Darryl Watkins to attend mini-camp, play on Kings summer league team

[BMiller52]

http://www.wtvh.com/Sports/Default.aspx?type=sn

Darryl Watkins Heads To Sacramento

Jun 29, 2007 - According to his agent, Darryl Watkins' first stop in the NBA will be with the Sacramento Kings. Watkins will join the team as a free agent after not being selected in Thursday's NBA draft. His agent, Reggie Brown, said he probably had 8-10 teams inquire about Watkins. But they settled on the Kings because they only have two big men on their roster. Watkins will report to the Kings mini-camp next week and then play in their Vegas summer league.

We do? That's news to me... unless Petrie told Watkins' agent that all of Miller/Thomas/Reef would be gone. Which would be fine with me.

I am excited about this, he was one of my favorite players in college. He's tall, he's athletic, and he can block shots.

 

[RaY Z]

a like this move... his 6-11 and an athletic shot blocker....

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/darrylwatkins.html

 

[Bricklayer]

Here we go again.


But this falls into the "why not" category? Watkins problme has been a perceived lack of motor/desire/work ethic. Does he want it enough? But he's certainly got the right size/skills/athleticsm we need. So like last summer, a good undrafted flyer to add to summer league I think.

Furutrating thing being how we keep on scooping up all the undrafted summer league marginal guys who fit the right profile (tall, long, athletic, frontcourt guys who block shots) but keep on using our draft picks (where you get the real talent) on guys who do not.

 

[vfettke]

Here we go again.


But this falls into the "why not" category? Watkins problme has been a perceived lack of motor/desire/work ethic. Does he want it enough? But he's certainly got the right size/skills/athleticsm we need. So like last summer, a good undrafted flyer to add to summer league I think.

Furutrating thing being how we keep on scooping up all the undrafted summer league marginal guys who fit the right profile (tall, long, athletic, frontcourt guys who block shots) but keep on using our draft picks (where you get the real talent) on guys who do not.

would you have picked Watkins at #10?

as far as being an overall player, Hawes was the best pick. he's not as athletic as Wright or Thornton, but he's big and has the drive to work on it.

 

[sactownfan]

I love this move cheap and was 8th in the ncaa in blks. good look petrie wit this guy. If he works on his boards and offense he could be a nice player like a undrafted big ben. I wont go that far yet, hes gotta be willing to work and hes gotta earn a spot first. but it would be nice to see us have two shot blockers to throw at teams. Williams and Watkins.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

classic petrie, there he goes again digging through the clearance/last season bin for that gem

 

[perezident]

love the signing!.....

Petrie is slowly chipping down this tired roster and looking to retool it from top to bottom....our youngsters are looking promising

 

[ParniValjak]

Sweet!!!

Nice little pick up. Hopefully he is a pleasant surprise like Justin was last year. Certainly addresses some length and athleticism issues in our front court. I just wish we could get a more talented, athletic tall in the draft.

 

[fnordius]

Hmmm. The guy is sort of a project, especially his offense. Pretty slow, but otherwise acceptably athletic for a guy his size. I can't get excited about him like I did with Justin, but he's our 13th man, and can probably wave a towel as well as anyone. Welcome, Darryl.

 

[Bricklayer]

Guys -- do not think we signed him. Sounds like just a summer league invite. If he does well, then you invite him back for camp. Does well again, maybe you give him a conditional deaal for the year.

 

[hrdboild]

Don't get your hopes up. Even if he kills in summer league, he's going to get cut on the last day when we "score" a solid veteran like Mo Taylor to sit on the end of the bench.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Smart move. May not transalte into the NBA maybe the guy who surprises us all. Probably the next Justin Williams.

 

[VF21]

Don't get your hopes up. Even if he kills in summer league, he's going to get cut on the last day when we "score" a solid veteran like Mo Taylor to sit on the end of the bench.

Oh good. I was running low on sarcasm.

 

[BRad1055]

So we love the pickup of an undrafted big man, yet rip the draft pick of a big man? lol I don't get some of u sometimes.

 

[whozit]

Luke Schenscher is supposed to be on his way to play for Sacramento also. If I remember right, he is a big redhead who needed more development a couple of years ago? He might be worth another look also.

 

[fnordius]

Smart move. May not transalte into the NBA maybe the guy who surprises us all. Probably the next Justin Williams.

I'm thinking he's more likely to be the next Jabari Smith, but we'll see.

 

[Bricklayer]

So we love the pickup of an undrafted big man, yet rip the draft pick of a big man? lol I don't get some of u sometimes.

Style is entirely different. If the concerns about Hawes are athleticism, rebounding, shotblocking...those are exactly the things this kid DOES bring.

On the flipside he went undrafted foir a reason -- little offense and shaky motor/hustle/drive. So we'll see. If its just a camp invite a no brianer for a team like us though. Now if we could jsut figure a way to get the damn KT/Reef/Brad trio shipped off to new homes we might actually have the roster room to keep some of these guys around during the regular season for seasoning.

 

[uptempo-kings]

Don't get your hopes up. Even if he kills in summer league, he's going to get cut on the last day when we "score" a solid veteran like Mo Taylor to sit on the end of the bench.

hey, i meant mo taylor at disneyland last month nice guy polite

 

[Fresno King]

So we love the pickup of an undrafted big man, yet rip the draft pick of a big man? lol I don't get some of u sometimes.

Yeah, I admit I'm guilty of this too... we complain about never drafting a big man, then we DO draft a big man, and it's the worst pick in the history of the NBA Draft. Now we get another big man via free agency and most of us are complaning again.

I'm going to ease up a bit. It sounds like Petrie did everything he could to move up and down the draft with no luck. He got us Hawes. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Better to be optimistic than an eternal pessimist.

WOULD YOU DO THIS?

G-Bibby
G-Martin
C-Miller
F-WILLIAMS
F-Artest

 

[VF21]

Now if we could jsut figure a way to get the damn KT/Reef/Brad trio shipped off to new homes we might actually have the roster room to keep some of these guys around during the regular season for seasoning.

Any chance of putting them on one of the Chinese space flights?

 

[ovrush]

Now bring in Avis Wyatt!!!

 

[ParniValjak]

Now bring in Avis Wyatt!!!

That would be another good move IMHO.

Lewis could be a nice get as well, even though we are stacked on the wings.

 

[hrdboild]

Don't get your hopes up. Even if he kills in summer league, he's going to get cut on the last day when we "score" a solid veteran like Mo Taylor to sit on the end of the bench.

Oh good. I was running low on sarcasm.

I wasn't being sarcastic -- I think there's at least a 70% chance this happens. The eye roll was meant to indicate what I think about our front office's work in the past year.

 

[fnordius]

Now we get another big man via free agency and most of us are complaning again.

No complaints from me, I'm happy with any player who we can test drive for $10,000 and no draft picks. They probably won't make the cut, but what do we have to lose?

 

[Bricklayer]

Now we get another big man via free agency and most of us are complaning again.

Not sure I've seen one complaint here over this one.

Nor would there have been one if we had somehow picked Horford on Thursday. People like to generalize the complaints so as to paint people as nasty ingrate complainers by nature, but most of those who ahve complained are actually quite discerning in what they are complaining about. They do not complain about freebie longshot bids from guys who rebound, block shots, and play above the rim.

 

[allrightythen]

I wasn't being sarcastic -- I think there's at least a 70% chance this happens. The eye roll was meant to indicate what I think about our front office's work in the past year.

I don't know about that. If we really are on the rebuild like many of us believe, I don't think we bring in any vets to shore up the bench. There just isn't any reason too. The best plan would be to either trade for a young big or 2 to develop, or sign one or more of these undrafted guys who at least have potential and maybe could at least be solid defensive role players in the future.

 

[Gilles]

Any chance of putting them on one of the Chinese space flights?

Not sure. But Mars' trip will soon be available.