Draft Analysis...somebody had to start this

[KingsCitizen]

He should be fired because he's an IDIOT. The guy does the same thing every year, take his pick and goes home. He never trades for the players we really should want and we never do anything. We still have no valuable PG, we don't have a good PF(Thompson sucks), we draft a guy we could've gotten with the 20th pick with the 12th. ATLEAST TRADE DOWN.

FIRE PETRIE FIRE PETRIE FIRE PETRIE.

OK! You were in the draft camp right? And personally evaluated those players? Or you were just plainly reading mock drafts from pundits who only scouted maybe the top 10 picks.

Come on. Give this kid a chance. Weak or not, he dominated in his conference the way a big man should. His 4 year numbers were close to Tim Duncan's college stats in pts. and rebs.

And the coaching staff agrees with this pick.
-------------------------
"He was the best big guy we worked out,'' Sacramento Kings coach Reggie Theus told ESPN.com Thursday night. Theus said the Kings worked out Thompson three times, twice in Sacramento and once at a group workout at the Golden State workout facility and said the Kings felt safe Thompson would be available at No. 12.
"His ability to be versatile, and help us around the basket was important and this guy can score around the basket and step out with his size,"' Theus said. "In our opinion for what we need, he was the best big on the floor."
--------------------------

As for the 2nd round picks, Singletary maybe a fix on the backup PG. And Ewing needs to break it out in Summer League, if Artest does not opt out.

With Artest most likely not opting out, we just need a starting PG, which Beno is not a pure material.

With Rose now in Chicago, the Bulls may likely be shopping Hinrich. It'll be great if Petrie hops on the bidding, with maybe a pick plus Salmons/KT package.

As far as rooster evaluation, the jury is still out till November.

 

[steelevt]

Not so fast about Arthur. Wouldn't you be worried if someone potentially has a kidney problem? GM's wanted tests done but were denied by the NBA's own physician who didn't come across it in their findings. That's why he slid so far.

he was tested again in washington and the tests turned out fine

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

This is a draft analysis thread... Hence... You analyze the draft. We obviously don't have the foresight of seeing him play in the NBA.

We take a big, reasonably athletic, reasonably skilled PF that plays hard, crashes the glass and passes like a guard, with very low bust potential. That sounds very good for the 12th pick.

Petrie obviously didn't like who was available to him. Bayless has question marks. Randolph has question marks. We didn't need Brandon Rush. You could criticize him for not trading up, but not even Portland was able to trade into the top 10 this year.

 

[Vlade4GM]

That's your arguement?

Weak.

Look - we get it - you don't like the pick. But he hasn't had one practice as a NBA player, much less any games. Petrie's picks often get bashed to a certain extent - Peja, Hedo, Martin, Garcia, Hawes included - and they turned out OK so far. Give the kid a chance to prove what he can do.

Okay, Arthur was a bad example. But my point is just because Thompson was mentioned there doesn't prove anything, it could mean that they would have liked to trade for him later or it could've just been smoke. That's weak as well.

 

[Amanjoy]

He should be fired because he's an IDIOT. The guy does the same thing every year, take his pick and goes home. He never trades for the players we really should want and we never do anything. We still have no valuable PG, we don't have a good PF(Thompson sucks), we draft a guy we could've gotten with the 20th pick with the 12th. ATLEAST TRADE DOWN.

FIRE PETRIE FIRE PETRIE FIRE PETRIE.

The Kings will be fine...and the key to everything is...THEY'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

 

[mac]

I guess I see your reasoning as to why you don't like the pick though...seing as your screen name is BMiller52. You'd rather have a soft big man that doesn't rebound or play any D instead of one who plays with a chip on his shoulder and wants to mix it up down low instead of shoot 16 foot jumpers! I see your logic now! Pathetic!!!

Whoa chill dude I think you should cool the personal attacks. Anyway I'm all for seeing him play before we say he sucks. I'm quite satisfied with the draft other than the Ewing Jr. pick because I have no idea whether he's any good at all. Just hope that Petrie hasn't lost his genius.

 

[steelevt]

Okay, Arthur was a bad example. But my point is just because Thompson was mentioned there doesn't prove anything, it could mean that they would have liked to trade for him later or it could've just been smoke. That's weak as well.

actually i dont think its a bad example at all. you, I, and i believe many others believe that thompson would be a late first round pick. so im not mad that we picked him(i think he fills a need and can be pretty good), i would just be happier if we traded down and got him plus something else (ie another draft pick, player, cash)

 

[SacKings384]

4) SportsNation gave each of the following picks a grade of "C" or lower immediately after the pick was made. Which pick was the worst?

43.7% Jason Thompson, No. 12 to Sacramento
34.2% Danilo Gallinari, No. 6 to Knicks
22.1% Russell Westbrook, No. 4 to Seattle

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=3523

 

[Arby's Roast Beef]

I have to say that as a prospect, Thompson is alluring--he has a reasonable amount of potential and his bottom is probably that of a role player as opposed to bust. He has a lot of fine qualities that he can fall back upon if one or several aspects of his game don't work out, and I do expect him to rid himself of the bad habits regarding shot selection, defensive position, etc that can prevalent among players within small schools. But the thing is, we just didn't get value for that pick, as I stated in the NBA Discussion Draft thread, and Thompson, while potentially being able to be a key role player cog for us alongside Hawes, doesn't have the wow factor in him. He may be the type of guy who does quite a few things well in this league, but doesn't excel in any one aspect--in other words, lacking a go-to asset that will earn him cold hard cash when he eventually hits free agency. He's a senior with potential, rare nowadays because potential players often leave by their junior years, but he was a virtual unknown and only stepped into the scene and for even becoming a lottery pick I have to commend him for that.

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

We had the 12th pick in the draft... we didnt exactly have teams breaking down the door to move up to the 12th pick...

 

[Andriod_KiNg]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=3523

Oh oh that does it... its a espn poll so now we know Thompson will be a bust...

 

[Elise10]

he was tested again in washington and the tests turned out fine

Maybe so but even having whispers about such things drew a red flag.

Look at what happened to SAR. NJ backed out of a deal with him because he had knee surgery in high school (failed their physical, due to scar tissue on his knee). Sacramento has their physical with him, he tests fine and signs here.

To of course miss a season because of (cue music here).........His knee.

 

[gunks]

We had the 12th pick in the draft... we didnt exactly have teams breaking down the door to move up to the 12th pick...

Thats what I was thinking. Major dropoff in talent after 11..From there on you're in 'potential' land.

Still...Petrie could have shipped out a vet for ANOTHER first round pick.

Ah well. I'm happy with the pick. Maybe it was a bit high. But I think the ONLY thing I can trust Petrie about his is draft record (besides the recent Douby hiccup).

 

[ikillz0mbies]

So lets say Thompson proves critics wrong, shows that he belongs in the NBA and is a perfect fit in the Kings system, what happens to everyone that bashed him LESS THAN A DAY HE WAS DRAFTED?

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I guess I see your reasoning as to why you don't like the pick though...seing as your screen name is BMiller52. You'd rather have a soft big man that doesn't rebound or play any D instead of one who plays with a chip on his shoulder and wants to mix it up down low instead of shoot 16 foot jumpers! I see your logic now! Pathetic!!!

Whoa chill dude I think you should cool the personal attacks. Anyway I'm all for seeing him play before we say he sucks. I'm quite satisfied with the draft other than the Ewing Jr. pick because I have no idea whether he's any good at all. Just hope that Petrie hasn't lost his genius.

That was not a personal attack. Still not the tone we want to set around here, though.

 

[Amanjoy]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=3523

And Sportsnation thought we should've drafted John Wallace instead of Peja! I listen to ESPN Radio and watch ESPN...but I could care less what Sportsnation says!!!

 

[Amanjoy]

That was not a personal attack. Still not the tone we want to set around here, though.

Yeah...I realized that after I posted it...so if you'll notice...I retracted my statements and changed the post quite a bit because I was out of line! I get a little excited sometimes! Sorry BMiller52 if you're out there!!! I'm just tired and need to go to bed!!!

 

[rfdong]

give the guy a chance

Thompson's done everything he could from his point of view. He was a 5' 11" guard in HS 6' 8" forward to start college so he wasn't even recruited as a big man. 20+/12.1 rebs (2nd in the nation) and 3blks is as dominant as he could be in college. That equals a chance to be good in the NBA. Gotta trust Petrie, he's done it here and in Portland. Every one's screaming for Randolph, but the reality is he's 6' 10" and 197lbs, even if you add 25 he's only 223 which is still really thin. He'll get pushed around for years unless he's really special which if he was thought of in that vein he'd be 1/2/3 pick. Kings fans for years have been complaining that we lack physicality, then GP goes and drafts it and there's still whining. Give it a chance. We all have our opinions, but only one guys getting paid for his..........I for one think it's an OK choice with some upside for a guy who's still learning to play the big man position.

As for Douby, well, he may never pan out, but remember what Martin looked like in his first year and half? I hated him when he was a rookie, he was so lost that it wasn't funny. But, what equals greatness is talent and work ethic which he has. The great ones always have both, the ones with either one or the other = avg.

Welcome to SAC Jason!

 

[gunks]

So lets say Thompson proves critics wrong, shows that he belongs in the NBA and is a perfect fit in the Kings system, what happens to everyone that bashed him LESS THAN A DAY HE WAS DRAFTED?

Some will gladly eat crow...Others will never mention bashing him again haha



I'll admit to HATING the Hawes pick. And now I, like a lot of others, am intrigued by the flashes he was showing at the end of the season.

Here's to hoping Thompson proves the naysayers wrong!

 

[Emma]

He owned Beasly in their matchup.

the Warriors wanted him at 14. He wasn't going to be available later.

Why don't you let him actually play some games before bashing the pick?

AND he apparently scored fairly easily and impressed against Lebron James in some sort of camp. I read that on Draft Express player profiles.

 

[BMiller52]

OK! You were in the draft camp right? And personally evaluated those players? Or you were just plainly reading mock drafts from pundits who only scouted maybe the top 10 picks.

Come on. Give this kid a chance. Weak or not, he dominated in his conference the way a big man should. His 4 year numbers were close to Tim Duncan's college stats in pts. and rebs.

And the coaching staff agrees with this pick.
-------------------------
"He was the best big guy we worked out,'' Sacramento Kings coach Reggie Theus told ESPN.com Thursday night. Theus said the Kings worked out Thompson three times, twice in Sacramento and once at a group workout at the Golden State workout facility and said the Kings felt safe Thompson would be available at No. 12.
"His ability to be versatile, and help us around the basket was important and this guy can score around the basket and step out with his size,"' Theus said. "In our opinion for what we need, he was the best big on the floor."
--------------------------

As for the 2nd round picks, Singletary maybe a fix on the backup PG. And Ewing needs to break it out in Summer League, if Artest does not opt out.

With Artest most likely not opting out, we just need a starting PG, which Beno is not a pure material.

With Rose now in Chicago, the Bulls may likely be shopping Hinrich. It'll be great if Petrie hops on the bidding, with maybe a pick plus Salmons/KT package.

As far as rooster evaluation, the jury is still out till November.

Actually I watch a ton of college basketball, clips from players, games on the internet, etc. I do a lot more than look at mock drafts.

I'll give him a chance considering I actually liked him before the pick, I guess I'm just dissapointed portland does whatever they want for the 3rd year in a row and we make no moves. I still think Ewing Jr is a bad pick though but whatever.

 

[Warhawk]

I'll give him a chance considering I actually liked him before the pick, I guess I'm just dissapointed portland does whatever they want for the 3rd year in a row and we make no moves.

But that is competely different, and I think many feel the same way about not getting other picks, etc.

But don't let that color your view on this guy. Give him a chance to show what he's got. There is plenty of time for criticism later if he doesn't work out.

And if he does, you all have crow to eat later.

I think the speed of posting ideas and thoughts on the internet means people think they have to make snap decisions on things and not wait to evaluate. Just chill and see how it all plays out after camp when the games start. Give him a season or two. Let maturity and seasoning set in.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Okay..I've calmed down a bit. I think I'm resigned to the stance that he's not a bad player to have, but horrible idea to take him at the 12th pick. I wouldn't have minded trading down, grabbing some extra small pieces. I just don't get it, if you think the draft board sucks at your pick, you trade it! That's how things work, I'm okay with admitting what was available wasn't so hot (even though I like Randolph a lot), but you trade down at that point and try to pick up some extra pieces and then try your luck next year. You don't just draft a guy about 9 slots too early and then pack up your things and go home. This is the NBA draft, I don't care if it's the reincarnation of the 2000 draft, it's not just another day in the office.

 

[Vlade4GM]

But that is competely different, and I think many feel the same way about not getting other picks, etc.

But don't let that color your view on this guy. Give him a chance to show what he's got. There is plenty of time for criticism later if he doesn't work out.

And if he does, you all have crow to eat later.

I think the speed of posting ideas and thoughts on the internet means people think they have to make snap decisions on things and not wait to evaluate. Just chill and see how it all plays out after camp when the games start. Give him a season or two. Let maturity and seasoning set in.

Not saying you're one of these people or anything, but many times I've said "okay" to the advice of wait and see but then when I did wait and the certain player failed, I complained at the proper time, then people countered with "get over it, it's done with." Can't win with those people, it's either be positive and optimistic or shut up.

 

[BMiller52]

Not saying you're one of these people or anything, but many times I've said "okay" to the advice of wait and see but then when I did wait and the certain player failed, I complained at the proper time, then people countered with "get over it, it's done with." Can't win with those people, it's either be positive and optimistic or shut up.

Same here...

 

[KP]

Eh.. Kinda weak draft class, Kings had a weak position, He could work out Ok... no one knows for sure. Nothing to get to worked up over one way or another...

If you want a real reaon to fire Petrie it will be sitting at the end of our bench all year wearing #9 and making an ungodly amount of money.

 

[Sptsjunkie]

Well it seems there are a lot of draft impressions posted on a bunch of different threads to I thought it might be easier to organize into one.

First Round: I thought the Kings did the right thing here and was surprised they did so. This really was an 11 player draft before the drop off and the Kings of course had lucky #12. After Indiana's pick (or Portland's) it became a draft of potential and with Jason Thompson not only do you get a guy with a ton of potential, you get a guy who can come in and play right away and still get better...unlike Jordan, Randolph, McGee, etc.

Thompson might have played in a soft conference but he dominated it to the highest possible level. 21pts, 12reb, 3ast, & 3blks per game and the conference defensive player of the year, you can't beat that. I honestly doubt he would have been drafted much later anyway so trading down might not have been a good idea. He was the best player left IMO and he fits a need...good pick.

Second Round: To be successful in the second round you need to be creative and that is definitely not Petrie's strength. There were some serious steals available in the second round that included Jordan, Chalmers, CDR, and others. Let's remember that Chalmers was a guy we looked at and he drops to the second and later gets traded for 2 future second round picks and cash...why were the Kings not involved? There was a lot of potential available and the Kings missed the boat.

Sean Singletary: The first Kings pick of the second round, on okay pick that could turn out to be a nice energy player off the bench. Unlike Douby he can handle the point well and score and he definitely brings the energy. His height will be a serious problem as well as his defense, but he does bring a lot to the table in terms of scoring and running an offense...just not as a starter. Not a complete waste as a pick.

Patrick Ewing Jr.: This is the complete waste of a pick. I don't understand this at all, another SF which we have a ton of and he brings nothing to the table except freak athleticism. He couldn't even get consistent minutes in college. I suppose he rebounds well for his position but relies completely on his athleticism which won't work in the NBA. Please don't compare this pick to Gerald Wallace either, Wallace was a highly touted prospect out of high school and had a lot of pieces to his game even though he was raw. Ewing Jr. barely made the team and lets be honest, his dad probably had a little to do with it. Bottom line...he won't make it through training camp.

I think this analysis is pretty much spot on. I also like the Thompson pick. I get very scared of players whose bios read "positives: physical gifts, negatives - no skill or motivation." I am not going to pretend to know much about Thompson yet and Petrie will have to answer to his performance relative to the guys we passed on. However, I like what I have read about him so far. At a minimum he seems like a contributor who has a much higher ceiling. And playing the trade down game can be dangerous, especially with rumors that GS liked him too (Seems like a Nellie type of player).

Singletary is a nice pick as well. I really wanted Dorsey, CDR or Jawai to fall but oh well. Singletary may never be a star, but he seems like a guy who can be a spark plug - scorer, creator off the bench.

Ewing Jr. I don't get at all. I didn't even think he would get drafted. All I can think is that Petrie sees some Bowen-esque potential in him. However, with Bill Walker, Hendrix and some foreign prospects on the board, I'm scratching my head here.

 

[jimbodan]

And who would you rather have as GM then???

Kevin Pritchard?

 

[Packt]

I don't mind the Thompson pick. He's got good size and skills and in the right situation I can see decent things out of him. It's a better pick than last year, imo.

I always thought this draft was overrated. It was considered deep only because of all the "potential" players, but few of them were good fits for us.

Ewing Jr. better be able to defend because that's the only way I see him making it in the league. His athleticism is overrated. He has good size, wingspan, and good hands, which I think is the reason for the athletic label. However he doesn't get off the floor quick enough for it to have much impact in the NBA. Good on a fast break, but Gerald he ain't.

Singletary, isn't a bad 2nd round pick. However he's a score first PG, a small one at that. He gets his numbers from dominating the ball, and is not a great defender either. Has to be a great leader if he wants to be a successful.

 

[Henkel]

I can't believe the Thompson pick, I'm just numb to the complete upside down logic of this organization. We had every excuse in the book to draft Randolph and we didn't do it. Hell how about Speights if you want a skilled big guy? He can shoot, board, has length to block shots, and he's got a much more advanced post game than Thompson. But since Thompson can pass okay that means he's better. I swear Petrie is obsessed with obscurity, it's no shock that he's the GM of the kings and loves it here. The kings are the authority on obscurity, the only thing that can get them even a bit of recognition is Artest doing something crazy. He doesn't care if his pick fails becaue he knows no one will care if it does, but if it succeeds he'll get to pat himself on the back and say he found the hidden gem of the draft. I'm sick of getting my hopes up. Next on the list of disappointments is signing Udrih to the full MLE and then Artest not being traded and then signed to a long term deal.

Randolph is a tweener. He doesn't have the frame to bang down low and his lack of a jump shot will negate him from using his ball handling skills on the perimeter. He can get up and down the court and play some defense on the perimeter but he is neither the savor of the Kings or some great player that Petrie let slip through his fingers.

As for all this "Petrie failed to trade down therefore this pick is awful" conjecture. I hope we can all assume that Petrie is not completely incompetent. I'm sure that Petrie has better sources then you... although I'm sure you read a lot of articles and looked at a tons of mock drafts. I would imagine he had a reasonable idea of who else was interested in Thompson. I think we can also assume he had access to a phone during and leading up to the draft. This leads me to assume that there wasn't a lot of interested in the 12th pick or anyone interested in swapping picks was picking to late to secure Thompson. If you feel Thompson was a bad pick that something i can understand, but to assume we should have traded down because of some mock draft you read that had Thompson being picked in the bottom half of the draft is laughable.

Last year this board **** a collective brick when Hawes was selected. I thought it had something to do with some misconceptions about the player in question. Now i see it's simply par for the course with some around here. The sky isn't falling, Petrie not selecting the player you had pegged isn't some glaring sign of incompetence. In 6 months after Thompson has his first good game many of you will forget about this "awful pick" and can then proceed to rip on Petrie for not making some trade you conceived, or perhaps read about, perhaps something even less specific. It's someones fault this team isn't in the playoffs, after doing so for 10 straight years, right? It clearly wasn't Adelmans fault so logic dictates it must be Petrie, right? I couldn't be the natural arc of a team who's starting talent some how manage to fall prey age and injury. I'm not claiming that Petrie has been flawless but seriously this team is two years removed from the playoff and although it's been a frustrating journey downward since 2002 don't lose perspective of the fact that Petrie has a solid track record when left to his own devices.