and with the #1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft the Kings select...

[OptimusRhyme]

How do you guys think Jennings will pan out in the NBA? I'm thinking he may slip a bit in the draft. And we may have a shot at him with our second pick possibly.
Plus hes got a sweetass flattop.

 

[asakkings]

It would be sweet if he slips that far but I doubt it happens, there is just too much talent for him to slip that far.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

How do you guys think Jennings will pan out in the NBA? I'm thinking he may slip a bit in the draft. And we may have a shot at him with our second pick possibly.
Plus hes got a sweetass flattop.

Obviously it's tough to know, since we don't even get to see him against college competition. Basically, I've seen Jennings play in the McDonald's All American game (where I thought he looked great) and a couple of tiny, jumpy, grainy YouTube clips from Europe. That's it. Kinda flying blind here.

But given his credentials, I don't imagine him falling out of the lottery in what is so far perceived as a weak draft. Now if we can get another pick on top of Houston's, and package those two to move up on draft day, maybe we could nab him in the 10 range. Maybe we stink up the lottery and grab him with our own pick at 5-6. But I highly doubt we find him in the low 20s.

 

[nbrans]

Yeah, none of my lists include Jennigns simply because I've never seen him play. He fits the mold of an athletic point guard, which I like, but without seeing him I really have no idea where he should be ranked.

 

[bajaden]

Ok. You're starting to sell me. If he had a right hand, I'd put him above Teague, but he doesn't, so I won't. I liked the term Karl Malone used in a recent ESPN game - "destructive". Harden is definitely destructive. And Teague is destructive, and could be even more destructive in a better offense. Even though I've been down on Thabeet, he does have destructive potential on defense. This is my new category now for evaluating talent - destructive.

Precisely why I mentioned him using his right hand. He did it effortlessly and appeared very comfortable with it. I don't want to make too big a deal out of it, but it was incouraging.

 

[vikinginferno]

This is a very hard draft to be in because there isn't really any probable future superstars, but many that could be great, great players in the league. For the B.J. Mullens talk, I doubt he will even come out this year if he or anyone around him has any brains. But then again, he doesn't really look like someone that does.

 

[kpm308]

When I watch Harden I'm reminded of Bonzi Wells. Same size with a similar body type, same athleticism, same style of play. Bonzi played 4 years but look at the college stats:

Bonzi

SEASMIN FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG TPG BPG SPG PPG
94-95 29.6 46.6 33.3 61.7 6.1 2.8 2.7 0.6 2.8 15.8
95-96 32.5 49.4 33.7 70.8 8.8 2.9 3.8 1.2 3.1 25.4
96-97 31.0 46.5 24.0 69.1 7.9 4.4 4.3 0.7 2.5 22.0
97-98 29.1 49.0 37.3 68.9 6.3 3.3 3.4 0.7 3.6 22.8

Harden so far

SEASON MIN PTS REB AST TO A/T STL BLK PF FG% FT% 3P%
2007-08 34.1 17.8 5.3 3.2 2.6 1.24 2.1 .6 2.1 .527 .754 .407
2008-09 34.5 22.5 5.5 4.0 3.2 1.26 1.9 .2 2.8 .525 .762 .382

Harden is a better 3 point shooter and better passer, but not by a lot, while not quite the rebounder that Bonzi was. Harden being left handed is probably a plus too.

I think Harden is going to be a lot like Bonzi in the NBA. Considering that Bonzi sometimes had mental issues and Harden has shown no signs of that, and along with Harden's better range I'd project him as being better if everything else works out right. I loved Bonzi's style of game when he was here and if Harden turns out like him he can be an impactful player.

I'm not sure though if you can consider a slightly better Bonzi worth a top 3 pick.

 

[nbrans]

And further to kpm308's point: Harden's 6'4". Bonzi was 6'6". There's a huge difference.

Harden's got some all-around skill, but find me a successful 6'4" NBA shooting guard who isn't a sensational athlete.

 

[nbrans]

Gonzaga/Portland from last night-

You know, I'm just not sure Daye has the quickness to be a SF in the NBA. You have to like what he can do at 6'10", his ballhandling, passing, and shooting are impressive, but, hate to say it, he kind of reminds me of Tim Thomas. Doubt that's who he wants to be compared to.

Heytvelt could very well be the next Brad Miller, right down to the drug use.

Meanwhile, Bouldin is basically Adam Morrison's little brother.

Player comparisons abound!!

Pargo looked really tough in this one driving to the hoop and shooting from outside, going up against yet another Raivio brother. How many Raivios and Shipps are there??

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

UCLA vs ND and Cinn vs Gtown are both at the half right now..

I missed the first half, but im excited to see Monroe play for the first time.

quick note: Stpehan Curry is putting up some niiice numbers. I havent seen him play in a week or two, but he is almost at 30 ppg and 6 assists pg. He is moving up my list a little bit. He seems like a Petrie guy too ( small school ) .. I like teague better than him simply because Ive seen him play more, but for anyone who knows alot about curry, what makes teague better than curry or vice versa -

 

[gunks]

How about Tyreke Evans?

I wonder if we could nab that guy with our second pick. I just read an article about how he's been putting up great numbers across the board since moving to the PG for Memphis.

Word on the street (ok message boards) is he's got some attitude issues and a lowish BBIQ, but occasionally shows flashes of something special.

6'6 athletic PG wouldnt be a bad player to take a flyer on.


We may have to do some draft day trading (package 2 late first picks-if we get another-to move up), and I know Petrie isnt too fond of that, but can you imagine coming out of the draft with 7'3 Thabeet and 6'6 Evans?

We could field a lineup where our shortest guy is 6'6!

 

[nbrans]

How about Tyreke Evans?

I wonder if we could nab that guy with our second pick. I just read an article about how he's been putting up great numbers across the board since moving to the PG for Memphis.

Word on the street (ok message boards) is he's got some attitude issues and a lowish BBIQ, but occasionally shows flashes of something special.

6'6 athletic PG wouldnt be a bad player to take a flyer on.


We may have to do some draft day trading (package 2 late first picks-if we get another-to move up), and I know Petrie isnt too fond of that, but can you imagine coming out of the draft with 7'3 Thabeet and 6'6 Evans?

We could field a lineup where our shortest guy is 6'6!

That's fairly accurate, although he's really not a PG. Calipari has him playing point both out of necessity and supposedly because it would force him to actually give up the ball some. But it's not his natural position and he's really a pure SG. He's a pretty good ballhandler and has some really creative moves to the hoop, but everything else is a work in progress, especially his outside shooting. I wasn't really blown away by his athleticism. He's so raw that I think he'd be better of staying in school.

 

[asakkings]

Finally saw Jrue Holiday play today for the first time and man the kid has a great defense and passing game. I wish we had him last year in tournament probably could have beaten memphis.

 

[vikinginferno]

I don't think Jrue is coming into the draft this year, but if he does, I would love to have him. He is likely to turn into a great point guard that can do it all, pass, shoot, drive, defense...

 

[Vlade4GM]

Does anyone think that Deron Williams is too crazy of a BCS for Holiday? Both have good size (although Holiday isn't as strong as Williams yet), good passing/heady players, lack a great first step although good leapers, and have/will have good pull up jump shots. The big question mark for Holiday is ball handling and agressiveness, but I think these things can be attritubed to playing out of position and lack of experience. He was hailed as a very good ball handler coming out of HS, I think it's more of a mental hang up why he has some bumblings with the ball at times.

 

[nbrans]

Does anyone think that Deron Williams is too crazy of a BCS for Holiday? Both have good size (although Holiday isn't as strong as Williams yet), good passing/heady players, lack a great first step although good leapers, and have good pull up jump shots. The big quesiton mark for Holiday is ball handling and agressiveness, but I think these things can be attritubed to playing out of position and lack of experience. He was hailed as a very good ball handler coming out of HS, I think it's more of a mental hang up why he has some bumblings with the ball at times.

Maybe. I think Williams might actually be quicker though, and certainly craftier/stronger taking the ball to the rim. Everything has been there with Holiday this season except explosiveness. Either he's not showing it or he doesn't have it. Williams isn't particularly explosive either, but he's still able to get into the paint to make things happen. Holiday needs to show it if he has it.

 

[nbrans]

Also re: Jrue. Chad Ford has moved him down after talking to scouts. Here's an excerpt from his Insider article a couple of days ago:

We've had Holiday ranked as high as No. 6 on our board, but his recent lack of production has made it harder to justify. Despite a couple of recent good games versus Stanford and Cal, a number of scouts have walked away from his games wondering, "What's the big deal?"

"We want him to be the next Russell Westbrook, but I think it's wishful thinking," one NBA executive said. "He lacks the explosiveness of Westbrook, and he lacks the aggressiveness. He's more of a role player right now at UCLA, and I don't see him coming into the NBA and making the same impact right away. He needs to stay in school and take over the point full time."

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...mnist=ford_chad&page=InsiderDraftWatch-090206

 

[nbrans]

And re: Harden from the same article:

In December, Harden looked as if he'd be the second-best player in the June draft. But since then, he and Arizona State have cooled off a little, and his game has been under much closer scrutiny.

Harden had a terrible showing versus USC and a lackluster one against Washington, and both games resulted in Arizona State losses. He also has shot just 8-for-40 from the 3-point line since the new year began.

A number of NBA executives are wondering whether Harden's lack of explosive athleticism will hurt his game in the pros. But I've also spoken to NBA executives who are in love with his old-school game. So although he still is a lock for the lottery, I think it's safe to say he's no longer a lock for the top three selections. We have him at No. 5 on our updated big board.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...mnist=ford_chad&page=InsiderDraftWatch-090206

 

[Vlade4GM]

Also re: Jrue. Chad Ford has moved him down after talking to scouts. Here's an excerpt from his Insider article a couple of days ago:



http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...mnist=ford_chad&page=InsiderDraftWatch-090206

I agree with that assessment, he's not ready to make an impact right now and he probably should stay in school to get the PG job. I think not being able to play PG is the biggest hindrance in his game so far. Of course he's not as explosive as Westbrook, but he's got much better potential as a true PG.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

I watched the second half of the UCLA vs ND game .. it was pretty much over at this point, but I wasnt really impressed by Jrue, had a dunk, a nice steal and a nice pass but that was about it. It looks like he playes some good defense but he really didnt have much of an impact on this game .. It seems like he never gets the ball either, collision and shipp just pass it to each other and occasionally go to Aboya, who looked great in this game vs ND

 

[Kingster]

UCLA vs ND and Cinn vs Gtown are both at the half right now..

I missed the first half, but im excited to see Monroe play for the first time.

quick note: Stpehan Curry is putting up some niiice numbers. I havent seen him play in a week or two, but he is almost at 30 ppg and 6 assists pg. He is moving up my list a little bit. He seems like a Petrie guy too ( small school ) .. I like teague better than him simply because Ive seen him play more, but for anyone who knows alot about curry, what makes teague better than curry or vice versa -

Quickness, much more quickness makes Teague > Curry

 

[Kingster]

Does anyone think that Deron Williams is too crazy of a BCS for Holiday? Both have good size (although Holiday isn't as strong as Williams yet), good passing/heady players, lack a great first step although good leapers, and have/will have good pull up jump shots. The big question mark for Holiday is ball handling and agressiveness, but I think these things can be attritubed to playing out of position and lack of experience. He was hailed as a very good ball handler coming out of HS, I think it's more of a mental hang up why he has some bumblings with the ball at times.

I think Williams is quicker & faster than Holiday.

 

[asakkings]

I watched the second half of the UCLA vs ND game .. it was pretty much over at this point, but I wasnt really impressed by Jrue, had a dunk, a nice steal and a nice pass but that was about it. It looks like he playes some good defense but he really didnt have much of an impact on this game .. It seems like he never gets the ball either, collision and shipp just pass it to each other and occasionally go to Aboya, who looked great in this game vs ND

In the first half they were setting drew up jrue in sort of high post area from where he made couple of great plays. But yea i dont see the explosiveness of westbrook in him, an extra year will definately help. His dunks are not as explosive as westbrooks used to be, man i miss being at pauley.

 

[HighTopKicks]

I watched the second half of the UCLA vs ND game .. it was pretty much over at this point, but I wasnt really impressed by Jrue, had a dunk, a nice steal and a nice pass but that was about it. It looks like he playes some good defense but he really didnt have much of an impact on this game .. It seems like he never gets the ball either, collision and shipp just pass it to each other and occasionally go to Aboya, who looked great in this game vs ND

I didn't get to see the game, but the boxscores show Holiday led the team with 7 assists. Collison was 2nd with only 4 assists.

Although, many think Holiday won't enter the draft until 2010, if he did enter this year I think he's worth the gamble. Right now the Kings need a PG that can distribute and play defense, and that's what Holiday does. How do you think he compares to Rondo?

 

[vikinginferno]

I didn't get to see the game, but the boxscores show Holiday led the team with 7 assists. Collison was 2nd with only 4 assists.

Although, many think Holiday won't enter the draft until 2010, if he did enter this year I think he's worth the gamble. Right now the Kings need a PG that can distribute and play defense, and that's what Holiday does. How do you think he compares to Rondo?

He's a much more complete player than Rondo. Rondo is a very bad shooter while Jrue is much, much better at shooting which will keep defenses honest. Rondo might have slightly better handling, I think that will change. Also Jrue is a VERY good defender.

 

[nbrans]

There's really no comparison, except maybe defense. But Rondo is far, far, quicker.

 

[Dime Dropper]

He's a much more complete player than Rondo. Rondo is a very bad shooter while Jrue is much, much better at shooting which will keep defenses honest. Rondo might have slightly better handling, I think that will change. Also Jrue is a VERY good defender.

Rondo is also an excellent defender. As well as that, he's quicker.

I want to see more of Jrue, only seen him twice and I wasn't impressed at all. I think he needs to stay another year or two. I did like Collison alot, though. I think he would be a great pick with our second 1st rounder. In fact, there's alot of guys I'm intrigued by with our second 1st (Collison, maybe Law, Terrence Williams, Brackins (never seen him play, just heard and read, will he be there?), Mills, Johnny Flynn, Summers (won't fall this far)).


Despite that it's a weak draft and there's no concensus no.1, I do think there will be some good players to be had in the 20s, and maybe even with our 2nd rounder if someone slips.

Not to turn this into a trade proposal thing, but I'd love to ship Salmons off the OKC for their two late first rounders. Will never happen, but would be great.

 

[Dime Dropper]

There's really no comparison, except maybe defense. But Rondo is far, far, quicker.

Great minds think alike!

 

[gunks]

That's fairly accurate, although he's really not a PG. Calipari has him playing point both out of necessity and supposedly because it would force him to actually give up the ball some. But it's not his natural position and he's really a pure SG. He's a pretty good ballhandler and has some really creative moves to the hoop, but everything else is a work in progress, especially his outside shooting. I wasn't really blown away by his athleticism. He's so raw that I think he'd be better of staying in school.

Thanks for your assessment, I dont really watch college ball but considering how our Kings are doing this season I've taken a real interest in this thread haha. I was just intrigued by that article on him.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

I didn't get to see the game, but the boxscores show Holiday led the team with 7 assists. Collison was 2nd with only 4 assists.

Although, many think Holiday won't enter the draft until 2010, if he did enter this year I think he's worth the gamble. Right now the Kings need a PG that can distribute and play defense, and that's what Holiday does. How do you think he compares to Rondo?

Well, Holiday is only averaging 3.4 Assists per game. This game was basically over by the half anyways .. I could see how holiday would get 7 assists.. ND stunk it up today.

I would love love love love to watch holiday play without Collision. Like I said before, its almost like UCLA avoids getting the ball to him for whatever reason. Colision brings the ball up the court pretty much every posession.. the only time holiday gets to show his pg skills is on the fast break where he brings the ball up by himself after a steal or rebound and he passes well in that situation. The thing about holiday that scares me a little bit is that westbrook can play with collision and still be productive and it looks like holiday cant.

As far as the rondo comparison, theres no doubt holiday can shoot better than him, but honestly thats the only thing he does better than rondo .. which isnt saying much cause pretty much every point guard in the league right now can shoot better than rondo. Jrue has some similar skills, but rondo is better at every one of them .. including the already mentioned speed.. and lets not forget, rondo was selected in the 20's .. were talking about holiday as a top 3 pick