ParniValjak
All-Star
Except that player had some ability to back up the bark of wanting to be a top dawg.
Deandre Ayton (merged)
- Thread starter Joshoua
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kingsboi
Hall of Famer
Point I was wanting to make was a tiger doesn't change its stripes...this is Willie and that's his thought process, the Kings need to do themselves a favor and ship him while he still has value. Maybe he can become an offensive juggernaut for another lottery team.
ParniValjak
All-Star
The attraction of Ayton for the Kings is that he instantly addresses multiple areas of need for us.
- We get a go to scorer which we really do lack
- We get someone who is capable of averaging 10+ rebounds per game, possibly in his rookie year
- He is an athletic freak that could allow us to run but also play half court as the situation requires.
- He is an underrated passer for a big man.
- In time he will stretch the floor as a big man and become that inside outside big that is a nightmare to match up on, especially with his athletic profile.
Ayton could come into this franchise (or even the Suns to be fair) and average something like 17/10 in his rookie year as a starter. He does have his flaws no doubt. He needs to develop the left hand, he needs to become better defensively but instantly he gives this team a presence offensively. He can become the go to guy. We have a good number of shooters who can space the floor for him and a number of players who can run the pick and roll/pop with him.
He just fits so many needs for us. Its a game of poker but I would consider finding out what it would take to move up to 1. If we are looked after by the basketball gods twice in just over a month and we do end up with Ayton, then WCS becomes expandable and a trade asset that could help us address the SF position. With Ayton from the draft, a couple of solid trades and a good FA signing, this team could be knocking on the doors of the plays offs as soon as next season or at the very least experience the sort of improvement that we saw from the Lakers this year.
By doing that, the pick next year becomes a late lottery type pick and not a huge loss in what is reportedly not the best of drafts. Meanwhile with more development from the young core, you could have a pretty darn good front court with Ayton, Giles and Skal. A trio that complement each other pretty well and can interchange and play with each other. It would be just a perfect fit for this team.
Mind you same, convincing argument can be made for Ayton/Booker combo in Phoenix.
- We get a go to scorer which we really do lack
- We get someone who is capable of averaging 10+ rebounds per game, possibly in his rookie year
- He is an athletic freak that could allow us to run but also play half court as the situation requires.
- He is an underrated passer for a big man.
- In time he will stretch the floor as a big man and become that inside outside big that is a nightmare to match up on, especially with his athletic profile.
Ayton could come into this franchise (or even the Suns to be fair) and average something like 17/10 in his rookie year as a starter. He does have his flaws no doubt. He needs to develop the left hand, he needs to become better defensively but instantly he gives this team a presence offensively. He can become the go to guy. We have a good number of shooters who can space the floor for him and a number of players who can run the pick and roll/pop with him.
He just fits so many needs for us. Its a game of poker but I would consider finding out what it would take to move up to 1. If we are looked after by the basketball gods twice in just over a month and we do end up with Ayton, then WCS becomes expandable and a trade asset that could help us address the SF position. With Ayton from the draft, a couple of solid trades and a good FA signing, this team could be knocking on the doors of the plays offs as soon as next season or at the very least experience the sort of improvement that we saw from the Lakers this year.
By doing that, the pick next year becomes a late lottery type pick and not a huge loss in what is reportedly not the best of drafts. Meanwhile with more development from the young core, you could have a pretty darn good front court with Ayton, Giles and Skal. A trio that complement each other pretty well and can interchange and play with each other. It would be just a perfect fit for this team.
Mind you same, convincing argument can be made for Ayton/Booker combo in Phoenix.
c-webb1s#1
Starter
WCS is probably the odd man out if Ayton comes in. Willie has taken it upon himself to try and be a superstar in this league. He's becoming a worse rebounder, shot blocker, and defender, all at the expense of trying to score more. Willie needs to go if that's gonna be his direction. I'd rather have Ayton fill that role. Trade WCS for a 3 & D SF and call it a day!
I totally disagree with you. The Kings are never getting to the playoffs with Willie and Skal. KK is a credible back up center. Giles is still the great unknown coming back from one of the worst injuries that basketball players can have.
KingsCitizen
Starter
Kings got #2 pick this draft and not a single thread for Ayton. SMH.
So here ya go. The possibilities why would Phoenix not draft Ayton?
1. Already crowded front court with Chriss, Bender, Chandler.
2. Aside from possible trades, this is big man-rich free agent, Cousins, Capela, Jordan, Nurkic, Noel and they have cap to sign at least a max player.
3. Booker hinting Karl Anthony Towns on PHX uniform. Booker maybe can't wait for another 3 years for Ayton to reach his potential. Jackson plus Bender/Chandler plus future pick could be something for the Wolves
3. Doncic and the Suns coach has damn good history of winning. I watched how Slovenia surprised and won the FIBA Europe with just Doncic, Dragic, and the Suns coach. So having Luka could be a damn good jumpstart of his coaching career.
4. This guy wears the same flag as Ayton and is on our roster and foreseeable future.
King Baller
All-Star
Ayton would be great. Once agin IMO it is Doncic or Ayton. Let the Suns play coy but they can pick only one. The Kings choose the other. Please, please, please Vlade do not get cute and trade the #2 pick!
King Baller
All-Star
Kings got #2 pick this draft and not a single thread for Ayton. SMH.
So here ya go. The possibilities why would Phoenix not draft Ayton?
1. Already crowded front court with Chriss, Bender, Chandler.
2. Aside from possible trades, this is big man-rich free agent, Cousins, Capela, Jordan, Nurkic, Noel and they have cap to sign at least a max player.
3. Booker hinting Karl Anthony Towns on PHX uniform. Booker maybe can't wait for another 3 years for Ayton to reach his potential. Jackson plus Bender/Chandler plus future pick could be something for the Wolves
3. Doncic and the Suns coach has damn good history of winning. I watched how Slovenia surprised and won the FIBA Europe with just Doncic, Dragic, and the Suns coach. So having Luka could be a damn good jumpstart of his coaching career.
4. This guy wears the same flag as Ayton and is on our roster and foreseeable future.
Karl Anthony Towns is under contract for next season. The only way he'd end up in Phoenix is if the Suns traded the #1 pick (and likely more) to land him. If that were the case I think the Kings' odds of landing Ayton at two would actually decrease since I think Minnesota would be even more likely than the Suns to take Ayton at 1.
ockingsfan
Starter
Kings got #2 pick this draft and not a single thread for Ayton. SMH.
FYI there is a thread about Ayton, but it has been buried since most people assume he will be taken #1 by Phoenix
https://community.kingsfans.com/threads/deandre-ayton.69451/
As far as Ayton goes, he would be my second choice behind Doncic right now.
While I like Ayton's offensive ability, when I watch the tapes, I can't help but be a little concerned about his slight frame and especially his skinny legs. His legs kinda reminds me of Ralph Sampson (knock on wood) a little bit. I would be concerned if his body could hold up against NBA bigs.
Doncic has a bigger and more solid base IMO than Ayton. Ayton is very skilled big man and will be a nice player, as long as his body can hold up to the rigors of the NBA.
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roasthawg
Starter
Willie's per has gone from 15.3 to 16.3 to 17.6. Steady improvement. Goberts per after his third season was 17.5 before he took a big jump to 23.3. Maybe this is the breakout season? I'm still a fan of WCS.
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
This is a contract year for him so keep that in mind, if that doesn't motivate him to up his play, I don't know what will, barring a different franchise bringing it out of him.
The Hammer
All-Star
As the draft gets closer, we'll know who Phoenix will be picking. They will tell us. Why? Because they want to know who we want in case we want to deal.
Most drafts are pretty well known among the owners how they will play out, the top 5-10. It's in everybody's best interest.
But I still think they go Doncic.
Most drafts are pretty well known among the owners how they will play out, the top 5-10. It's in everybody's best interest.
But I still think they go Doncic.
KingsSelecao
Bench
Kevin Durant's legs are tooth picks. Really hasn't been an issue.FYI there is a thread about Ayton, but it has been buried since most people assume he will be taken #1 by Phoenix
https://community.kingsfans.com/threads/deandre-ayton.69451/
As far as Ayton goes, he would be my second choice behind Doncic right now.
While I like Ayton's offensive ability, when I watch the tapes, I can't help but be a little concerned about his slight frame and especially his skinny legs. His legs kinda reminds me of Ralph Sampson (knock on wood) a little bit. I would be concerned if his body could hold up against NBA bigs.
Doncic has a bigger and more solid base IMO than Ayton. Ayton is very skilled big man and will be a nice player, as long as his body can hold up to the rigors of the NBA.
KingsSelecao
Bench
He did not average 17 ppg.
He does not rebound for a man his size and athletic ability
He gets lost on defense
He does not play consistently.
Comparing him to Gobert is absolutely hilarious. Gobert is First Team Defense. Probably the best defensive big in the league.
Most important. Gobert does in day in day out. When WCS puts together more than a string of decent games, get back to me.
Talk stats all day long. He's a mediocre player on the Kings. On a decent team/playoff team he wouldn't see the floor more than 10-15 minutes. The guy can be trusted.
In addition, the majority of decent games he had last year were against weak competition or teams with injured starters.
Mass
Starter
He wasn't talking about PPG. He was talking about PER (player efficiency rating).
Gobert was already rebounding like a beast and blocking twice as many shots a game as Willie while he was still developing. He just didn't have an offensive game to speak of at the time.
Willie is who he is. Solid team defender, athletic and a big lob target. Those are the things he does well but those aren't the things he wants to do on the court. He wants to be Karl Anthony Towns and it's simply never going to happen.
WCS could be putting up 12ppg at a 60% clip right now but either he or both he and the coach insist that he shoot a handful of inefficient mid range shots per game because he's thinking there's going to be a day when he's a 20ppg team leader and that day will never come because he's simply not good enough in the post to ever be that type of scorer.
When KAT is in the post, he puts a move on a guy and then reacts to his defender with an arsenal of moves to get himself an easy shot. WCS doesn't react to how he's being defended. He just chooses 1 of about 5 moves that he has in his head, and then does it regardless of the defense. Sometimes it works, usually it doesn't. There are no dominant 20ppg big men that play like that. Backups play like that. There's plenty of starting big men that rebound, block shots and catch lobs but he thinks he's above that for whatever reason so in his quest to become a guy like KAT, he's going to play himself into a backup role.
Willie is who he is. Solid team defender, athletic and a big lob target. Those are the things he does well but those aren't the things he wants to do on the court. He wants to be Karl Anthony Towns and it's simply never going to happen.
WCS could be putting up 12ppg at a 60% clip right now but either he or both he and the coach insist that he shoot a handful of inefficient mid range shots per game because he's thinking there's going to be a day when he's a 20ppg team leader and that day will never come because he's simply not good enough in the post to ever be that type of scorer.
When KAT is in the post, he puts a move on a guy and then reacts to his defender with an arsenal of moves to get himself an easy shot. WCS doesn't react to how he's being defended. He just chooses 1 of about 5 moves that he has in his head, and then does it regardless of the defense. Sometimes it works, usually it doesn't. There are no dominant 20ppg big men that play like that. Backups play like that. There's plenty of starting big men that rebound, block shots and catch lobs but he thinks he's above that for whatever reason so in his quest to become a guy like KAT, he's going to play himself into a backup role.
twslam07
All-Star
I understand why so many people put Ayton #1. His physical gifts are quite impressive, but I just take exception with drafting guys with questionable motors.
Drummond at the time had the same questions about him. Although, Drummond looked promising early on, he ultimately is not an impactful player. His team was better with him off the floor this year (-2.6 on/off), he had the 23rd highest RPM among Cs, and was 352nd in RAPM in the league.
You can't get caught up in the flash. The bulk of what makes someone an elite player is their mindset. I want guys who want to work hard and play hard. Doncic & Bagley both fit that description which is why I have them ahead of Ayton. If you put Doncic's thirst for the game or Bagley's motor in Ayton, you likely have something very, very special. I just worry that Ayton doesn't want it bad enough and will rely on his current athleticism and skillset to get a decent paycheck.
Drummond at the time had the same questions about him. Although, Drummond looked promising early on, he ultimately is not an impactful player. His team was better with him off the floor this year (-2.6 on/off), he had the 23rd highest RPM among Cs, and was 352nd in RAPM in the league.
You can't get caught up in the flash. The bulk of what makes someone an elite player is their mindset. I want guys who want to work hard and play hard. Doncic & Bagley both fit that description which is why I have them ahead of Ayton. If you put Doncic's thirst for the game or Bagley's motor in Ayton, you likely have something very, very special. I just worry that Ayton doesn't want it bad enough and will rely on his current athleticism and skillset to get a decent paycheck.
https://basketball.realgm.com/wiret...uts-Scheduled-Knows-Hes-Going-To-Suns-At-No-1
He won’t workout anymore so the draft starts at 3, 1 and 2 will be Ayton/Doncic
He won’t workout anymore so the draft starts at 3, 1 and 2 will be Ayton/Doncic
John Galt
Starter
Sacramento is on the clock... God I’m excited!!!
Ozymandias
All-Star
In the unlikely event that Ayton doesnt go 1st the Kings will likely take him. He'd be a major chip.
I think his rebounding prowess is pretty much underappreciated at this point. He's got a chance to lead the league in boards ( and oboards)
I think his rebounding prowess is pretty much underappreciated at this point. He's got a chance to lead the league in boards ( and oboards)
Ozymandias
All-Star
When you look at PHX's depth chart / contracts, it's all tailor-made for Ayton....
KingsCitizen
Starter
Ayton dropping would probably be with Suns wanting Splash bro Doncic/Booker and Jackson going Greene type of player and accepting that Ayton is a 90s player. Best scenario for Kings coz Georger is one of the coaches that is clearly not giving up the value of a 90s type of Center.
Ozymandias
All-Star
Ayton is not a 90's C he can shoot the 3!
PHXSUNSFAN
Bench
He shot 12-35 from 3...hardly impressive.
PHXSUNSFAN
Bench
This is hilariously rich. If the Suns weren't stupid and drafted Doncic and the Kings ended up with Ayton, I bet the NBA would consider forcing the Sacramento ownership to sell as well as firing all front office personnel as Ayton would be another bust for the Kings and another player that will keep the Kings at the same bottom position they are now.
Lucky for the Kings, the Suns have an even dumber owner in Robert Sarver who will draft Ayton and watch him put up a bunch of empty stats his whole career.
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