How does everyone feel about a Robinson/Cuz pairing?

[rainmaker]

I ask this, because I'm seeing more and more rumors that he's the guy we're targeting. Seems from what I've read, we want a safe pick, and that's why Robinson/Barnes keep popping up.

I personally would much rather more of a defensive presence next to Cuz. But Drummond seems so damn risky(of course this is pre-workout/interviews), and Henson is a reach, unless we trade down, which I'm not a big fan of.

Rumors are just that, rumors, but in following them it seems we might be targeting Robinson. Thoughts?

 

[hrdboild]

I wouldn't have a problem with Robinson. He gives us some of what we need. He's an athlete first and foremost and he's got an NBA body already so he should be able to help us right away. He's going to be a finisher at the basket and with his mobility and strength he's a good match up for some of the guys that Cousins struggles with defensively. He's very good at pulling in rebounds all over the floor. With him and Cousins we'd be lacking a weakside shotblocker, but we'd have two brusiers down low who clean the glass. Not to mention both Robinson and Cousins move their feet very well for guys that size. That could be the foundation of a very good defense.

I really only see him falling to us if he measures out at 6'8" or smaller. If that happens I'd rather we pick Kidd-Gilchrist, Barnes, or Drummond but if they're all off the board we'd still be in good shape with Robinson because he has the wingspan and athleticism to play bigger than he is. This is a no-lose situation for us, assuming we don't trade down again.

 

[Uncia03]

I'm not a fan of Kansas basketball.
For some reason I tend to drift off when watching them play. Last year I wasted a whole bunch of time waiting for Josh Selby to put things together.

So I want everyone to understand that my opinions are based on a lot less watching compared to most of the other high-ranking players in the draft.

To me it all comes down to the measurements. I don't think he drops down to us unless he measure more poorly than expected, and if he measures as badly as say Cole Adrich (another Kansas big man) then we would probably consider passing on him as well.

If he measures out to a decent PF size, then I would 100% be in favor to selecting him.
His strength and quickness are off-the-charts for someone of his size.

There was a game in the tournament (I still have it saved, so I'll try to find it) where he's out on the perimeter on defense and he deflects a pass, picks it up and takes it the length of the court for the slam dunk.
I had to watch that play a couple of times because the quickness and agility he showed on that play were mind-boggling. That play right there convinced me that he was just a physical specimen.

When you combine that with his great rebounding (which always translates) and ability to establish good post position then you have yourself a power forward.

He's raw and no-where near as talented as Sullinger on the block, but he does a great job of getting deep post position, and he's such an athlete that he can finish in traffic, and he also looks as if he can hit the face-up mid-range shot with some consistency.

Add that to him being a great character guy with a ton of heart, hustle, and fantastic motor....again unless he measures out to 6'7 or something, I just don't see how he is going to slip all the way down to #5.

He isn't a shot-blocking defender, and that's really the biggest drawback when looking at him and seeing how he'd fit on this team.

I think that he could end up being a Blake Griffin type player. Now, Blake Griffin might not be the best player next to Cousins, but would you turn him down if you could trade your 5th pick for Griffin?

Robinsin could be like Blake Griffin and Drummond could be like Thabeet, so if I had to choose between Robinsin and Drummond I'll take Robinson every day even if he isn't the ideal fit next to Cousins.

 

[Uncia03]

If he measures out to a decent PF size, then I would 100% be in favor to selecting him.
His strength and quickness are off-the-charts for someone of his size.

There was a game in the tournament (I still have it saved, so I'll try to find it) where he's out on the perimeter on defense and he deflects a pass, picks it up and takes it the length of the court for the slam dunk.
I had to watch that play a couple of times because the quickness and agility he showed on that play were mind-boggling. That play right there convinced me that he was just a physical specimen.

Found it. It was Regional Finals against NC State. 7:40 left in the 1st half.
It's a great play to illustrate his elite quickness.

 

[Bricklayer]

If Robinson comes, it almost has to mean JT goes. You can do that. But its a waste of resources unless Robinson is off the charts. We say we need a shotblocker, we know we need a SF....our assets are a #5 pick, and maybe trading one of our major guards. And then we use the #5 pick to get a guy who is neither the shotblocker nor the SF. And there always has to be some scepticism with older rookies who only blew up in their last season. Lots of people were riding Wesley Johnson's jock a couple of years ago. Thabeet flopped. Evan Turner has yet to establish himself (although he had two strong years, not just one) etc.

Much like picking up JJ Hickson last year, whether drafting Robinson turns out to be a mistake or just a shrug might well depend on what else we do the rest of the summer. If we for instance spent the rest of the summer actually picking up players who filled our needs then its ok. If we do what we did last summer and ****ing ignore our needs again...well that would likely be the influence of Smart's smallball dragging us right down into the same hell that ravaged the Warriors franchsie for decades.

BTW you want safe? TRULY safe? You trade the pick for an established NBA vet who you KNOW can fill a need for you. I know Chicago says they won't, and they probably mean it given that they are an elite team when healthy, but can a #5 pick get you Noah? No? Can it get you Iggy? Or Gay? Or... You want safe? Take that pick out for a spin around the league's front offices and see what rattles loose. Always 100x easier to project out how an established NBA guy is going to perform for you than a college kid.

 

[roasthawg]

JT and pick #5 is >>>> than Robinson by himself if that's indeed what it came down to I think. JT and Robinson seem like similar players. I dunno... I'm a Sullinger fan and was trying to convince myself that he and Cuz could work together but looking back at the history of the league not too many similar pairings have made a big impact together.\


Looking at the four teams still playing right now you could say that all four have a "big three". Those big three's are pretty telling as all consist of no more than one dominant big man and either two or three ball handling scorers. Beal kinda looks better to me in that light if we feel he can be a Ray Allen type of two... Thornton is nice but he's no Wade/Allen/Ginobli/Harden.

The fallback is just grabbing a shotblocker or a small forward if we don't think Beal has a shot to be an elite scorer.

 

[bajaden]

If Robinson comes, it almost has to mean JT goes. You can do that. But its a waste of resources unless Robinson is off the charts. We say we need a shotblocker, we know we need a SF....our assets are a #5 pick, and maybe trading one of our major guards. And then we use the #5 pick to get a guy who is neither the shotblocker nor the SF. And there always has to be some scepticism with older rookies who only blew up in their last season. Lots of people were riding Wesley Johnson's jock a couple of years ago. Thabeet flopped. Evan Turner has yet to establish himself (although he had two strong years, not just one) etc.

Much like picking up JJ Hickson last year, whether drafting Robinson turns out to be a mistake or just a shrug might well depend on what else we do the rest of the summer. If we for instance spent the rest of the summer actually picking up players who filled our needs then its ok. If we do what we did last summer and ****ing ignore our needs again...well that would likely be the influence of Smart's smallball dragging us right down into the same hell that ravaged the Warriors franchsie for decades.

BTW you want safe? TRULY safe? You trade the pick for an established NBA vet who you KNOW can fill a need for you. I know Chicago says they won't, and they probably mean it given that they are an elite team when healthy, but can a #5 pick get you Noah? No? Can it get you Iggy? Or Gay? Or... You want safe? Take that pick out for a spin around the league's front offices and see what rattles loose. Always 100x easier to project out how an established NBA guy is going to perform for you than a college kid.

I'm certainly not against trading for a proven vet, as long as its a good player. Doesn't have to be a star, but a player that actually fills a big need, is proven, and isn't 38 years old. Other than that, Robinson, if as tall as listed, is a good pick. He's a terrific athlete, and while he may never be a shotblocker, he should be able to play good defense. I'm not sure why drafting Robinson means JT has to go. We need depth in the big dept. Even if we draft Robinson, I'd prefer him coming off the bench for a while. Let him get his feet wet against second unit guys and gradually work his way into the starting lineup. If you had Robinson in the second unit, along with moving Thornton there, you'd have a much better scoring and rebounding unit.

Eventually I don't think JT would be that upset coming off the bench. As long as he knows his role and that he'll still get minutes, I think he'd be OK with it. Our second unit was terrible rebounding the ball. So whether its Robinson or JT coming off the bench, our rebounding should improve. Robinson has a very nice jumpshot, and he's consistent with it out to around 18 feet. Meaning, that if he can improve his ballhandling, he could play some SF at times, and give us the ability to go to a very tall lineup.

By the way, as a throw in, I read on twitter that Miles Plumlee posted a 41 inch vertical at one of the team workouts. I have a serious problem believing that. I can't wait to see the results of the combine...

 

[Bricklayer]

I'm certainly not against trading for a proven vet, as long as its a good player. Doesn't have to be a star, but a player that actually fills a big need, is proven, and isn't 38 years old. Other than that, Robinson, if as tall as listed, is a good pick. He's a terrific athlete, and while he may never be a shotblocker, he should be able to play good defense. I'm not sure why drafting Robinson means JT has to go. We need depth in the big dept. Even if we draft Robinson, I'd prefer him coming off the bench for a while. Let him get his feet wet against second unit guys and gradually work his way into the starting lineup. If you had Robinson in the second unit, along with moving Thornton there, you'd have a much better scoring and rebounding unit.

Eventually I don't think JT would be that upset coming off the bench. As long as he knows his role and that he'll still get minutes, I think he'd be OK with it. Our second unit was terrible rebounding the ball. So whether its Robinson or JT coming off the bench, our rebounding should improve. Robinson has a very nice jumpshot, and he's consistent with it out to around 18 feet. Meaning, that if he can improve his ballhandling, he could play some SF at times, and give us the ability to go to a very tall lineup.

By the way, as a throw in, I read on twitter that Miles Plumlee posted a 41 inch vertical at one of the team workouts. I have a serious problem believing that. I can't wait to see the results of the combine...

JT has to go because ONE of the guys up front has to be that shotblocker. And he has to get real minutes. And he can't if Petrie does his normal fumbling I'm gonna stack up 5 players of equal value at one position and it'll all work out because you can never have too many good basketbal players right? thing. It can be Cousins/JT/shotblocker. It can be Cousins/Robinson/shotblocker. It can't be Cousins/Robinson/JT/shotblocker, oh and Hayes and Whiteside too, unless we once again, as it seems to have been forever, want overcrowded nonsense up fron and a shotblocker who plays 12-15 minutes a night just so Petrie can say see? see?? Look I got a shotblocker!

Big #4 is a 12-15 minute positon. That can't be JT after you pay him or you shouldn't have paid him. It can't be your shotblocker or you really have no shotblocker and we continue our record run of terrible defense for a whole decade. It can't be your #5 pick or you shouldn't have picked him #5. Cousins/?/?/Hayes/Whiteside is the structure. And one ? has to be able to SHUT DOWN THE PAINT. We were dead last in giving up points in the paint the NBA last year. Its unbelievable to me there is still any debate whatsoever amongst the fanbase as to the need for a rim protector, no matter how posioned fans have been by Jerry's rantings.

 

[hrdboild]

JT has to go because ONE of the guys up front has to be that shotblocker. And he has to get real minutes. And he can't if Petrie does his normal fumbling I'm gonna stack up 5 players of equal value at one position and it'll all work out because you can never have too many good basketbal players right? thing. It can be Cousins/JT/shotblocker. It can be Cousins/Robinson/shotblocker. It can't be Cousins/Robinson/JT/shotblocker, oh and Hayes and Whiteside too, unless we once again, as it seems to have been forever, want overcrowded nonsense up fron and a shotblocker who plays 12-15 minutes a night just so Petrie can say see? see?? Look I got a shotblocker!

Sad but true. Which is why I think JT basically has to go regardless. He's a solid player but we seem to be perpetually overflowing with solid players on mid-level contracts and comparatively lacking in top level talent. I've said this before, but unless we can unload Hayes' contract on someone else it doesn't seem wise to me to commit more money at the position on a guy who's only proven himself to be inconsistent as a starter and push Whiteside, the potential shotblocker we need, even further along into irrelevancy.

Aside from that, I don't really understand where the idea comes from that Robinson is similar to Thompson. Robinson is projected as a possible #2 overall pick. It was widely considered a reach when we picked Jason Thompson with the 12th pick. And that's before you mention play style which couldn't be more different either. And he's only superficially like Hickson for that matter. He's a top level athlete with elite rebounding skills who can fly all over the court. I like shotblocking too, but that's pretty much the only thing he doesn't give you and at 1 steal and 1 block per game with the rebounding skill he's already a better overall defender than most shot blocking specialists.

 

[beb0p]

Every draft there's always one guy who gets way overhyped, don't get me wrong, they're usually solid players but where they're picked made me go, "Really? For him?" Last season, it was Derrick Williams. Before that it was OJ Mayo, Evan Turner, Thabeet.

This year, that guy is Thomas Robinson. Again, there's no question he'll be a solid starter with a long career ahead of him. But is he a future All-Star? I honestly don't see it. Sure, he's probably going to be a little bit better than JT but not enough imo to have such a crowded frontcourt - a bunch of hard working rebounding guys, none of whom are great scorers nor block shots.

I don't agree with Brick often, but I think this time he's right on.
.

 

[ParniValjak]

Underwhelmed!

I like JT as my 3rd big and Robinson is not the type that I would bring in as my starter next to Cuz and he is not a 3rd big type either.

 

[mac]

JT has to go because ONE of the guys up front has to be that shotblocker. And he has to get real minutes. And he can't if Petrie does his normal fumbling I'm gonna stack up 5 players of equal value at one position and it'll all work out because you can never have too many good basketbal players right? thing. It can be Cousins/JT/shotblocker. It can be Cousins/Robinson/shotblocker. It can't be Cousins/Robinson/JT/shotblocker, oh and Hayes and Whiteside too, unless we once again, as it seems to have been forever, want overcrowded nonsense up fron and a shotblocker who plays 12-15 minutes a night just so Petrie can say see? see?? Look I got a shotblocker!

Big #4 is a 12-15 minute positon. That can't be JT after you pay him or you shouldn't have paid him. It can't be your shotblocker or you really have no shotblocker and we continue our record run of terrible defense for a whole decade. It can't be your #5 pick or you shouldn't have picked him #5. Cousins/?/?/Hayes/Whiteside is the structure. And one ? has to be able to SHUT DOWN THE PAINT. We were dead last in giving up points in the paint the NBA last year. Its unbelievable to me there is still any debate whatsoever amongst the fanbase as to the need for a rim protector, no matter how posioned fans have been by Jerry's rantings.

Don't worry Brick, we will draft MKG, Whiteside will finally get it and become our shotblocking big. Tyreke develops a jumpshot and improves playmaking. Thornton goes to bench and Marshall falls to #36. Championship next season fo sure!

 

[rainmaker]

If Robinson comes, it almost has to mean JT goes. You can do that. But its a waste of resources unless Robinson is off the charts. We say we need a shotblocker, we know we need a SF....our assets are a #5 pick, and maybe trading one of our major guards. And then we use the #5 pick to get a guy who is neither the shotblocker nor the SF. And there always has to be some scepticism with older rookies who only blew up in their last season. Lots of people were riding Wesley Johnson's jock a couple of years ago. Thabeet flopped. Evan Turner has yet to establish himself (although he had two strong years, not just one) etc.

Much like picking up JJ Hickson last year, whether drafting Robinson turns out to be a mistake or just a shrug might well depend on what else we do the rest of the summer. If we for instance spent the rest of the summer actually picking up players who filled our needs then its ok. If we do what we did last summer and ****ing ignore our needs again...well that would likely be the influence of Smart's smallball dragging us right down into the same hell that ravaged the Warriors franchsie for decades.

BTW you want safe? TRULY safe? You trade the pick for an established NBA vet who you KNOW can fill a need for you. I know Chicago says they won't, and they probably mean it given that they are an elite team when healthy, but can a #5 pick get you Noah? No? Can it get you Iggy? Or Gay? Or... You want safe? Take that pick out for a spin around the league's front offices and see what rattles loose. Always 100x easier to project out how an established NBA guy is going to perform for you than a college kid.

Seeing these rumors, if they are true, leads me to believe if we pick Robinson then JT is not coming back. They do duplicate each other without filling one of our greatest needs. I would think if that's the case, then in Petrie's eyes Robinson is a younger, cheaper version of JT with a higher ceiling. Then, given our cap situation where we don't have as much room as we'd like, Robinson fills the JT role for probably half the amount JT would resign for(JT might sign for as high as 6-7M somewhere), and we use the added room to get a shotblocker somewhere.

I of course could be completely off and Petrie could once again run this off season like the idiot he was last off season. But he did come out after the season and said rim protection was a key need and an area he will address. Obviously Robinson doesn't do that. So does he take Robinson, let JT walk, and go after a Cuz/shotblocker/Robinson frontline? I just assume drafting Robinson means the end of JT is Sac and he'll push hard to get a rim protector somehow. Could be wrong....

 

[rainmaker]

Every draft there's always one guy who gets way overhyped, don't get me wrong, they're usually solid players but where they're picked made me go, "Really? For him?" Last season, it was Derrick Williams. Before that it was OJ Mayo, Evan Turner, Thabeet.

This year, that guy is Thomas Robinson. Again, there's no question he'll be a solid starter with a long career ahead of him. But is he a future All-Star? I honestly don't see it. Sure, he's probably going to be a little bit better than JT but not enough imo to have such a crowded frontcourt - a bunch of hard working rebounding guys, none of whom are great scorers nor block shots.

I don't agree with Brick often, but I think this time he's right on.
.

I agree with your premise, but think Barnes will be that guy. Not sure why so many have had him as a consensus top 5 most of the year.

 

[hrdboild]

Every draft there's always one guy who gets way overhyped, don't get me wrong, they're usually solid players but where they're picked made me go, "Really? For him?" Last season, it was Derrick Williams. Before that it was OJ Mayo, Evan Turner, Thabeet.

This year, that guy is Thomas Robinson. Again, there's no question he'll be a solid starter with a long career ahead of him. But is he a future All-Star? I honestly don't see it. Sure, he's probably going to be a little bit better than JT but not enough imo to have such a crowded frontcourt - a bunch of hard working rebounding guys, none of whom are great scorers nor block shots.

I don't agree with Brick often, but I think this time he's right on.
.

I guess beauty is the eye of the beholder because I liked Derrick Williams above even Irving last year. I don't see Robinson as an All-Star either but there's a huge gap between a guy who can't crack the starting rotation for most of his career and a future All-Star. And it's just plain silly to dismiss every PF that isn't a shot-blocking specialist. I think Robinson is going to be better than JT in his first year. Possibly even a lot better.

There's a lot more to defense than just shot blocking. Chicago had the best defense in the NBA this year and they don't have anyone that comes even close to 2 blocks per game on their roster. What they have are a lot of good individual defenders at different positions and a smart coach who teaches defensive sets. If we improved out backcourt with a Tyreke/Williams pairing or Lowry at PG and Tyreke at SG and brought in a two-way player like Batum or Wallace to play SF we'd have a much better defensive team already. Robinson is very mobile on the perimeter so he can defend the pick-and-roll and he can finish off the defensive stand with a rebound. We can always bring Whiteside off the bench as a shotblocking specialist. That'd get us close to Chicago's blueprint (without the defensive mastermind on the bench of course).

Anyway, I'm not in love with Robinson. He's 5th on my board right now with Beal 6th (and likely to go 2/3/4) so most likely someone else I like more is going to be available. But I still think he's a top level talent. More than any one thing, we need top level talent and this is how you get it. Take the best player available, whether that's Robinson or someone else, and then see who you need to trade and/or sign to build a coherent team around your best pieces.

 

[Gary]

Every draft there's always one guy who gets way overhyped, don't get me wrong, they're usually solid players but where they're picked made me go, "Really? For him?" Last season, it was Derrick Williams. Before that it was OJ Mayo, Evan Turner, Thabeet.

This year, that guy is Thomas Robinson. Again, there's no question he'll be a solid starter with a long career ahead of him. But is he a future All-Star? I honestly don't see it. Sure, he's probably going to be a little bit better than JT but not enough imo to have such a crowded frontcourt - a bunch of hard working rebounding guys, none of whom are great scorers nor block shots.

I don't agree with Brick often, but I think this time he's right on.
.

This year it's Drummond that's overhyped.. Anyway, I like Robinson but I do have issues with sidegrading (not upgrading).

Will Robinson be better than Thompson is now in 2 years?

While Drummond (on paper) fills more needs than Robinson, could Drummond actually do those things that are on that paper for an NBA team? If so, at what level? Scrub level? Mediocre level? Solid level? Awesome level?

We need more from Robinson than we would from a guy that fills an immediate need (like Drummond or Barnes) in regards to having an impact. Why? Because right now we don't have a real shotblocker that's playing any minutes, and we don't have a decent SF playing any minutes. We do however have a decent PF so Robinson would have to excel more if his value were to be higher than Barnes or Drummond.

I think I just said the same thing 3 times...........

 

[Gary]

There are probably only five guys I am kinda/really stoked about that we could take or trade for. MKG, Barnes, Teague, Melo and Marshall.

I would be ok with Beal, and Robinson and maybe Henson...

I would HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE Drummond, Lillard (if we keep IT/MT/Jimmer), Lamb, Jones, Zeller, Sullinger and Leonard...

 

[twslam07]

JT has to go because ONE of the guys up front has to be that shotblocker. And he has to get real minutes. And he can't if Petrie does his normal fumbling I'm gonna stack up 5 players of equal value at one position and it'll all work out because you can never have too many good basketbal players right? thing. It can be Cousins/JT/shotblocker. It can be Cousins/Robinson/shotblocker. It can't be Cousins/Robinson/JT/shotblocker, oh and Hayes and Whiteside too, unless we once again, as it seems to have been forever, want overcrowded nonsense up fron and a shotblocker who plays 12-15 minutes a night just so Petrie can say see? see?? Look I got a shotblocker!

Big #4 is a 12-15 minute positon. That can't be JT after you pay him or you shouldn't have paid him. It can't be your shotblocker or you really have no shotblocker and we continue our record run of terrible defense for a whole decade. It can't be your #5 pick or you shouldn't have picked him #5. Cousins/?/?/Hayes/Whiteside is the structure. And one ? has to be able to SHUT DOWN THE PAINT. We were dead last in giving up points in the paint the NBA last year. Its unbelievable to me there is still any debate whatsoever amongst the fanbase as to the need for a rim protector, no matter how posioned fans have been by Jerry's rantings.

I don't agree that if we take Robinson then we don't resign Thompson. It's a BPA scenario. We take the BPA available and figure it out after. We could very well draft Robinson and work either him or Thompson in a trade for a SF or shotblocker. Draft the guy who will have the most value so we can either use him in a trade or allow him to perform here in Sacramento. Remember there is a long trading period after the draft and free agency where we can try to balance out our roster. Bottom line is take the most valuable player available. My list goes Davis, MKG, Robinson. If we can get Robinson at 5, I would be a happy camper.

We could probably end up doing a deal including Thornton and Thompson. Their salaries together would be around 13 mil so we would have to find a player in that dollar range. These are some of the guys that fall in that range:

Iguodala
Noah
Granger
J. Smith
Horford
Gay

 

[baller13]

If Robinson measures 6'9 then you take him. Easy as that. No doubt drummond has a higher upside but he also has probably the biggest bust potential. Actually Drummond probably has the highest ceiling in the entire draft, even higher than davis because he is so much bigger. I would take drummond but only if davis, mkg, robinson and barnes are gone.

 

[ParniValjak]

Seeing these rumors, if they are true, leads me to believe if we pick Robinson then JT is not coming back. They do duplicate each other without filling one of our greatest needs. I would think if that's the case, then in Petrie's eyes Robinson is a younger, cheaper version of JT with a higher ceiling. Then, given our cap situation where we don't have as much room as we'd like, Robinson fills the JT role for probably half the amount JT would resign for(JT might sign for as high as 6-7M somewhere), and we use the added room to get a shotblocker somewhere.

I of course could be completely off and Petrie could once again run this off season like the idiot he was last off season. But he did come out after the season and said rim protection was a key need and an area he will address. Obviously Robinson doesn't do that. So does he take Robinson, let JT walk, and go after a Cuz/shotblocker/Robinson frontline? I just assume drafting Robinson means the end of JT is Sac and he'll push hard to get a rim protector somehow. Could be wrong....

There is no doubt in my mind that if we draft Robinson, then JT will not be back. That much is 100% certain.

Its the same situation we had last year. As soon as we picked up JJ from the Cavs, there were major question marks if Dalembert will be back.

One thing we must remember in all this is that we have cheap owners who do not have the capacity to spend and build a good team. In their eyes if we take Robinson, JT becomes surplus to our requirements. As stupid as that sounds, it is precisely how Maloofs have operated in the last few years. With them it is not about improving, instead it is all about covering holes from unforced departures....ie shifting chairs on a sinking ship.

 

[Bricklayer]

I don't agree that if we take Robinson then we don't resign Thompson. It's a BPA scenario. We take the BPA available and figure it out after. We could very well draft Robinson and work either him or Thompson in a trade for a SF or shotblocker. Draft the guy who will have the most value so we can either use him in a trade or allow him to perform here in Sacramento. Remember there is a long trading period after the draft and free agency where we can try to balance out our roster. Bottom line is take the most valuable player available. My list goes Davis, MKG, Robinson. If we can get Robinson at 5, I would be a happy camper.

We could probably end up doing a deal including Thornton and Thompson. Their salaries together would be around 13 mil so we would have to find a player in that dollar range. These are some of the guys that fall in that range:

Iguodala
Noah
Granger
J. Smith
Horford
Gay

We can't deal THompson -- he's a FA.

Robinson is not necessarily BPA in the OPs scenario, he's who we take to be safe. Now given that he would have had to slip all the way to #5 in a 5 1/2 player draft in order for us to get him, maybe he is BPA, but as I've mentioned that could be about time to pick up the phone and see if anybody will give you something for that pick. Proven pros = much less risky than drafted kids. And if you're going ot curl up into a little ball and draft safe -- kinda like drafting Wesley Johnson and Evan Turner over Cousins was "safe", or drafting Jimmer as a 4yr guy was "safe", then you might as well go real safe.

 

[Bricklayer]

BTW, a little comparison here. Kansas has now turned out 3 NBA PFs in two years. Same coach, same system, should give you something to maybe go on when comparing everybody statistically:

10-11 Markieff Morris 24.4min 13.6pts (.589 .424 .673) 8.3reb 1.4ast 0.8stl 1.1blk 2.1TO (17.7pts 10.8reb in same min)
10-11 Marcus Morris 28.3min 17.3pts (.570 .342 .688) 7.6reb 1.6ast 0.8stl 0.6blk 1.8TO (19.4pts 8.5reb in same min)
11-12 Thomas Robin 31.8min 17.7pts (.505 --- .682) 11.9reb 1.8ast 1.1stl 0.9blk 2.7TO

I like Robinson's attitude and I like his athelticism. He appears to play balls to the wall. BUT, the Morris twins aren't anything in the NBA. And all those guys were in similar size ranges, same age (juniors), all put up similar numbers across the board, except Robinson is the better rebounder (although the gap narrows once minutes are taken into account -- Markieff would have averaged 17.7pts 10.8reb in Robinson's minutes.) while the Morris's were both more efficient offensively and could shoot 3's. Hence I think there is reason to be dubious this is a high lottery pick singular type talent.

 

[rainmaker]

There is no doubt in my mind that if we draft Robinson, then JT will not be back. That much is 100% certain.

Its the same situation we had last year. As soon as we picked up JJ from the Cavs, there were major question marks if Dalembert will be back.

One thing we must remember in all this is that we have cheap owners who do not have the capacity to spend and build a good team. In their eyes if we take Robinson, JT becomes surplus to our requirements. As stupid as that sounds, it is precisely how Maloofs have operated in the last few years. With them it is not about improving, instead it is all about covering holes from unforced departures....ie shifting chairs on a sinking ship.

Only scenario in which I agree with taking Robinson, is if because of the salary saved between what JT would sign for and Robinsons rookie contract, we go out and get a rim protector, or at least a damn good defensive and rebounding PF who pairs well with Cuz, partly with the extra cap space we'll have due to the salary difference between JT and Robinson.

Adding Robinson and keeping JT is foolish, as is adding Robinson and going into camp with a Cuz/Robinson/Chuck/Hassan frontline rotation.

I only posted this thread because of rumors I've seen and what it looks like the FO might do. Never said I agree with any of it.

 

[D13]

He looks like Blake Griffin light with a shot out to 3. The only way we may have a chance at him is if he does only measure out to 6'9" range.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

If Robinson comes, it almost has to mean JT goes. You can do that. But its a waste of resources unless Robinson is off the charts. We say we need a shotblocker, we know we need a SF....our assets are a #5 pick, and maybe trading one of our major guards. And then we use the #5 pick to get a guy who is neither the shotblocker nor the SF. And there always has to be some scepticism with older rookies who only blew up in their last season. Lots of people were riding Wesley Johnson's jock a couple of years ago. Thabeet flopped. Evan Turner has yet to establish himself (although he had two strong years, not just one) etc.

Much like picking up JJ Hickson last year, whether drafting Robinson turns out to be a mistake or just a shrug might well depend on what else we do the rest of the summer. If we for instance spent the rest of the summer actually picking up players who filled our needs then its ok. If we do what we did last summer and ****ing ignore our needs again...well that would likely be the influence of Smart's smallball dragging us right down into the same hell that ravaged the Warriors franchsie for decades.

BTW you want safe? TRULY safe? You trade the pick for an established NBA vet who you KNOW can fill a need for you. I know Chicago says they won't, and they probably mean it given that they are an elite team when healthy, but can a #5 pick get you Noah? No? Can it get you Iggy? Or Gay? Or... You want safe? Take that pick out for a spin around the league's front offices and see what rattles loose. Always 100x easier to project out how an established NBA guy is going to perform for you than a college kid.

#5 for Noah would be great. He is absolutely ideal next to Cousins.

 

[Vitamin K]

BTW, a little comparison here. Kansas has now turned out 3 NBA PFs in two years. Same coach, same system, should give you something to maybe go on when comparing everybody statistically:

10-11 Markieff Morris 24.4min 13.6pts (.589 .424 .673) 8.3reb 1.4ast 0.8stl 1.1blk 2.1TO (17.7pts 10.8reb in same min)
10-11 Marcus Morris 28.3min 17.3pts (.570 .342 .688) 7.6reb 1.6ast 0.8stl 0.6blk 1.8TO (19.4pts 8.5reb in same min)
11-12 Thomas Robin 31.8min 17.7pts (.505 --- .682) 11.9reb 1.8ast 1.1stl 0.9blk 2.7TO

I like Robinson's attitude and I like his athelticism. He appears to play balls to the wall. BUT, the Morris twins aren't anything in the NBA. And all those guys were in similar size ranges, same age (juniors), all put up similar numbers across the board, except Robinson is the better rebounder (although the gap narrows once minutes are taken into account -- Markieff would have averaged 17.7pts 10.8reb in Robinson's minutes.) while the Morris's were both more efficient offensively and could shoot 3's. Hence I think there is reason to be dubious this is a high lottery pick singular type talent.

Wow the Morris's twins have been the league two years and they are complete busts!!! With that logic Steve Nash was a bust, Kevin love is a scrub. You apparently didn't watch a lot of Kansas basketball, Thomas Robinson is a way better athlete than the the Morris twins, especially Markieff. Thomas Robinson reminds me a lot of Derrick Williams and he was the No. 2 pick in the draft. I remember him having two big games against the Kings off the bench. Yeah the Kings couldn't use an athletic big of the bench, please. You ever heard of the name Paul Millsap, 6' 8" 250lbs how's he working out in the NBA?

 

[Bricklayer]

Wow the Morris's twins have been the league two years and they are complete busts!!! With that logic Steve Nash was a bust, Kevin love is a scrub. You apparently didn't watch a lot of Kansas basketball, Thomas Robinson is a way better athlete than the the Morris twins, especially Markieff. Thomas Robinson reminds me a lot of Derrick Williams and he was the No. 2 pick in the draft. I remember him having two big games against the Kings off the bench. Yeah the Kings couldn't use an athletic big of the bench, please. You ever heard of the name Paul Millsap, 6' 8" 250lbs how's he working out in the NBA?

Um...the Morris boys have only been in the NBA 1 yr. Wondering here who hasn't been watching their Kansas games (and no BTW, I have neither the time nor the inclination to heavily follow college ball).

And Derrick Wiliams averaged 8.8pts on .412 shooting as a man without a position last year. I believe it will work out for himjsut on raw talent, but he's hardly a great ideal let alone as a PF next to a great center. And AGAIN, that is what people are not comprehending. We aren't looking for the best PF available. We are looking for the best PF to put next to a great center, who happens to not block shots.

Oh, and has been canvassed in other threads, Milsap is about the last thing we nerd as well. Any undersized offesnive minded guy is just flat out a terrible fit. Its the exact opposite of our needs. There are no shots to go around, and there is a desperate need for defense.

 

[Double-K]

Um...the Morris boys have only been in the NBA 1 yr. Wondering here who hasn't been watching their Kansas games (and no BTW, I have neither the time nor the inclination to heavily follow college ball).

And Derrick Wiliams averaged 8.8pts on .412 shooting as a man without a position last year. I believe it will work out for himjsut on raw talent, but he's hardly a great ideal let alone as a PF next to a great center. And AGAIN, that is what people are not comprehending. We aren't looking for the best PF available. We are looking for the best PF to put next to a great center, who happens to not block shots.

Oh, and has been canvassed in other threads, Milsap is about the last thing we nerd as well. Any undersized offesnive minded guy is just flat out a terrible fit. Its the exact opposite of our needs. There are no shots to go around, and there is a desperate need for defense.

The kind of big man we need next to Cuz is Noah, or Ibaka. The dominated defensive presence while not completely a liability on offense.

 

[Vitamin K]

Um...the Morris boys have only been in the NBA 1 yr. Wondering here who hasn't been watching their Kansas games (and no BTW, I have neither the time nor the inclination to heavily follow college ball).

And Derrick Wiliams averaged 8.8pts on .412 shooting as a man without a position last year. I believe it will work out for himjsut on raw talent, but he's hardly a great ideal let alone as a PF next to a great center. And AGAIN, that is what people are not comprehending. We aren't looking for the best PF available. We are looking for the best PF to put next to a great center, who happens to not block shots.

Oh, and has been canvassed in other threads, Milsap is about the last thing we nerd as well. Any undersized offesnive minded guy is just flat out a terrible fit. Its the exact opposite of our needs. There are no shots to go around, and there is a desperate need for defense.

Yeah we don't need talent on this team. Lets just get some random shot blocker at power forward and poof the Kings are in the playoffs. I remember some team oh about ten years ago they were pretty good, best record in the league one game away from going to the NBA finals except three refs in game six decided they wanted a game seven. I can't quite remember the name of that team but I don't remember too many shot blockers. I remember a slow white guy at center who was a pretty good passer and tall dude with bum wheels at PF who was a pretty good offensive player. Man I wish I could remember that team, too bad we don't have players like that now.

 

[The_Jamal]

The more footage I watch of Robinson, the more I start to love his game. He has that Amare/Blake explosiveness with better rebounding ability and more of a willingness to play defense and compete. You draft a guy like this and we'll end up watching one of the more explosive/dominant offensive front-courts in recent memory. It also opens allows us to pursue that vaunted rim protecter to get 20-25 minutes a game which what those sorts of players deserve minutes wise.