Draft picks and their potential fit with Evans/Cousins

[funkykingston]

It seems that the consensus is that the Kings should re-sign Tyreke Evans and move forward with he and Cousins as building blocks for this team. So it only makes sense that part of the consideration in evaluating draft picks is how well that player (or players) fit with DMC and Tyreke.

This is not my evaluation of player talent, simply a look at how well I think they mesh with the two best talents currently on the roster.

Great Fits
Nerlens Noel - the yin to DeMarcus' yang. He'd provide weakside defense, shotblocking, rebounding and athleticism. He'll be bullied for sure, but DeMarcus can guard the bigger low post threat.
Otto Porter - Lacks the shooting we'd ideally like a SF to have with Evans & Cousins and is thin and not a explosive athlete. Still, a smooth and versatile SF that will likely be a great roleplayer with elite intangibles.
CJ McCollum - A scoring combo guard. I don't think he's Lillard or Curry but he can play on or off the ball, runs the P&R well, rebounds well for his size and could make a nice compliment to both Evans & Cousins
Gorgui Dieng - Needs to get stronger and is a bit raw but shotblocking and developing face up game mean he would be a great role playing PF next to Cousins.
Serge Karasev - Needs to develop physically but a good shooter /scorer and skilled passer. A bit undersized but with a very complimentary game for a wing
Tony Snell - A guy I love if the Kings want to go with a big backcourt. Great shooter with length and elevation, good ballhandler and a very good on ball defender.
Reggie Bullock - Smart player who makes the right play and is an outstanding shooter. A bit slow as a SG and a bit undersized as a SF but could be a very nice role player.

Good Fits
Ben McLemore - at the very least he'll be a good, athletic "3 and D" player with a beautiful shot. A bit undersized and not a great handle which would force Tyreke to be the main ballhandler
Trey Burke - Is ball dominant and probably more of a scorer than playmaker which doesn't make him a great fit with Tyreke but he has a chance to be a very good all around PG so I'll call him a good fit
Alex Len - a gamble. He shows potential on both ends (rebounder/shotblocker, face up offensive game/screener) but isn't ready to contribute and will struggle against bigger opponents
Rudy Gobert - Shawn Bradley or Hasheem Thabeet? He would protect the rim and cover DMC's largest flaw while not demanding the ball on offense but he adds little else
Dario Saric - good size, ballhandling and passing, decent rebounding. A weak individual defender but with good length that mitigates it a bit. If his outside shooting were more consistent I'd be more enthusiastic.
Jeff Withey - He could fill Cole Aldrich's role, though he'd likely not be as good right away. A rotation player that would fit in.
Allen Crabbe - Long, deadeye shooter who doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. Can be too lax on the defensive end and I wish he was a better ballhandler, but a good fit

Poor Fits
Anthony Bennett - a scoring tweener forward (Corliss/Larry Johnson/Rodney Rogers) he is a poor defender and would make a bad fit next to Cousins at the PF and is doesn't belong at SF
Cody Zeller/Kelly Olynyk/Mason Plumlee - all too finesse and none are difference makers. Zeller is the best of the three, but still a poor pairing with DMC.
Shabazz Muhammad - Tyreke sized Ball dominant, non-passing SF who lacks an outside shot and is a mediocre defender
Michael Carter-Williams - Reminds me of a pre-injury Shaun Livingston. I like him as a prospect but not as a ball dominant, poor shooting PG on a team with Evans and Cousins
Steven Adams - I don't think his ceiling is higher than Jason Thompson and he'll take a few years to get there
Tony Mitchell - Stock is low after a down sophomore year. Can rebound, block shots and is an athletic PF. Not an ideal fit with Cousins but if last year was an aberration he could be a good value pick
Shane Larkin - Small, athletic chucker. No thanks.
Glen Rice Jr. - Good shooter/scorer but a bit too ball dominant and with some red flags. On the border of good and poor fit IMO.
Jamaal Franklin - Strong rebounder as a SG. Versatile player but too much like Tyreke Evans lite - without the great ballhandling.

Intriguing Fits
Victor Oladipo - Weak shooter and ballhandler and not a great compliment to Cousins or Evans but with his defensive intensity, rebounding and motor it'd be worth trying to make it work. Would make a shooting SF a necessity
Dennis Schroeder - Probably a poor fit, but his speed and quickness could make him a game changer.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Good potential as a shooter/slasher and defender. Will take bad shots and is a poor ballhandler/passer
Lucas Nogueira - On paper his skills are a great fit with Cousins but he plays indifferent and hasn't developed as he should
Giannis Adetokunbo - Really interesting prospect. Point forward skills but years away from being a player. I don't see the Kings having the patience, especially when he likely wouldn't come over right away

 

[Darth Divac]

Good assessment. The only ones I think you're wrong about are Larkin, Steven Adams, Tony Mitchell and Trey Burke, and here's why:

Larkin: He is not just an athletic chucker. He makes good decisions, he's not as selfish as Isaiah, and he's light years ahead as a playmaker. That's essentially what I think of him as; A less selfish, better playmaking Isaiah.

Adams: You're wrong, he has tremendous upside; long, athletic, and, from what I've heard, shows touch on mid-range shots. Mix that with his rebounding and shotblocking, and he's a potential star. He's still raw, but not nearly as much as people seem to think.

Mitchell: You described all of the things we need to have next to Cousins and then said he's a poor fit. Shooting, rebounding, shotblocking, athletic, mobile-but he's a poor fit.

Burke: You're wrong that he's a scoring PG. 6.7 assists to just 2.2 TO's- that is very good. Maybe a bit ball-dominant, but on the whole, he's someone who I covet and should be our pick by a landslide if he's available.

 

[Hallama]

I think CJ McCollum is the best fit with T&C. His shooting and PnR abilities compliment both players extremely well. I do like his rebounding ability too. I think the concerns over if he can play PG are a little overemphasized, just look at him in the Curry/Lillard mold.

I also agree about Dieng. He really only needs to focus on D with Cousins, and garbage points.

I'd be happy with either if the Kings keep both T&C.

 

[funkykingston]

Larkin: He is not just an athletic chucker. He makes good decisions, he's not as selfish as Isaiah, and he's light years ahead as a playmaker. That's essentially what I think of him as; A less selfish, better playmaking Isaiah.

I don't see Larkin as a good playmaker. His best talents are his quickness/first step and his 3 point shooting. He can run the pick and roll but in general his game is predicated on being a scorer.

Adams: You're wrong, he has tremendous upside; long, athletic, and, from what I've heard, shows touch on mid-range shots. Mix that with his rebounding and shotblocking, and he's a potential star. He's still raw, but not nearly as much as people seem to think.

Adams is raw, but I think that just makes people overproject what he's capable of being. Cody Zeller is 20 lbs lighter and his arms are a couple inches shorter but he's the same height and tested out better athletically than Adams in every category. Faster, quicker, stronger, higher jumper etc. Adjusted for minutes played, they put up virtually the same numbers with Adams only having more blocks (roughly double Zeller's 1.3 per 30 minutes at 2.5 per 30). I think Adams can be a long time NBA big man if he continues to progress but he won't be a star. Like many bigs who block shots in college he gets them due to his length and size advantage on that level and not because he's a natural shotblocker. It's good he's showing some midrange touch now because his offensive game in college was non-existant. I think he's a 2nd contract guy who will eventually be a good rotation player. We'll see.

Mitchell: You described all of the things we need to have next to Cousins and then said he's a poor fit. Shooting, rebounding, shotblocking, athletic, mobile-but he's a poor fit.

He's not a long, weakside defender but more of a Tyrus Thomas/Stromile Swift type guy, though not nearly as good a college player as either of them. Closer to Thomas Robinson than Serge Ibaka. And his regression this year has to be a reason for concern.

Burke: You're wrong that he's a scoring PG. 6.7 assists to just 2.2 TO's- that is very good. Maybe a bit ball-dominant, but on the whole, he's someone who I covet and should be our pick by a landslide if he's available.

I'm not as high on Burke as many. I worry that being slightly undersized without elite quickness/leaping etc limits his ceiling in the pros. I think he's a smart player who can definitely run a team but I don't think he has superior court vision and passing ability. That's not to say that he's a bad passer, but I think he needs to score to be effective.

 

[funkykingston]

I think CJ McCollum is the best fit with T&C. His shooting and PnR abilities compliment both players extremely well. I do like his rebounding ability too. I think the concerns over if he can play PG are a little overemphasized, just look at him in the Curry/Lillard mold.

I also agree about Dieng. He really only needs to focus on D with Cousins, and garbage points.

I'd be happy with either if the Kings keep both T&C.

I think McCollum also appeals because he should be able to contribute from Day 1.

Dieng seems like an ideal roleplayer next to Cuz. I think JT's best role is as the first big off the bench subbing at both PF & C and it makes Patterson available as part of a package trade. Solid stretch 4 who is also an ending contract could have some appeal. Also eliminates the problem of the Kings losing him for nothing or overpaying to keep him next offseason.

The problem is that 7 is obviously way too high to draft him or a few of the other guys I like outside of Noel, McLemore, Porter, Oladipo (who I love but question the fit) and McCollum.

I hope the Kings pick up an additional pick in the mid-to-late 1st round. I don't think the odds of grabbing a star are very good at all but there are some players who could definitely contribute.

And even though I have Len listed as a good fit, if all the guys I listed above are gone when Sacramento comes to pick, I hope we trade down with Atlanta or Utah since both have a pair of first rounders.

 

[funkykingston]

So I watched some film on a couple guys this weekend. Jamaal Franklin was one (1 game and quite a few "highlight" clips) as was Steven Adams (2 Pitt games) and have changed some of my thoughts on both, mostly for the worse.

Franklin is not as good a ballhandler as I thought and he's pretty out of control. I thought some of his shot selection issues were due to him having to carry the load for San Diego State and you can make that case to an extent, but there's other issues. One is that Franklin is really a momentum athlete. He can explode if he gets a few steps towards the basket but he isn't a quick twitch guy who can elevate from a stand still. You can see this on his jumper too as he get almost no lift. Comparing his jumper to a guy like Tony Snell's just makes it more obvious. So he has some of the same bad shooting habits that Tyreke does - he uses step backs and fadeaways because he can just elevate and shoot with a defender near him. His form isn't bad and he has a relatively quick release so he could be a good catch-and-shoot player if he keeps working on his shot, but I've soured on the idea of him sharing the backcourt with Tyreke as two big, long defenders who can handle and pass.

Steven Adams is an interesting one. I misjudged his athletic abilities. He's more fluid and athletic than I realized. That said, he's also WAY behind in his development with a laundry list of bad habits and a poor feel for the game. I like that he jumps the pick and roll aggressively but he also gets himself WAY out of position and has to scramble to get back. He gets away with it somewhat in college because of his athleticism compared to the level of competition but more importantly because the halfcourt game is closer to the basket and more congested. On the next level he's going to get burned for easy baskets by his man rolling to the hoop. He also has no feel offensively. When posting he seems to make up his mind of what he wants to try to do with no regard to how his defender or the team defense is playing. Consequently he rarely succeeds with his back to the basket. On both sides he looks like a guy who is very much trying to execute what he's learning in practice rather than playing the game naturally. Another example is that he doesn't fight offensive players that are trying to post up, instead getting his hands up in a defensive stance way too early. On the plus side these things show that he's a very raw guy who seemingly accepts coaching very well. On the bad side it shows that he's far from being a guy who can contribute.

One guy I want to see actual game film on is Karasev. MUCH more fluid than I realized, and a better all-around player than I first thought, at least from what little I've seen. Decent ball handler and very good passer as a young wing. Quick release and a great looking shot. Gordon Hayward like though not the rebounder and a better passer. One thing I haven't seen any footage of is his midrange game. I want to see how well he shoots off the dribble and coming off screens. I don't know that he could contribute right away but I think he'd be a nice fit for the Kings. Probably not a worthy #7 pick, but I wouldn't mind a trade into the late first if he's still there.

 

[Hallama]

So I watched some film on a couple guys this weekend. Jamaal Franklin was one (1 game and quite a few "highlight" clips) as was Steven Adams (2 Pitt games) and have changed some of my thoughts on both, mostly for the worse.

Jamaal will have to bank on his tenacity and aggression to succeed, like a Tony Allen. He's definitely not a match for Tyreke in the backcourt. I could see him flourishing in a system like Denver's aggressive defensive/attack style. He has flaws, but he's one of those guys that may flourish in the NBA.

 

[funkykingston]

Yeah, Franklin is a long and persistent defender, rebounds well do to activity, length and a nose for the ball and I think he'll eventually be a nice catch and shoot player. He could be a Raja Bell, Bruce Bowen type if he was dedicated to carving out that kind of niche. But it will take time as he is used to being the do-everything guy right now.

If Reggie Bullock lasts until the 2nd round I hope the Kings grab him. He has limited upside but would make a great roleplayer IMO.

 

[bajaden]

It seems that the consensus is that the Kings should re-sign Tyreke Evans and move forward with he and Cousins as building blocks for this team. So it only makes sense that part of the consideration in evaluating draft picks is how well that player (or players) fit with DMC and Tyreke.

This is not my evaluation of player talent, simply a look at how well I think they mesh with the two best talents currently on the roster.

Great Fits
Nerlens Noel - the yin to DeMarcus' yang. He'd provide weakside defense, shotblocking, rebounding and athleticism. He'll be bullied for sure, but DeMarcus can guard the bigger low post threat.
Otto Porter - Lacks the shooting we'd ideally like a SF to have with Evans & Cousins and is thin and not a explosive athlete. Still, a smooth and versatile SF that will likely be a great roleplayer with elite intangibles.
CJ McCollum - A scoring combo guard. I don't think he's Lillard or Curry but he can play on or off the ball, runs the P&R well, rebounds well for his size and could make a nice compliment to both Evans & Cousins
Gorgui Dieng - Needs to get stronger and is a bit raw but shotblocking and developing face up game mean he would be a great role playing PF next to Cousins.
Serge Karasev - Needs to develop physically but a good shooter /scorer and skilled passer. A bit undersized but with a very complimentary game for a wing
Tony Snell - A guy I love if the Kings want to go with a big backcourt. Great shooter with length and elevation, good ballhandler and a very good on ball defender.
Reggie Bullock - Smart player who makes the right play and is an outstanding shooter. A bit slow as a SG and a bit undersized as a SF but could be a very nice role player.

Good Fits
Ben McLemore - at the very least he'll be a good, athletic "3 and D" player with a beautiful shot. A bit undersized and not a great handle which would force Tyreke to be the main ballhandler
Trey Burke - Is ball dominant and probably more of a scorer than playmaker which doesn't make him a great fit with Tyreke but he has a chance to be a very good all around PG so I'll call him a good fit
Alex Len - a gamble. He shows potential on both ends (rebounder/shotblocker, face up offensive game/screener) but isn't ready to contribute and will struggle against bigger opponents
Rudy Gobert - Shawn Bradley or Hasheem Thabeet? He would protect the rim and cover DMC's largest flaw while not demanding the ball on offense but he adds little else
Dario Saric - good size, ballhandling and passing, decent rebounding. A weak individual defender but with good length that mitigates it a bit. If his outside shooting were more consistent I'd be more enthusiastic.
Jeff Withey - He could fill Cole Aldrich's role, though he'd likely not be as good right away. A rotation player that would fit in.
Allen Crabbe - Long, deadeye shooter who doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. Can be too lax on the defensive end and I wish he was a better ballhandler, but a good fit

Poor Fits
Anthony Bennett - a scoring tweener forward (Corliss/Larry Johnson/Rodney Rogers) he is a poor defender and would make a bad fit next to Cousins at the PF and is doesn't belong at SF
Cody Zeller/Kelly Olynyk/Mason Plumlee - all too finesse and none are difference makers. Zeller is the best of the three, but still a poor pairing with DMC.
Shabazz Muhammad - Tyreke sized Ball dominant, non-passing SF who lacks an outside shot and is a mediocre defender
Michael Carter-Williams - Reminds me of a pre-injury Shaun Livingston. I like him as a prospect but not as a ball dominant, poor shooting PG on a team with Evans and Cousins
Steven Adams - I don't think his ceiling is higher than Jason Thompson and he'll take a few years to get there
Tony Mitchell - Stock is low after a down sophomore year. Can rebound, block shots and is an athletic PF. Not an ideal fit with Cousins but if last year was an aberration he could be a good value pick
Shane Larkin - Small, athletic chucker. No thanks.
Glen Rice Jr. - Good shooter/scorer but a bit too ball dominant and with some red flags. On the border of good and poor fit IMO.
Jamaal Franklin - Strong rebounder as a SG. Versatile player but too much like Tyreke Evans lite - without the great ballhandling.

Intriguing Fits
Victor Oladipo - Weak shooter and ballhandler and not a great compliment to Cousins or Evans but with his defensive intensity, rebounding and motor it'd be worth trying to make it work. Would make a shooting SF a necessity
Dennis Schroeder - Probably a poor fit, but his speed and quickness could make him a game changer.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Good potential as a shooter/slasher and defender. Will take bad shots and is a poor ballhandler/passer
Lucas Nogueira - On paper his skills are a great fit with Cousins but he plays indifferent and hasn't developed as he should
Giannis Adetokunbo - Really interesting prospect. Point forward skills but years away from being a player. I don't see the Kings having the patience, especially when he likely wouldn't come over right away

Really curious why you paint both Oladipo and Porter as poor shooters. What do they have to do to prove themselves to be good shooters. Oladipo shot 44.1% from the three, and 59.9% overall. Porter shot 42% from the three, and 48% overall. Now to these tired old eyes, thats pretty good shooting. While both players showed great improvement from their previous years, it appears critics would rather reference the previous and poor shooting year than the latest and good shooting year. If you want to say that Oladipo is not going to create much off the dribble right now, then I agree. But I think he proved to me that he's a very good spotup shooter. I also don't get why everyone wants to say he's a very bad ballhandler. Even the scouts don't say that. He's not Tyreke Evans, but I never saw him struggle with pressure while handling the ball. The only problem I saw was that sometimes his body got ahead of his brain, and he lost control.

 

[funkykingston]

I didn't say Porter is a bad shooter, just not the deadeye SF that I'd ideally like to see with Cousins and Evans. And I think I'm biased because of his poor form. With Oladipo I didn't realize his numbers had improved that much. I think I was judging him more on my impression from last year.

As for his ballhandling I think it's fine for an off guard but is it good enough to share ballhandling duties with Tyreke? You've undoubtedly seen him more than I have (especially this year when I largely stopped watching college and NBA games with the Kings future in doubt) and can answer that better than I can.

 

[bajaden]

I didn't say Porter is a bad shooter, just not the deadeye SF that I'd ideally like to see with Cousins and Evans. And I think I'm biased because of his poor form. With Oladipo I didn't realize his numbers had improved that much. I think I was judging him more on my impression from last year.

As for his ballhandling I think it's fine for an off guard but is it good enough to share ballhandling duties with Tyreke? You've undoubtedly seen him more than I have (especially this year when I largely stopped watching college and NBA games with the Kings future in doubt) and can answer that better than I can.

Well if you judged his shooting on last season (Oladipo) then I can see why you said what you did. To be honest, I struggle with the ballhandling situation. I probably watched Indiana play 15 to 20 times this past season, and while watching Oladipo, it never leaped into my mind that he was a bad ballhandler. I noticed that he didn't create off the dribble very much, but did on rare occasions. I also noticed, as I think I said in another thread, that it appeared his body got ahead of his brain, and he would lose control of the ball.

Now if your asking me if he can implement plays the way Doug Christie did, then the answer would be no. I do think having a good passing SF to go along with a Tyreke/Oladipo backcourt would be very useful, but while Oladipo isn't a creator for others, he isn't a bad passer. The majority of his turnovers don't come from making bad passing decisions, but from trying to force the issue with the ball in his hands.

I agree that Porter has a strange release on his shot, but, at least this last season, his shot went in. He jumped up his three point percentage by 20 points. One could argue that it was a one year fluke, but in fact, he improved his three point shot while also doubling the amount of three point shots he took, which is usually an indicator that he's for real. For instance, Derrick Williams shot a great percentage from the three his last year, but he really didn't take that many three's. Not so with Porter. No guarantee's though!.

 

[blackice]

I'd keep the draft pick for now and I am intrigued of the idea of taking maybe Dennis Schroder, now...the only game I saw him play was in the Hoop Summit but he has the intangibles I like from a PG. I also would take a look at Alex Len from Maryland, we need some big men on this team and I'm not talking about the likes of 6'6 Chuck Hayes.

 

[Sac.Kings]

I am curious as to why you think Shroeder would be a poor fit alongside Tyreke and Cousins. He seems like he could fit in very well, especially since one of his strong traits is pick and roll play. I do agree with you that Karasev would be a great fit. He is my second choice after Schroeder. I just think this team desperately needs a PG, and a good one at that.

 

[Agent23]

I'm intrigued by Dario Saric. In a draft like this, it would be ok for them to pick him and stash him in Europe for a few years.

 

[funkykingston]

I am curious as to why you think Shroeder would be a poor fit alongside Tyreke and Cousins. He seems like he could fit in very well, especially since one of his strong traits is pick and roll play. I do agree with you that Karasev would be a great fit. He is my second choice after Schroeder. I just think this team desperately needs a PG, and a good one at that.

Mainly because what little I've seen of him shows him to be a ball dominant PG who excels in uptempo/transition play when both Cousins and Evans need the ball in their hands and (at least IMO) would be better served in a pound it out, half court offense.

But I did say I see him as an intriguing fit and not necessarily a bad one. Can he defend on the NBA level? Can he develop a midrange game and finish at the basket better? Can he cut down his turnovers? Can he play off the ball to give Tyreke the touches he needs? All unanswered questions.

But that's why I'm a fan with a day job and the new GM (whoever he may be) gets paid to draft guys.

 

[Sac.Kings]

Mainly because what little I've seen of him shows him to be a ball dominant PG who excels in uptempo/transition play when both Cousins and Evans need the ball in their hands and (at least IMO) would be better served in a pound it out, half court offense.

But I did say I see him as an intriguing fit and not necessarily a bad one. Can he defend on the NBA level? Can he develop a midrange game and finish at the basket better? Can he cut down his turnovers? Can he play off the ball to give Tyreke the touches he needs? All unanswered questions.

But that's why I'm a fan with a day job and the new GM (whoever he may be) gets paid to draft guys.

You do bring up good points. Hopefully some of these are answered before draft day. Perhaps Karasev is the way to go (personal opinion), considering we aren't going to go far with a rookie PG.

 

[funkykingston]

Klay Thompson was taken #11, Kawhi Leonard #15, and Kenneth Faried #22 in a draft nearly as weak as this one. Bear in mind that Derrick Williams, Jan Vesely, Bismack Biyombo and Jimmer Fredette all went in the top 10 the same year.

Point being, every year the fans and media get caught up in the notion that the players projected at the top of the draft are sure fire stars and that there's this huge drop off after the "first tier" of players. Even in a good drafts I don't remember a time where I was absolutely certain that more than one guy was a lock as a superstar. Maybe Carmelo & LeBron but they didn't even go 1 & 2. But Oden and Durant did.

Point being, at #7 there WILL be future great players available. Maybe even a star or two. Maybe the third building block (along with Cousins and Tyreke) that actually gets this team winning and eventually contending again.

I just wish I knew who the right guy was. I'm not arrogant enough to think that even a guy that I have listed as a bad fit in this thread (say MCW) couldn't be the one. I don't think so, but then again I think as an amateur being right about as often as I'm wrong about players taken each draft is pretty good.

There is a LOT riding on this offseason. But I am cautiously optimistic that Vivek and co will get it right.

 

[Glenn]

Klay Thompson was taken #11, Kawhi Leonard #15, and Kenneth Faried #22 in a draft nearly as weak as this one. Bear in mind that Derrick Williams, Jan Vesely, Bismack Biyombo and Jimmer Fredette all went in the top 10 the same year.

Point being, every year the fans and media get caught up in the notion that the players projected at the top of the draft are sure fire stars and that there's this huge drop off after the "first tier" of players. Even in a good drafts I don't remember a time where I was absolutely certain that more than one guy was a lock as a superstar. Maybe Carmelo & LeBron but they didn't even go 1 & 2. But Oden and Durant did.

Point being, at #7 there WILL be a future great players available. Maybe even a star or two. Maybe the third building block (along with Cousins and Tyreke) that actually gets this team winning and eventually contending again.

I just wish I knew who the right guy was. I'm not arrogant enough to think that even a guy that I have listed as a bad fit in this thread (say MCW) couldn't be the one. I don't think so, but then again I think as an amateur being right about as often as I'm wrong about players taken each draft is pretty good.

There is a LOT riding on this offseason. But I am cautiously optimistic that Vivek and co will get it right.

I wish you WERE arrogant because then I wouldn't have to think so much. Most of us go into the draft totally dependent on the analyses of others. Very few of us watch college ball unless it happens to be our alma mater. My alma mater is seldom on TV and certainly isn't very interesting. It definitely is true that some players become media favorites and some are ignored. You hope that you FO is clever enough to take some notice of the media favorites but also to have the knowledge and confidence to go against the media and pick who either is BPA or best for your team. There certainly could be a good player at #7 that could solve a lot of the Kings problems. That player doesn't even have to be a super star but a #2 or #3 in our lineup. Perhaps a decent player could be had by trading down but I think that is less likely.

 

[funkykingston]

I think a big part of why I am so high on Otto Porter and CJ McCollum is that they have clearly evident skillsets that are very easy to see working next to Cousins and Evans. Porter has the length to be a very good defender, moves well without the ball, makes great decisions on the court and will continue to improve his shooting/scoring while not being ball dominant. McCollum is a combo guard that can play on or off the ball, is a very good and well rounded shooter, is mature and savvy and ready to contribute now. He'd take pressure of Tyreke as a ballhandler while not being ball dominant and his shooting would open things up for Evans and Cousins.

With other guys it's harder to see how they'd help form a core for the Kings. Oladipo and McLemore aren't helping Tyreke out as ballhandlers. Len isn't a natural shotblocker and between he and Cousins athletic opposing PFs would be tough to deal with. Bennett isn't a shotblocker/defender as a PF, is a question mark as a SF AND needs the ball in his hands to be effective. And so on.

I WILL say that I think Dieng and Bullock will be very solid roleplayers at the very least. Beyond that it's hard for me to be all that confident in any projection I might make. Although I guess if I was more certain and bombastic about these things I might have Chad Ford's job. . .

 

[funkykingston]

I'm very much hoping the Kings pick up a draft pick in the 2nd half of the first round. Some guys that I think will absolutely be solid roleplayers (Bullock, Dieng etc) will be there but I would also love a gamble on Giannis Adetokunbo. He'd likely be a draft-and-stash because he needs to play against better competition, but the more I see and read the more intriguing he seems.

 

[roasthawg]

I think a big part of why I am so high on Otto Porter and CJ McCollum is that they have clearly evident skillsets that are very easy to see working next to Cousins and Evans. Porter has the length to be a very good defender, moves well without the ball, makes great decisions on the court and will continue to improve his shooting/scoring while not being ball dominant. McCollum is a combo guard that can play on or off the ball, is a very good and well rounded shooter, is mature and savvy and ready to contribute now. He'd take pressure of Tyreke as a ballhandler while not being ball dominant and his shooting would open things up for Evans and Cousins.

With other guys it's harder to see how they'd help form a core for the Kings. Oladipo and McLemore aren't helping Tyreke out as ballhandlers. Len isn't a natural shotblocker and between he and Cousins athletic opposing PFs would be tough to deal with. Bennett isn't a shotblocker/defender as a PF, is a question mark as a SF AND needs the ball in his hands to be effective. And so on.

I WILL say that I think Dieng and Bullock will be very solid roleplayers at the very least. Beyond that it's hard for me to be all that confident in any projection I might make. Although I guess if I was more certain and bombastic about these things I might have Chad Ford's job. . .

We are on the same page man... I got Noel, Porter, and McCollum as my top three on my King's board. Porter and McCollum come with the expectation that we'll resign Tyreke and make a primary ball handling combo guard once again. McCollum is the guy we're most likely to get a shot at at #7... potentially great fit next to Reke imo.

 

[sidney]

Why is McCollum a great fit? He's a smallish SG who scores....a lot. He's not a great facilitator, not a great defender, and doesn't have great size. Hard to imagine a new regime that's focused on changing the defensive culture bringing in a guy with his skill set. He's definitely a talent but I'm not seeing the great fit.

 

[roasthawg]

Why is McCollum a great fit? He's a smallish SG who scores....a lot. He's not a great facilitator, not a great defender, and doesn't have great size. Hard to imagine a new regime that's focused on changing the defensive culture bringing in a guy with his skill set. He's definitely a talent but I'm not seeing the great fit.

He's a great fit along side Evans imo based on what we've seen from Tyreke during his time as a King... he was at his very best playing alongside Beno, a guard that could shoot the three and could share ball handling responsibilities but didn't need to dominate the ball to be effective. McCollum should be all that... and hopefully be a little more.

 

[funkykingston]

Why is McCollum a great fit? He's a smallish SG who scores....a lot. He's not a great facilitator, not a great defender, and doesn't have great size. Hard to imagine a new regime that's focused on changing the defensive culture bringing in a guy with his skill set. He's definitely a talent but I'm not seeing the great fit.

He actually does have great size for the PG position which is where I'd imagine him to play if Tyreke is resigned. McCollum can play on or off the ball, is a strong rebounder as a guard and shoots well off the dribble, running off screens, on catch-and-shoot situations etc. His shooting would help space the floor for Evans and Cousins, his ballhandling would take some pressure off Tyreke while also letting Evans have the ball in his hands a quite a bit which is where he's been most effective, and he is a smart, experienced kid who should help right away.

Yeah, I don't expect him to be a great one on one defender, especially against quick PGs but his team defense is very good. After all, how good an individual defender is Steph Curry? Or Klay Thompson"? What about Parker and Ginobili? The Kings would greatly benefit from a weakside shotblocker but beyond that one roster spot, team defense comes from coaching/scheme and commitment, not necessarily terrific individual defenders.

McCollum may not be the best player in this draft, but if Tyreke and Cousins are retained he'd be a great fit next to them.

 

[sidney]

He's a great fit along side Evans imo based on what we've seen from Tyreke during his time as a King... he was at his very best playing alongside Beno, a guard that could shoot the three and could share ball handling responsibilities but didn't need to dominate the ball to be effective. McCollum should be all that... and hopefully be a little more.

I agree Tyreke did well with Beno but I don't see McCollum near as talented a facilitator as Beno. He got 2-3 assists in 30-35 minutes of college ball...every year for 4 years. Nice for a SG, but he's 6'3", not known as a defender, and is also a senior. If we draft him I'll hope for the best but I'm not terribly excited about him as a pick.

 

[sidney]

He actually does have great size for the PG position which is where I'd imagine him to play if Tyreke is resigned. McCollum can play on or off the ball, is a strong rebounder as a guard and shoots well off the dribble, running off screens, on catch-and-shoot situations etc. His shooting would help space the floor for Evans and Cousins, his ballhandling would take some pressure off Tyreke while also letting Evans have the ball in his hands a quite a bit which is where he's been most effective, and he is a smart, experienced kid who should help right away.

Yeah, I don't expect him to be a great one on one defender, especially against quick PGs but his team defense is very good. After all, how good an individual defender is Steph Curry? Or Klay Thompson"? What about Parker and Ginobili? The Kings would greatly benefit from a weakside shotblocker but beyond that one roster spot, team defense comes from coaching/scheme and commitment, not necessarily terrific individual defenders.

McCollum may not be the best player in this draft, but if Tyreke and Cousins are retained he'd be a great fit next to them.

Maybe you've seen him play a lot more than I have. What would McCollum bring that Thornton doesn't? Thornton can score in bunches when given the chance, is about the same size, is tough but not a great defender, and can dish out 3 assists a night too. Thornton also struggled starting next to Tyreke.

 

[ElRey]

I would take CJ McCollum with our pick. Great size at 6'3" for a PG, very good shooter off the dribble, penetration ability. He would be our starting PG immeidately. His shooting would offset Tyreke's weakness of shooting and provide another shooter for Tyreke to kick out to when he penetrates. Only question would be how would he adopt to a more traditional PG role, as opposed to scorer that he played at Lehigh.

 

[funkykingston]

Maybe you've seen him play a lot more than I have. What would McCollum bring that Thornton doesn't? Thornton can score in bunches when given the chance, is about the same size, is tough but not a great defender, and can dish out 3 assists a night too. Thornton also struggled starting next to Tyreke.

Before the draft kicked into gear I'd only seen McCollum in three full games - the two in the Tourney (beating Duke and losing to Xavier) and the Bucknell game where they won the Patriot League. Since then everything I've seen has been short clips and probably biased by that fact. Still, I'm doing my best to be objective.

As to Thornton, McCollum is a better ballhandler and a more willing passer. He has had success running the pick and roll, is comfortable initiating an offense or coming off screens. I think he can operate at a higher level without the ball in his hands than Marcus can. I also believe McCollum will put up more assists in the NBA than he did in college where he was the team's best scoring option. In short, I think he's much more capable of being a facilitator than Thornton and I think his skillset meshes better with Tyreke.

But again, that's a big part of how I'm viewing things. If Evans isn't resigned then a lot of my thoughts on the draft change. Because Evans has major skills and major weaknesses that must be considered when thinking of which guard to put alongside him. If Tyreke isn't returning then I think I'd be looking a lot harder at Burke or MCW.

 

[Kingster]

I think a big part of why I am so high on Otto Porter and CJ McCollum is that they have clearly evident skillsets that are very easy to see working next to Cousins and Evans. Porter has the length to be a very good defender, moves well without the ball, makes great decisions on the court and will continue to improve his shooting/scoring while not being ball dominant. McCollum is a combo guard that can play on or off the ball, is a very good and well rounded shooter, is mature and savvy and ready to contribute now. He'd take pressure of Tyreke as a ballhandler while not being ball dominant and his shooting would open things up for Evans and Cousins.

With other guys it's harder to see how they'd help form a core for the Kings. Oladipo and McLemore aren't helping Tyreke out as ballhandlers. Len isn't a natural shotblocker and between he and Cousins athletic opposing PFs would be tough to deal with. Bennett isn't a shotblocker/defender as a PF, is a question mark as a SF AND needs the ball in his hands to be effective. And so on.

I WILL say that I think Dieng and Bullock will be very solid roleplayers at the very least. Beyond that it's hard for me to be all that confident in any projection I might make. Although I guess if I was more certain and bombastic about these things I might have Chad Ford's job. . .

The reason I like Porter is that he's going to fit with anybody, which is one element that makes him even more valuable. He doesn't have to have other players that fit him.

I wouldn't even consider fit in this draft. If you get somebody good regardless of fit, consider yourself fortunate. Petrie obviously concerned himself with fitting Tyreke with the Jimmer and Salmons and that didn't turn out so well.

 

[bajaden]

Before the draft kicked into gear I'd only seen McCollum in three full games - the two in the Tourney (beating Duke and losing to Xavier) and the Bucknell game where they won the Patriot League. Since then everything I've seen has been short clips and probably biased by that fact. Still, I'm doing my best to be objective.

As to Thornton, McCollum is a better ballhandler and a more willing passer. He has had success running the pick and roll, is comfortable initiating an offense or coming off screens. I think he can operate at a higher level without the ball in his hands than Marcus can. I also believe McCollum will put up more assists in the NBA than he did in college where he was the team's best scoring option. In short, I think he's much more capable of being a facilitator than Thornton and I think his skillset meshes better with Tyreke.

But again, that's a big part of how I'm viewing things. If Evans isn't resigned then a lot of my thoughts on the draft change. Because Evans has major skills and major weaknesses that must be considered when thinking of which guard to put alongside him. If Tyreke isn't returning then I think I'd be looking a lot harder at Burke or MCW.

I assume that your referring to last season and not to this season, when McCollum only played in around 10 or so games before being injuried. Bucknell won the Patriot league this year, and even without McCollum, Lehigh almost pulled it. But Bucknell and Muscala prevailed. The two schools have a great rivialry going.