and with the #31 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, the Kings select...

bajaden said:
If you want to take a flyer on someone that seems to have fallen off the radar screen, why not take a risk at 31 and draft Alade Aminu. Anyone that watched Georgia Tech play this year knows that with the talent they had they should have been better. Aminu is 6'10" and has a huge wingspan. He's athletic and has upside. He was, in my opinion misused, this year and forced to play away from the basket far too often, which hurt his rebounding. He runs like a deer and has good hands. He's a bit of a project, but at 31, if you can get a big man with great promise, why not?
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Wow I just read his bio at Draftexpress.com and he sounds like an Anthony Randolph clone. If he develops, he could be a nice defensive player and provide some balance to our young bigs.
 
Sptsjunkie said:
Wow I just read his bio at Draftexpress.com and he sounds like an Anthony Randolph clone. If he develops, he could be a nice defensive player and provide some balance to our young bigs.
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Randolph is a much better outside shooter, but Aminu has a bigger body. He's PF/C, whereas Randolph is more of a SF/PF with, in my opinion more emphasis on SF. Their both very athletic though.
 
Sptsjunkie said:
Wow I just read his bio at Draftexpress.com and he sounds like an Anthony Randolph clone. If he develops, he could be a nice defensive player and provide some balance to our young bigs.
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I went and read his bio. Pretty accurate in my opinon. There's no doubt that he has a lot to learn, but at 31 if you can get a big man with that kind of upside, its worth the risk.
 
bajaden said:
I went and read his bio. Pretty accurate in my opinon. There's no doubt that he has a lot to learn, but at 31 if you can get a big man with that kind of upside, its worth the risk.
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I agree. He doesn't look like he will need the jumper Randolph does if he can be a PF. I don't see Randolph surviving in this league as a PF, he needs to improve his range so he can be a SF.

I'm actually suprised he is so far down on the mock drafts with his upside.
 
Sptsjunkie said:
I agree. He doesn't look like he will need the jumper Randolph does if he can be a PF. I don't see Randolph surviving in this league as a PF, he needs to improve his range so he can be a SF.

I'm actually suprised he is so far down on the mock drafts with his upside.
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Randolph is a SF, and, I think he can be a star at that position. Sometimes the only thing that separates two players is whats between their ears. I have great hopes for Greene, but right now, Randolph is more driven and looks like he wants to be a star. Greene looks like he just wants to play and have fun. I think all sports should be like golf and skiing. Especially skiing. Thats one sport that you only have fun when you become good at it. The better you become, the more fun you'll have. The ironic part of skiing is, that if you don't put in the work, it will always be work, and never any fun. And thats as it should be.......
 
bajaden said:
Randolph is a SF, and, I think he can be a star at that position. Sometimes the only thing that separates two players is whats between their ears. I have great hopes for Greene, but right now, Randolph is more driven and looks like he wants to be a star. Greene looks like he just wants to play and have fun. I think all sports should be like golf and skiing. Especially skiing. Thats one sport that you only have fun when you become good at it. The better you become, the more fun you'll have. The ironic part of skiing is, that if you don't put in the work, it will always be work, and never any fun. And thats as it should be.......
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And a goat bag full of blackberry brandy helps too.
 
Sptsjunkie said:
I was exploring some of the second round players on DraftExpress and came across a Spanish PG Sergio Llull. Now I have NEVER seen him play, but his write up sounds very interesting. I put the link in below, but the short summary is a pure PG with good shooting and intense D with good enough lateral movement and size. He probably won't be able to come to the US for another year or two, but could be a good pick at #31 and we don't really need more than 2 more rookies next season anyway.

Does anyone know anything else about him?

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Sergio-Llull-5023/
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I haven't seen a whole lot of him, but he would be a solid pick at 31. He's young and he's starting for Euro giants Real Madrid. That's pretty impressive. Don't know how much upside he has, but he could stay another year or two in Europe and then come over and contribute. He probably wouldn't be my first choice at 31, but he could be a very good pick for some team.
 
we can also draft another euro talent milenko tepic... the guy is a long tall PG at 6"7 he can probably play the 1,2, and 3 in the nba.. well see
 
bajaden said:
Randolph is a SF, and, I think he can be a star at that position. Sometimes the only thing that separates two players is whats between their ears. I have great hopes for Greene, but right now, Randolph is more driven and looks like he wants to be a star. Greene looks like he just wants to play and have fun. I think all sports should be like golf and skiing. Especially skiing. Thats one sport that you only have fun when you become good at it. The better you become, the more fun you'll have. The ironic part of skiing is, that if you don't put in the work, it will always be work, and never any fun. And thats as it should be.......
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We'll see, the knock on Randolph has always been his work ethic and wathcing him this year he struck me as more of an athelete than a basketball player. He made some spectacular plays in GS' run and gun offense, but was mostly dunks, crazy rebounds and some blocks. I agree he can be special, but he's already feuded with his coach and changed agents. He's young enough to learn from his mistaked, but he has a long way to go to become anything special.
 
Sptsjunkie said:
We'll see, the knock on Randolph has always been his work ethic and wathcing him this year he struck me as more of an athelete than a basketball player. He made some spectacular plays in GS' run and gun offense, but was mostly dunks, crazy rebounds and some blocks. I agree he can be special, but he's already feuded with his coach and changed agents. He's young enough to learn from his mistaked, but he has a long way to go to become anything special.
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A rookie feuding with Don Nelson is nothing new, the common factor is Nelson.
 
How about Josh Heytvelt for our #31 pick.

6'11" 240lbs and plays PF.

This kid seems like a good backup big.
With comparison to Scott Pollard/Elden Campbell, I think he's not a reach at 31 and will be very useful rotation big with some scrappiness and defense.

I hope we pick this kid as we are more likely to let go of Diogu, Simmons, and any vet big not named Thompson, Hawes or Kenny Thomas. :D
 
KingsCitizen said:
How about Josh Heytvelt for our #31 pick.

6'11" 240lbs and plays PF.

This kid seems like a good backup big.
With comparison to Scott Pollard/Elden Campbell, I think he's not a reach at 31 and will be very useful rotation big with some scrappiness and defense.

I hope we pick this kid as we are more likely to let go of Diogu, Simmons, and any vet big not named Thompson, Hawes or Kenny Thomas. :D
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Don't pay attention to nbadraft.net's comparisons, they're always exagerated.
 
KingsCitizen said:
How about Josh Heytvelt for our #31 pick.

6'11" 240lbs and plays PF.

This kid seems like a good backup big.
With comparison to Scott Pollard/Elden Campbell, I think he's not a reach at 31 and will be very useful rotation big with some scrappiness and defense.

I hope we pick this kid as we are more likely to let go of Diogu, Simmons, and any vet big not named Thompson, Hawes or Kenny Thomas. :D
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Not a big fan of his. It was just frustrating to watch him at times, get outrebounded by smaller guys, or miss point blank put backs. He would have a good game here and there, but then totally disappear. He's not the most athletic guy out there, and despite looking like a big physical player, he didn't play like one at times.

I'd rather go with someone like Aminu, whose a lot more athletic, just as big, if not bigger, and has a lot more upside. This is a guy thats 6'10/6'11, with a wingspan over 7 ft. and runs the floor like a deer. He is however, very raw..
 
In terms of stock, Heytvelt and Aminu are polar opposites. One has been well known for a while and has his stock going down, and the other is a very very late bloomer who has his stock going up. Both can be considered sleepers--the first might be drafted too low because everyone's concerned about the lack of improvement, off-the-court issues, etc, but potentialwise he might be able to produce--while the second one might not have gotten greater scrutiny because of how far under the radar he was for the majority of his college years. So we really can't count out both--but if I was presented with this situation, I would pick the late bloomer. It's always better to be going on an upward trajectory than a downward trajectory, and although both have potential that may intrigue NBA types it's improvement that might be the most crucial aspect to look at.

The first, Heytvelt actually is well known around draft circles--he was hyped as an inside-outside coordinated shotblocking offensive center all the way back when he entered Gonzaga as a freshman, and at several points as an underclassman he was considered a first round pick if I recall. His combination of height, offensive polish and defensive shotblocking ability is actually quite rare in the NCAAs, which made me think that he was bound for the NBA--and really, he still has some of that potential, however small that may be now. But he just has a whole mass of issues--a slew of injury problems, a lackadaisical attitude that never allowed him to achieve his full potential, and some off the court problems in the past. And the injuries have robbed some of the athleticism-he's less athletic than he was in the past. His rebounding has always been poor, but now his blocks are ordinary. Between all his issues and his current state of talent, I wouldn't take him--sure some team might really like him in the mid-to-late 2nd round because they were intrigued with his past potential, but he's falling apart. If we really wanted him it could be in the summer league as an invite--I don't think he'll be drafted.

Aminu intrigues me more--his college team used him the wrong way, and he's the definition of raw athleticism. There's obviously the finishing ability and the defensive potential that comes with that, so with hard work that's often enough to at least make the 2nd round. And he's a late bloomer, so while he's still years away from contributing, he tends to stick in scouts' minds more as they wonder what sort of clay they have to mold with him. I actually like the defensive production he put up in college, and while he's still skinny, he's in an upward trend and I think that's worth taking a flyer on already. With Hawes, Thompson and Greene around, I don't think we should really look out for him though, even though he might provide a solid defensive option in the long run. And drafting him at the 31st pick is overdrafting him--I don't think he's that good, and he's not that skilled--think Solomon Jones or something for the time being. So unless we secure another 2nd round pick we shouldn't really consider him too much.
 
Nick Calathes

DX has us picking him with the 31st and the comparisons are:

His best case: Jose Calderon
Worst Case: Sarunas Jasikevicius

Anyone know anything about him?
 
Hallama said:
I'm on board for Aminu as well. I was surprised at how good he is...definitely an under the radar big.
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The ship is loading up... We need all the athleticism we can get. For once, I'm hoping that Petrie underweights "skills" and overweights "athleticism" in his draft selection.
 
KingKong said:
Thanks for info. Obviously if he's anything remotely close to Calderon he would be a unbelievable pickup at 31. Would he fall that far though?
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If he was remotely close to Calderon, he wouldn't be projected to be available in the 2nd round. All the PG in the draft have warts, and he's no exception. But, if your willing to gamble on any pick, 31 would be better than 23.

Frankly, if you've already picked a PG in the 1st round, and your unlikely to move Beno because of his contract, you'd be foolish to waste another pick on a PG when the team has so many needs. With so many PG in the draft, there will be opportunities to trade for a PG during the yr.
 
Arby's Roast Beef said:
In terms of stock, Heytvelt and Aminu are polar opposites. One has been well known for a while and has his stock going down, and the other is a very very late bloomer who has his stock going up. Both can be considered sleepers--the first might be drafted too low because everyone's concerned about the lack of improvement, off-the-court issues, etc, but potentialwise he might be able to produce--while the second one might not have gotten greater scrutiny because of how far under the radar he was for the majority of his college years. So we really can't count out both--but if I was presented with this situation, I would pick the late bloomer. It's always better to be going on an upward trajectory than a downward trajectory, and although both have potential that may intrigue NBA types it's improvement that might be the most crucial aspect to look at.

The first, Heytvelt actually is well known around draft circles--he was hyped as an inside-outside coordinated shotblocking offensive center all the way back when he entered Gonzaga as a freshman, and at several points as an underclassman he was considered a first round pick if I recall. His combination of height, offensive polish and defensive shotblocking ability is actually quite rare in the NCAAs, which made me think that he was bound for the NBA--and really, he still has some of that potential, however small that may be now. But he just has a whole mass of issues--a slew of injury problems, a lackadaisical attitude that never allowed him to achieve his full potential, and some off the court problems in the past. And the injuries have robbed some of the athleticism-he's less athletic than he was in the past. His rebounding has always been poor, but now his blocks are ordinary. Between all his issues and his current state of talent, I wouldn't take him--sure some team might really like him in the mid-to-late 2nd round because they were intrigued with his past potential, but he's falling apart. If we really wanted him it could be in the summer league as an invite--I don't think he'll be drafted.

Aminu intrigues me more--his college team used him the wrong way, and he's the definition of raw athleticism. There's obviously the finishing ability and the defensive potential that comes with that, so with hard work that's often enough to at least make the 2nd round. And he's a late bloomer, so while he's still years away from contributing, he tends to stick in scouts' minds more as they wonder what sort of clay they have to mold with him. I actually like the defensive production he put up in college, and while he's still skinny, he's in an upward trend and I think that's worth taking a flyer on already. With Hawes, Thompson and Greene around, I don't think we should really look out for him though, even though he might provide a solid defensive option in the long run. And drafting him at the 31st pick is overdrafting him--I don't think he's that good, and he's not that skilled--think Solomon Jones or something for the time being. So unless we secure another 2nd round pick we shouldn't really consider him too much.
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Good analogy on both players. I agree that at present, 31 might be a bit high for Aminu, and if we draft Griffin we wouldn't have much of a need there. Still, I believe he will be drafted, and could be one of those players were talking about in 4 or 5 years, and wondering how we could have overlooked him. Its always a crapshoot in the second round.
 
KingKong said:
Thanks for info. Obviously if he's anything remotely close to Calderon he would be a unbelievable pickup at 31. Would he fall that far though?
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If he were even a decent to good athlete, he would be in the top 20 in the draft. Unfortuately, he's not, and its too bad because he's probably one of the most gifted pt guards in the draft. So the questions are, will he be able to guard anyone in the NBA? Will he be able to create his own shot? Will he be able to drive to the basket and finish?

All pretty good questions. In fairness to him, his shooting percentage improved this year and if he could continue to improve in that area, he could at least keep defenders honest on the perimiter. He's also decent at coming off screens. But defensively, thats an area thats harder to cover up. Now if he were to go to a team like Houston or Orlando that has good interior defense, he might be able to thrive.
 
bajaden said:
If he were even a decent to good athlete, he would be in the top 20 in the draft. Unfortuately, he's not, and its too bad because he's probably one of the most gifted pt guards in the draft. So the questions are, will he be able to guard anyone in the NBA? Will he be able to create his own shot? Will he be able to drive to the basket and finish?

All pretty good questions. In fairness to him, his shooting percentage improved this year and if he could continue to improve in that area, he could at least keep defenders honest on the perimiter. He's also decent at coming off screens. But defensively, thats an area thats harder to cover up. Now if he were to go to a team like Houston or Orlando that has good interior defense, he might be able to thrive.
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Well if not, he can still be our next Bibby :D
 
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