Following 2019 draftees!!!

I'm all aboard the Nickeil Alexander-Walker train as well. I believe he is a lotto talent. Every year it seems SG's rise in the weeks leading up to the draft and I figure he's gonna be one of those. His handle is nifty too, he's got this stop and start ability and some legit combo skills.


Shai Gilgeous brother who's 6'7" and plays PG committed to Evansville the other day.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Word is Bruno Fernando is definitely IN this draft field.
He's one of the players I have targeted if he slides down to us in the 2nd rd. My gut tells me he'll go somewhere between pick 25 and pick 35. Hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it. I like him a lot. My comp would be Capella!
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
I'll be surprised if he isn't a lottery pick (probably top 5).
That seems a bit generous. Keep in mind that Clarke is older (he'll be 23 when the season starts) and he's undersized for his position. Can he play? Yes. Does he have a great motor? Yes. But size and age are serious, serious drivers in the NBA draft as we see year after year. My jaw would hit the floor so hard I'd probably lose some teeth if Clarke went top 5. I think that Baja's estimate of 10-14 is probably closer to his ceiling and he could drop to the mid-20s if things go wrong. But I suspect he'll get a green room invite and I don't see him being there at #40 by any stretch of any imagination I have.
 
That seems a bit generous. Keep in mind that Clarke is older (he'll be 23 when the season starts) and he's undersized for his position. Can he play? Yes. Does he have a great motor? Yes. But size and age are serious, serious drivers in the NBA draft as we see year after year. My jaw would hit the floor so hard I'd probably lose some teeth if Clarke went top 5. I think that Baja's estimate of 10-14 is probably closer to his ceiling and he could drop to the mid-20s if things go wrong. But I suspect he'll get a green room invite and I don't see him being there at #40 by any stretch of any imagination I have.
You could be right, which is why I mentioned the lottery first. My guess is that he will move into the top 5. Age is the only thing that moves him lower IMO. He has the talent and athleticism.
 
I'm not a huge fan of Clarke. Solid, but again, not super exciting. Reminds me of Dwight Powell. If he had shown anything from beyond the arc it would be one thing but he looks like a typical Gonzaga tweener.
 
Sean Bock: I’m told Iowa freshman guard Joe Wieskamp had a workout with the Boston Celtics today and will workout with the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow. Wieskamp has not hired an agent but is going through the draft process.
– via Twitter


WE GOTTA GET HIM IN FOR A WORKOUT!!


consider me the president of the Weiskamp fanclub, he can play and add some nice offense here potentially for cheap for years.. great shooter. veryyyyy good prospect. his HS ranking was obviously way too low.

He's got some Huerter like qualities, who's looking like a major steal for Atlanta just one year removed from the draft.



He's about 6'7" too and athletic so fits in nicely here.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
Sean Bock: I’m told Iowa freshman guard Joe Wieskamp had a workout with the Boston Celtics today and will workout with the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow. Wieskamp has not hired an agent but is going through the draft process.
– via Twitter


WE GOTTA GET HIM IN FOR A WORKOUT!!


consider me the president of the Weiskamp fanclub, he can play and add some nice offense here potentially for cheap for years.. great shooter. veryyyyy good prospect. his HS ranking was obviously way too low.

He's got some Huerter like qualities, who's looking like a major steal for Atlanta just one year removed from the draft.



He's about 6'7" too and athletic so fits in nicely here.
Well as you know, I was a huge Huerter fan and had him targeted for the Kings if possible. So he's no shock to me. Not sure I would put Weiskamp in the same category just yet, and I'll be surprised if he stays in the draft, but hey, who knows. If some team makes him a promise, you never know. I'am interested in how he measures out, but think he'll be better served to go back to school. He had a very good freshman year and if he builds on that, he'd definitely be a 1st rd pick next year. He's a very good shooter, and fairly consistent as well.

I will say this though. If he stays in the draft, he'd definitely be a player you'd have to consider. He has all the attributes you look for in a player, and that one thing you can't teach, hustle.
 
Well as you know, I was a huge Huerter fan and had him targeted for the Kings if possible. So he's no shock to me. Not sure I would put Weiskamp in the same category just yet, and I'll be surprised if he stays in the draft, but hey, who knows. If some team makes him a promise, you never know. I'am interested in how he measures out, but think he'll be better served to go back to school. He had a very good freshman year and if he builds on that, he'd definitely be a 1st rd pick next year. He's a very good shooter, and fairly consistent as well.

I will say this though. If he stays in the draft, he'd definitely be a player you'd have to consider. He has all the attributes you look for in a player, and that one thing you can't teach, hustle.
Ya know, the way it all played out, I'm convinced a player like Huerter coulda been the difference in us making the playoffs this szn, even as a rookie. If the LaVine deal went thru we'd have crusied to the playoffs IMO, but Huerter coulda filled that role in a decent capacity.

The Kings are pretty good, adding a shooter, and some muscle at backup c could take us to the next level.

As faras Weiskamp returning, I could see a team like OKC maybe giving him a promise, I'm expecting him to measure out at like 6'6½" with a 6'10" wingspan. I think he's clutch too, given our position in this draft to land a young wing player liek that would be excellent value..


He would be a big crowd favorite around here I'm sure. Even the euro crowd not exposed to college would probably like him quickly, he's fairly well disciplined for a 19 year old.

If you're part of the "after the top-3 it's a crapshoot" camp, I'm sure Weiskamp as a project seems even more appealing. He's kinda old for a freshman tbh. Turns 20 in a few months, that could help sway him to declare now if he gets good feedback from workouts..
 
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How do we feel about trading up for a falling Keldon Johnson??

He could be our Will Barton. Obviously we dont have anyone on the wing like that, and obviously his game is best suited at ultra-high-speed...


With that offer to LaVine last summer you can peice together that Vlade, at least before the szn, envisioned another ultra athlete running on the wing with our guys.


Keldon is interesting in small-ball looks moving forward too, he is tough as nails.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
How do we feel about trading up for a falling Keldon Johnson??

He could be our Will Barton. Obviously we dont have anyone on the wing like that, and obviously his game is best suited at ultra-high-speed...


With that offer to LaVine last summer you can peice together that Vlade, at least before the szn, envisioned another ultra athlete running on the wing with our guys.


Keldon is interesting in small-ball looks moving forward too, he is tough as nails.
I like Johnson. There were games this year when Keldon was the best player on that Kentucky team. I like multi-position players, and Johnson fits that bill. He's a pretty good shooter, who will likely get better when he's got nothing better to do but work on his shot. As you said, he would fit the fast pace the team is going to play at. He did a pretty good job of playing off the ball this year as well. He wouldn't be my first choice to trade up for, but I wouldn't be disappointed with him.
 
Kinda Off topic; Would like to throw this out there though..lemme state that Emoni Bates, who's in the Highschool class of 2022 is the best go-to wing scorer amatuer prospect on the planet. he will go #1.. he's really added nice strength past few years.

If somehow that 2022 draft is the one the one-and-done falls, which they say it's on track to, trading for an unprotected 2022 1st now for a Bates lotto ticket would be something that could pay off in truly a kings ransom. That kid is the goods, with the core here and him and Marvin at the forward spot, we'd be a championship contender and probably the best team in the west for a long time...

I am really all for investing int he future drafts, there is major pieces to be had, for sure... The draft in question will be loaded but Bates is an epic prize, will be the most sought after #1 since Zion this year. For the kings to have a good 50-win team but a pick with a chance at bates, would be a major feather in Vlade's cap.


There appears to be major consolation prizes in the bates sweepstakes too, mainly Jarace Walker, who'd be perfect here.
 
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Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
For me, Buddy’s age can quickly become a non factor if Fox and Bagley reach him in terms of development next season. Fox made big strides this year, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can make a big jump next year as well. Bagley had a good rookie year, but he’s still raw in terms of contributing to a winning team(didn’t play within our offense) right now.

On the other hand, Buddy is arguably a top 10 SG. His shooting is elite. I’m not going to say he’s reached his ceiling, but his game is very complete now. Does his timeline align with that of Fox and Bagley who are our presumed franchise players?

I should clarify, I’m not looking to replace Buddy. He’s a great offensive fit next to Fox with his 3pt shooting. I think i’m looking more at Bogdan replacements who’s athletic ability could make for a dynamic pairing with Fox down the line. Not to minigate what Buddy has done. I’ll use Denver as an example. Their starting SG is Gary Harris, but they have a very impressive Malik Beasley off the bench.

Here’s a better example. Boston who had prior to his injury, Hayward starting at the 3 with Jayson Tatum coming off the bench.

I think the real question is... are these players worth trading Bogdan for? Despite his down year, I think Bogdan can be a very important cog for this team in the next 5 years.
One thing that helps in that regard is that Buddy's game isn't necessarily predicated on his athleticism as it is his shooting ability which will probably lead to a longer career arc than some of these uber athletic dudes or even a guy like IT who went from MVP candidate to Denver's Mateen after one hip injury. Buddy being an elite spot up shooter means that, even if his production regresses with age, he can still fill an invaluable JJ Reddick role.
 
Buddy is easily a top-10 SG, volume shooting is paramount these days and he's one of the leagues best. He's also pretty dang athletic, seemed in the 2nd half of the season he was really timing some sweet rebounds swooping in from the perimeter, and some blocks too..
 

Another Lefty. The Kings give the backup PG's the keys and let them do some scoring and that is the ideal situation for Ponds to try to break into. He has a nifty bag of tricks.
 
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what about Daniel Gafford?


He's not redundant here I dont think. would be cool to see him as the 3rd string C next year IMO. If we could land him in this draft, thats a pretty good project landed in a draft with no 1st.
 
I really like Ponds' game. He has that silky type of game like Irving/Russell have. His level of competition hasn't been great but he's been very productive and passes the eye test. Could definitely be a sleeper. One thing that caught me by surprise is how shy and lacking in confidence he is off the court. Because his game type had me thinking that this kid would be a major trash-talker with a big ego. I'm not sure if his demeanour off the court is actually a good thing, but based on his skills, you definitely give him a shot and hope he grows in confidence. Seems like a very nice kid though.
 
Buddy is easily a top-10 SG, volume shooting is paramount these days and he's one of the leagues best. He's also pretty dang athletic, seemed in the 2nd half of the season he was really timing some sweet rebounds swooping in from the perimeter, and some blocks too..
When he worked out for the Lakers before he was drafted, they said he registered a 40" vertical.
 
When he worked out for the Lakers before he was drafted, they said he registered a 40" vertical.
I, for one, will never trust the Lakers verticals leaked to the public, because they are in fact misleading. It's actually apples and oranges, with the NBA combine vert, and most ppl think it's an apples and apples situation...

I would contend it's blatant too, see the thing is, the big catch, is that the Lakers seem to let the players get a running start and test their max verticals like that..... this is NOT how it's done at the combine where you have a measured number of steps, 2, before your jump and then they test standing vert.

This is how the Lakers vert #'s are always higher than everyone elses..... I believe Dennis Smith Jr jumped 50" for them or close... I know Zach LaVine jumped at least 2" higher for the Lakers than the combine.... it's not a coincidence, in fact i'd say it's pretty much been debunked... :D

Buddy can jump, he's in that sort of few inches over 3-feet vert range though. I actually remember buddy from his earlier years in college and he could get up back then too tbh. His timing has improved this season tho.
 
I really like Ponds' game. He has that silky type of game like Irving/Russell have. His level of competition hasn't been great but he's been very productive and passes the eye test. Could definitely be a sleeper. One thing that caught me by surprise is how shy and lacking in confidence he is off the court. Because his game type had me thinking that this kid would be a major trash-talker with a big ego. I'm not sure if his demeanour off the court is actually a good thing, but based on his skills, you definitely give him a shot and hope he grows in confidence. Seems like a very nice kid though.
Benny mac is that you ... ?
 
@Ozymandias what do you think aboukt Goga Bitadze?
He looks good to me.. his name has been around for a few drafts... its encouraging the way he's improved. He clearly has an NBA build, looks like he can be a load on the boards.

I dont think he's quite the prospect Nurkic was, but I could be wrong, Nurkic has superior balance and I think better hands, not that Goga has bad hands just talking comparatively. that 3pt shot could be a game-changer if he keeps improving though.

I'm from NY and saw plenty of Nets games growing up and used to enjoy Nenad Kristic, who was doing his damndest on some really bad teams, I kinda think he's gonna have that type of impact.. I think he's gonna be a solid player, and around for a long time, figures to be a relatively safe pick this year I think, I can't see why he wouldn't be productive, it's just a matter of how productive cna he be and how early can he be consistent, i dont think thats much of an issue, he can handle backup minutes.

In the scope of this draft it stands to reason he'll benefit from some shaky C depth... That being said, I wouldn't be suprised if he went in the late lotto or fell to the early 20's.. Backup C is a position where guys have a very difficult time getting decent contracts from, good players stick around for cheap, and I think this has ultimately affected the stock of potential draftees and with C's there's always been a lil more polish needed in NBA seasons than the other 4 positions, so none of that really works in his favor, unless a team sees him as a starter..