With our draft pick, it's hopeful that we land somewhere around 7-8. This means that the top 3 PGs are gone. We'll be left with the 2nd tier guys in Fox and Ntilikina.
I'm not the biggest fan of Fox because he can't shoot. Shooting from the PG position is extremely important in today's NBA, however, he's still young. He recently turned 19 in December, so it does give me hope that he'll be able to add a 3pt shot to his game. I don't think he'll ever be a good 3pt shooter, but I think he can be someone who can knock down open 3s. As long as teams aren't leaving him wide open to guard other players, then we should be ok. His athleticism, quickness, and playmaking looks almost elite. He seems to be a smart player who flashes some scoring ability, but he's definitely a pass-first PG. On defense, I think he could be really really good. His potential seriously comes down to his shooting. I really like him. I think he's ready to contribute day 1, and he has still a ton of potential left. He reminds me of a cross between Elf Payton and Rondo(he can really push a pace like Rondo does).
Ntilikina is going to be more of a project. With seeing how Willie, Richardson, and 1 game of Skal have developed so far, it leaves me a lot of optimistic for a raw player like Ntilikina. He's a big PG with with solid overall athleticism and quickness. He used to be a below average shooter, but this year, he's played mostly at SG, and as a result, it's improved his shooting tremendously. Shooting is now a strength of his. His ball handling needs to be tighter. It can be really loose, and I think he'll need time to develop into a PG. Main concerns against him is that he's not aggressive at attacking the rim. He shys away from contact because he doesn't know how to use his strong frame yet. On defense, he has potential to be a lock-down defender at either guard position. He's just an average playmaker, but he's a good passer. He's unselfish and knows how to use the pick game a bit.
Someone posted a video of him in the FIBA championship playoff game. It's 2 games combined(they have a weird system where the total score of 2 games determines the winner), so there's a lot of footage. It's not just a highlight video. It actually shows all the plays that involved him on offense and defense.
Here's what I'm hoping. I hope the Kings can get a bottom 8 pick, while the Pelicans get a 9-11 pick. The Kings use the 8th pick on a franchise SF in Jayson Tatum, then the 11th pick on a franchise PG like Fox or Ntilikina.
Ideally, I do want Dennis Smith Jr, but I think he's out of our league right now. I really see a Chris Paul/Kyrie Irving type vibe from him. However, I'd be happy with Tatum+Fox too. I hate that the Kings keep doing this every year lol.
We can't ever get a top 3 pick.. not even in 2009.