Georgios Papagiannis

Now that we've seen the second shoe drop (hard to say Vlade wasn't already planning a Cousins trade prior to last year's draft at this point) picking up two more 7 footers in the first round last year makes a lot of sense. In fact, if these guys continue to progress at their current rates and we add another high-ceiling bigman next year in the 2018 bigman bonanza draft, our front court rotation could be the envy of the league in a couple years.
We have 2K, WCS, and the two rookies. Where is there room for another 4 or 5 (high-ceiling bigman next year in the 2018 bigman bonanza draft)?? I had been tempted to trade 2K for a 1st round pick. But I think his value for keeping around here to mentor and back-up the younsters has increased since the Cuz trade.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
We have 2K, WCS, and the two rookies. Where is there room for another 4 or 5 (high-ceiling bigman next year in the 2018 bigman bonanza draft)?? I had been tempted to trade 2K for a 1st round pick. But I think his value for keeping around here to mentor and back-up the younsters has increased since the Cuz trade.
Koufos has another year left, that's it. I think we keep him around as a mentor like you said but he's not a long-term peice. With Skal, PapaG, and Willie we have 3 solid young bigs. There's room for one more, especially if that one extra player is an elite top of the draft prospect. Nobody has 4 quality 7 footers on their team -- that's very hard to pull off. Check out next year's draft though and tell me you wouldn't love to add one of those big guys to what we already have. If that means we suffer from an embarrassment of riches, so be it. If minutes become a problem we'd be trading from a position of strength.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
I am soooooo conflicted. While I'm still upset about how the trade went down, as time goes by it appears Vlade's draft picks and last trade may show that he does, in fact, know what he's doing.
I'm right there with you. Though as these things go, if it turns out we all have to eat crow on Vlade's GM tenure to date at least we'll be doing it while we watch winning Kings basketball! That's an outcome I'm perfectly comfortable with. :D
 
I don't like to compare players, I actually don't feel qualified to do so. However, if Georgios turns out to be as impactful a player as Marc Gasol, I at this point will not be surprised.
 
I don't like to compare players, I actually don't feel qualified to do so. However, if Georgios turns out to be as impactful a player as Marc Gasol, I at this point will not be surprised.
That's pretty far out there. Gasol is an elite defender and a mid-range confident shooter - two area PapaG must work heavily on. PapaG moves well for his size and with hard work could do well in the NBA. He's got some time. I've got to admit, I was wrong on the pick and quick to judge, one of my poorer qualities; I likely judged the trade-down hastily.
 
That's pretty far out there. Gasol is an elite defender and a mid-range confident shooter - two area PapaG must work heavily on. PapaG moves well for his size and with hard work could do well in the NBA. He's got some time. I've got to admit, I was wrong on the pick and quick to judge, one of my poorer qualities; I likely judged the trade-down hastily.
Respect.
Takes a good man to admit that.
 
I am soooooo conflicted. While I'm still upset about how the trade went down, as time goes by it appears Vlade's draft picks and last trade may show that he does, in fact, know what he's doing.
Some of us have been saying for 9 months now not to judge to quickly. What we're seeing from the young players now is precisely the reason why.

Why we have to bring this up every single Summer League (and even during the 1st season or two) is beyond me. But in 3 more months, we'll have fans jumping off the proverbial cliff while declaring bust when the new draft picks don't play well. Bookmark it.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
That's pretty far out there. Gasol is an elite defender and a mid-range confident shooter - two area PapaG must work heavily on. PapaG moves well for his size and with hard work could do well in the NBA. He's got some time. I've got to admit, I was wrong on the pick and quick to judge, one of my poorer qualities; I likely judged the trade-down hastily.
Don't know if you remember what Gasol looked like when he came into the NBA, but Papagiannia at summer league is a good comparison. I remember thinking that Gasol will never make it in the NBA. But buried under all that extra fat, was a very good basketball player. The same thing could be true of big Papa. Time will tell. Personally I'd be happy with anything close to Gasol. He doesn't look anything like the same player I watched in summer league. Good start!
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
Some of us have been saying for 9 months now not to judge to quickly. What we're seeing from the young players now is precisely the reason why.

Why we have to bring this up every single Summer League (and even during the 1st season or two) is beyond me. But in 3 more months, we'll have fans jumping off the proverbial cliff while declaring bust when the new draft picks don't play well. Bookmark it.
My angst about Vlade wasn't about his draft picks. It was about how he handled a certain trade. I'm still not over it completely, but I've gone a long way towards seeing past my initial anger. At the end of the day, it's about the Kings. If what Vlade has done has, in fact, given us a better team to go forward with, then so be it.

#GoKings
 
Some of us have been saying for 9 months now not to judge to quickly. What we're seeing from the young players now is precisely the reason why.

Why we have to bring this up every single Summer League (and even during the 1st season or two) is beyond me. But in 3 more months, we'll have fans jumping off the proverbial cliff while declaring bust when the new draft picks don't play well. Bookmark it.
What most Papa "haters" were mad at is the fact we used a lottery pick on a giant project C when we already had a star C, a great-back up signed for 3 years and another young guy at WCS already at the position. If the plan was to continue to build around Cousins, it was just a giant waste; we'd never would have gotten to see what Papa could actually do.

Now that we know the plan was to move on from Cousins, it makes the pick far better and much more understandable. We can talk all day about how the Cousins trade was mishandled, but it's starting to look like Vlade hit a home-run in this draft.
 
What most Papa "haters" were mad at is the fact we used a lottery pick on a giant project C when we already had a star C, a great-back up signed for 3 years and another young guy at WCS already at the position. If the plan was to continue to build around Cousins, it was just a giant waste; we'd never would have gotten to see what Papa could actually do.

Now that we know the plan was to move on from Cousins, it makes the pick far better and much more understandable. We can talk all day about how the Cousins trade was mishandled, but it's starting to look like Vlade hit a home-run in this draft.
Everyone who was upset at the draft picks, were more upset about the direction Vlade was trying to go. He verbally committed to Cousins, then ends up drafting 3 extremely raw projects. We all saw them play in SL, and none of those guys looked like they should be allowed on the same court as Cousins. Vlade with his flip-flopping deserved criticism.

I'm really happy with the result though. Not ready to call it a home-run, but hitting on at least 1 pick will make Vlade look like a genius.
 
Everyone who was upset at the draft picks, were more upset about the direction Vlade was trying to go. He verbally committed to Cousins, then ends up drafting 3 extremely raw projects. We all saw them play in SL, and none of those guys looked like they should be allowed on the same court as Cousins. Vlade with his flip-flopping deserved criticism.

I'm really happy with the result though. Not ready to call it a home-run, but hitting on at least 1 pick will make Vlade look like a genius.
Every one of his picks last draft look really good imo.
 
@206 Fan

I truly believe Vlade wanted to trade Cousins since at least the start of the season. He is stuck in a position to make moves based on his basketball knowledge and being over ruled by an owner with his hand always in the proverbial cookie jar.

At Joergers introductory press conference he said "I dont think we are going to trade Cousins". When he kept mentioning "only for a godfather offer" I think he meant something that convinces his boss to let him do his job and make a move he thinks is best for the franchise.

All just my own theories.
 
What most Papa "haters" were mad at is the fact we used a lottery pick on a giant project C when we already had a star C, a great-back up signed for 3 years and another young guy at WCS already at the position. If the plan was to continue to build around Cousins, it was just a giant waste; we'd never would have gotten to see what Papa could actually do.

Now that we know the plan was to move on from Cousins, it makes the pick far better and much more understandable. We can talk all day about how the Cousins trade was mishandled, but it's starting to look like Vlade hit a home-run in this draft.
Don't mistake me, I'm not referring to where Papa was drafted. I too think it was a reach and that he likely could have been had later in the draft. That said, I was referring to those judging his actual play and potential on the court from July to today. You just can't possibly do so and be accurate when a kid is 19 and in his 1st season.
 
Everyone who was upset at the draft picks, were more upset about the direction Vlade was trying to go. He verbally committed to Cousins, then ends up drafting 3 extremely raw projects. We all saw them play in SL, and none of those guys looked like they should be allowed on the same court as Cousins. Vlade with his flip-flopping deserved criticism.

I'm really happy with the result though. Not ready to call it a home-run, but hitting on at least 1 pick will make Vlade look like a genius.
When you get 3 (4 if you include buddy) rookies who very much look like they'll be rotational players, especially from 13 back, that's a pretty home-run draft. Obviously need to see how they continue to develop, but I don't see any of these guys flaming out of the league in 3 years.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
When you get 3 (4 if you include buddy) rookies who very much look like they'll be rotational players, especially from 13 back, that's a pretty home-run draft. Obviously need to see how they continue to develop, but I don't see any of these guys flaming out of the league in 3 years.
Especially in this poostorm of a draft. The "runaway" candidate for ROY out of the 2016 draft class is Malcolm Brogdon who is (a) the same age as Ben McLemore and (b) an okay shooting guard who gets a lot of gimmes because the Greek Freak has now mutated into the next Lebron James.