some veteran help!last thing we need is another athletic kid without the polish or true position in the NBA. McDermott also scares the crap out of me but for another reason. Too much of a Jimmer factor with him.

 

[pshn80]

Gordon scares the poopoo out of me! Classic uber athletic tweener without enough finesse who gets taken inside 10 and busts! We've had our fair share of these. Please trade the sucker for some veteran help!last thing we need is another athletic kid without the polish or true position in the NBA. McDermott also scares the poopoo out of me but for another reason. Too much of a Jimmer factor with him.

But ..... the next time a
TRob or a Jimmer come along they may be real and we will regret not taking him. Just saying.......

 

[Big Cuz 15]

Gordon scares the poopoo out of me! Classic uber athletic tweener without enough finesse who gets taken inside 10 and busts! We've had our fair share of these. Please trade the sucker for some veteran help!last thing we need is another athletic kid without the polish or true position in the NBA. McDermott also scares the poopoo out of me but for another reason. Too much of a Jimmer factor with him.

you know whats really scary. they have mully as a scout. mully has a track record of taking tweeners during his GM days. this could be that he had nelly as a coach? could influence our decision on taking another tweener.

 

[dude12]

If you can get a 12 and 8 player who defends the 3/4 position well at the 8th pick I'm taking that, in particular if he can fit in with Cousins. (Not saying Gordon is Marion cause I never really seen him play). 12 and 8 with D is literally a million times better than any lottery pick outside Reke/Cousins we have had in a while.

I agree but this is where it becomes tricky...banking on the potential. One thing that usually transfers to the NBA is defense.....but if we could be 100% sure that Gordon is the next Marion, then he would be a great fit but that is a huge IF.

 

[biltalent]

you could also argue that we had enough of those"non-defense" players and passed on the likes of Kawhi or Drummond, both known for their defense and their poor shooting (same with Gordon). If we want to be a good defense team, at some point, we have to start bringing in players that take pride in defending

 

[Bricklayer]

you could also argue that we had enough of those"non-defense" players and passed on the likes of Kawhi or Drummond, both known for their defense and their poor shooting (same with Gordon). If we want to be a good defense team, at some point, we have to start bringing in players that take pride in defending

The difference being: Kawhi and especially Drummond were perfect NBA specimens for their positions. Big, strong, long., physical monsters. They flat out were NBA players. Now if you can convert Gordon to SF, then he works in the NBA physically. Omri Casspi sized. The great concern with him is he's not. He is a tweener without real skills at either positon. He's not a post player, has no bulk, not a ballhandler, not a shooter. Uhoh.

 

[Dime Dropper]

I'd probably take Peyton or Capela over Gordon. Both have legitimate positions, great size and length, and are known for their defense. Capela is a bit of a risk but the reward is huge. Big, long, athletic big who rebounds, block shots and defends and is very productive around the basket without needing touches. At some point, when you have that size and athleticism, you're not going to bust unless you have a really low IQ. He's productive in a solid league. I know the Ibaka comparison is the obvious one, but it's a good one in this case. Very similar players at the same point in their careers. While Capela's post game is extremely raw, he actually has occasionally demonstrated a solid foundation of skills with his ability to take players off the dribble. He's very quick, more than the majority of players his size. He's also shown that he has pretty good hands, catching passes etc, he doesn't fumble it around like Embiid for example. He's not really an offensive threat at the moment apart from alley oops, put-backs, and beating his man down the court for easy points, but if he can develop a solid mid-range jumper like Ibaka then you've pretty much got an ideal fit next to Cuz.

He's excellent at defending the pick'n'role and has excellent lateral quickness for a big. He's like a pogo stick with his first and second jumps and has good timing on his shot-blocking. I'm really hoping the FO gives him due consideration because if he works out and we've missed on an ideal fit next to Cuz, well that's going to be inexcusable.

Others here know more about Peyton than I do but I like what I see. I don't see the Rondo comparisons but he looks like he could be a significantly better Livingston. Or maybe even similar to MCW. Big, long, athletic PG who does a little of everything with a shaky outside shot. He's a great defender with very good athleticism. Good passer, gets everyone involved, rebounds, defends. Shot is the clear problem and he needs to get stronger.

If you could trade down for two picks and get both of them I think that'd be a successful draft.

 

[biltalent]

The difference being: Kawhi and especially Drummond were perfect NBA specimens for their positions. Big, strong, long., physical monsters. They flat out were NBA players. Now if you can convert Gordon to SF, then he works in the NBA physically. Omri Casspi sized. The great concern with him is he's not. He is a tweener without real skills at either positon. He's not a post player, has no bulk, not a ballhandler, not a shooter. Uhoh.

That's true. I've no clue whether he will end up as a SF or PF in the Nba. But what I think you have to consider is that - if he would be at 240 punds or if he would be a better ballhandler/shooter - he probably would go higher than 8. So the shortcomings you mention are the only reason why we even think about him.
Then the question is, does the FO believe he will bulk up to play the 4 or develop a decent corner three to play the 3?

I'd probably take Peyton or Capela over Gordon. Both have legitimate positions, great size and length, and are known for their defense.

If you could trade down for two picks and get both of them I think that'd be a successful draft.

Totally agree with you. If you don't see Gordon as an option, trading down for Capela and Payton is an other very intruging option from an defense point of view

 

[Dreadnought]

Aaron Gordon workout video. Obviously they don't show him bricking shots but I am impressed by these snippets. I would like to draft Gordon, LaVine, Stauska, or Napier. Just not at #8.

 

[dude12]

Aaron Gordon workout video. Obviously they don't show him bricking shots but I am impressed by these snippets. I would like to draft Gordon, LaVine, Stauska, or Napier. Just not at #8.

Hmmm....interesting video of him. I've said it before, but I think Gordon is the wildcard of the draft as far as the picks between 5-9. I think Smart is the other guy who could rise all the way to 4. Embiid, Parker, Wiggins being locks for top 3 along with Exxum in the top 4. I don't see Exxum getting past Orlando unless they decide Smart is the guy.

After that I could see a team loving the Gordon athleticism, tweener status be damned.

 

[Dreadnought]

At #8, I'd rather the Kings either use it in a package for a monster trade (not sure if possible due to the pick we owe Chicago? unsure...), or just go for a home run gamble pick. Whether that means Aaron Gordon, Zach LaVine, Dario Saric, whatever. I'm leaning away from trading the pick for a veteran who can't make a huge difference.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Gordon is just weird. I can't make my mind up on him. He looks awkward in the way he moves or something, yet he's clearly very athletic. Doesn't look fluid but has some skills. He's clearly more skilled than someone like T-Rob, and I think his character will ensure that he turns into a significantly better player when all is said and done. But I just don't know, he's confusing to me. I'm giving myself more time to think about him. I worry about his weaknesses, but at the same time he seems like the type of guy that won't let himself fail. It helps that he's not an unknown, too - he's been majorly hyped since HS.

BTW, here's the full LaVine workout too:

That athleticism is effortless, it's elite. He can really fly up the boards if he impresses during workouts. UCLA isn't exactly known for letting talent express itself.

 

[macadocious]

I don't see Gordon as a 3 at all. He is a 4 IMO that could play a big 3 on occasion. He's only 18 and he is still growing. He is athletic, plays D and rebounds. I think (next to Embid) he's the best option to put next to cousins. Also, if he is slightly undersized (I'm not sure he is) having a SF that is the same height is a huge benefit.

 

[dude12]

Levine is athletic for sure....his 3on3 workouts are going to be huge for him. I'm starting to think that trading down to get the multiple picks might not be an option as teams probably think they can get very good value in those picks.

My own personal opinion is I would not draft another SG but add a vet at that position instead of having 2 young guys. So no to Lavine, Stauskus, Harris and any other guy in that range. If we keep the pick I would love Smart, Randle(I think), Vonleh, Gordon (I'd be willing to bank on him becoming more and being a good fit), and then also look at the Payton kid and maybe Ennis if they think he can be worthy.....also Saric if he's committed to coming over.

Those are PGs and PFs. I'm assuming IT is gone, Rudy is here and we can add a few vets while trading a few vets.

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't see Gordon as a 3 at all. He is a 4 IMO that could play a big 3 on occasion. He's only 18 and he is still growing. He is athletic, plays D and rebounds. I think (next to Embid) he's the best option to put next to cousins. Also, if he is slightly undersized (I'm not sure he is) having a SF that is the same height is a huge benefit.

Here's how undersized he is right now: Rudy is heavier than he is.

Zach Randolph would absolutely eat him alive. He might get hurt.

The real thing with Gordon is just, you sit and wait for Anthony Davis to fill in and weigh more than one of the cheerleaders because you figure, with that skill package once he does he'll be something. And even before he does he'll still be a contributor. What skill package are you waiting on Gordon to achieve? There has to be some payoff in waiting on a guy. He's 15-20lbs shy of a TRob right now. And Trob got muscled around with ease. He's 30lbs short of a Reggie Evans or Jason Thompson. He's 50lbs short of a Boogie or Marc Gasol, which is another way of saying if he's your PF you have no flexibility to switch frontcourt coverages.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Yeah, Gordon likely only works if he's a SF. Still has the quickness/shooting worries at SF, though.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

I just read on Yahoo that we are willing to trade our 8th pick plus players for Kevin Love, with no assurance that he will stay here after the season (Spoiler alert, he won't)



Can't say i wouldn't sit back and enjoy the one season of Love/Cousins front court. But i can't say i think it's worth it to give up our 8th pick and some other pieces to rent him for a year

 

[Nikolizzle]

The other guy, besides Gordon, that Malone liked in the interviews a LOT (If I recall) was Levine.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Can people post links when they reference something? I'd be interested in hearing the Malone interviews and reading the Yahoo link. I wasn't aware Malone had talked about any prospects.

 

[Bricklayer]

I just read on Yahoo that we are willing to trade our 8th pick plus players for Kevin Love, with no assurance that he will stay here after the season (Spoiler alert, he won't)



Can't say i wouldn't sit back and enjoy the one season of Love/Cousins front court. But i can't say i think it's worth it to give up our 8th pick and some other pieces to rent him for a year

Sure it is. You always take a shot at greatness. It might not work, but the year of it not working would still be interesting and injuries aside, the best Kings season in the last 8 at least. And if it DOES work, you are superstar set for a long time if Love resigns with us now a young playoff team.

 

[HereWeBoogie]

Link to the Kevin Love story

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/kings-...ithout-assurance-he-ll-re-sign-015519118.html