Ideal prospects.

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
#31
My understanding of the Jalen Johnson situation is that he was injured and tried to come back but struggled in limited minutes for a couple games then made the decision to bow out early to ensure he was healthy and ready for the draft. Duke was all but eliminated from the tournament by that point in the season anyway. A number of ESPN personalities made a big stink about him "quitting" on the team but top NFL prospects do the same thing every year (49er 2nd overall pick Nick Bosa to cite just one recent example) and nobody cares. I don't know why it's a problem for basketball and not for football.

The interesting thing about Jalen Johnson to me, particularly if we end up at 9 or 10, is that he offers a combination of positional need (combo forward who can guard wings), playmaking skills, outside shooting, and defensive versatility that no one else in the late lotto range has. The mock drafts are penalizing him for his perceived transgressions but I think he's going to move up draft boards once he gets into a workout situation the same way Patrick Williams did last year and we could see him go as high as 5th or 6th because of his potential and his production in limited minutes at Duke. I'm curious to hear where people are getting their info on him chaffing under Coach K because that sounds more like speculation than fact to me. Maybe I missed something.
 
#32
My understanding of the Jalen Johnson situation is that he was injured and tried to come back but struggled in limited minutes for a couple games then made the decision to bow out early to ensure he was healthy and ready for the draft. Duke was all but eliminated from the tournament by that point in the season anyway. A number of ESPN personalities made a big stink about him "quitting" on the team but top NFL prospects do the same thing every year (49er 2nd overall pick Nick Bosa to cite just one recent example) and nobody cares. I don't know why it's a problem for basketball and not for football.

The interesting thing about Jalen Johnson to me, particularly if we end up at 9 or 10, is that he offers a combination of positional need (combo forward who can guard wings), playmaking skills, outside shooting, and defensive versatility that no one else in the late lotto range has. The mock drafts are penalizing him for his perceived transgressions but I think he's going to move up draft boards once he gets into a workout situation the same way Patrick Williams did last year and we could see him go as high as 5th or 6th because of his potential and his production in limited minutes at Duke. I'm curious to hear where people are getting their info on him chaffing under Coach K because that sounds more like speculation than fact to me. Maybe I missed something.
https://balldurham.com/2021/02/15/duke-basketball-jalen-johnson-season/

Problems with Duke, problems with his High School.

He was removed as a starter then ended up quitting when they still had a chance to make the tournament.
 
#33
You would probably have to trade someone, perhaps Hield ? I think Fox Hali and Mitchell would be able to hold their own on D right ? Very versatile on offense too. This is assuming Delon and T-Davis are kept. Or lose T-Davis through free agency and have Buddy backup
Hield has proven he can guard most 3's though. Mitchell is a PG and kind of small-ish/average at that and while he's got some bulk him being able to guard bigger 2's might be suspect. Look at the teams right now in they playoffs and you aren't seeing that 4 G crap Walton was rolling out very often. They have legit wing size at 2-4.
 
#34
My understanding of the Jalen Johnson situation is that he was injured and tried to come back but struggled in limited minutes for a couple games then made the decision to bow out early to ensure he was healthy and ready for the draft. Duke was all but eliminated from the tournament by that point in the season anyway. A number of ESPN personalities made a big stink about him "quitting" on the team but top NFL prospects do the same thing every year (49er 2nd overall pick Nick Bosa to cite just one recent example) and nobody cares. I don't know why it's a problem for basketball and not for football.

The interesting thing about Jalen Johnson to me, particularly if we end up at 9 or 10, is that he offers a combination of positional need (combo forward who can guard wings), playmaking skills, outside shooting, and defensive versatility that no one else in the late lotto range has. The mock drafts are penalizing him for his perceived transgressions but I think he's going to move up draft boards once he gets into a workout situation the same way Patrick Williams did last year and we could see him go as high as 5th or 6th because of his potential and his production in limited minutes at Duke. I'm curious to hear where people are getting their info on him chaffing under Coach K because that sounds more like speculation than fact to me. Maybe I missed something.
He's certainly one of the better boom/bust candidates by the looks of him. The talent and athletic ability are there.
 
#35
I'm not sure what to make of that situation. I had no problem with his basketball IQ & I agreed that he was being poorly used at Duke. I think Coach K is a great college coach, but has yet to figure out how to coach one-&-done prospects. The only one he truly had success with was Tatum and that had some to do with his ability to fit into almost any scheme. He is better when he has them for several years.

The test will be to see how well he used his time to prepare for the NBA. If he truly has been working with trainers & coaches to improve his game and body for the NBA, it could end up being a good decision. There is no doubt that he has good size, athleticism, & skillset to be a good NBA player. The question to be answered is his head. Research and interviews will be important.
yeah that is very fair. It’s why even though he left twice I said I would put him in the consideration set.
 
#36
My understanding of the Jalen Johnson situation is that he was injured and tried to come back but struggled in limited minutes for a couple games then made the decision to bow out early to ensure he was healthy and ready for the draft. Duke was all but eliminated from the tournament by that point in the season anyway. A number of ESPN personalities made a big stink about him "quitting" on the team but top NFL prospects do the same thing every year (49er 2nd overall pick Nick Bosa to cite just one recent example) and nobody cares. I don't know why it's a problem for basketball and not for football.

The interesting thing about Jalen Johnson to me, particularly if we end up at 9 or 10, is that he offers a combination of positional need (combo forward who can guard wings), playmaking skills, outside shooting, and defensive versatility that no one else in the late lotto range has. The mock drafts are penalizing him for his perceived transgressions but I think he's going to move up draft boards once he gets into a workout situation the same way Patrick Williams did last year and we could see him go as high as 5th or 6th because of his potential and his production in limited minutes at Duke. I'm curious to hear where people are getting their info on him chaffing under Coach K because that sounds more like speculation than fact to me. Maybe I missed something.
The problem with Jalen is he also quit on a high school team so that adds more questions on the kid.
 
#37
BPA. But at 9, for now, give me Scottie Barnes, Josh Giddey, or Jalen Johnson. Give me a big wing with handles and is pass first. Never hurts to have Hali with another pass first player on the floor.

This year’s should be drafted higher player: Ayo Donsumu. If the Kings acquire a late teens, early 20s pick, he’s the dude. Will be a 10 year pro. And would slot in nicely with Fox and Hali.
 

hrdboild

Hall of Famer
#38
https://balldurham.com/2021/02/15/duke-basketball-jalen-johnson-season/

Problems with Duke, problems with his High School.

He was removed as a starter then ended up quitting when they still had a chance to make the tournament.
This isn't anything I haven't read before and it's all speculation. Roy Williams isn't in the Duke locker room. The internet eats up stories like this and yeah, it is rather odd that he did more or less the same thing in High School, but he's been a top prospect for awhile and the world of prep sports is a cesspool of adults making money and building their reputations on the backs of kids who are expected to play nice and do what they're told. I don't think it's fair to write him off as a quitter without knowing the full story. His teammates supported him when he opted out. He's far from a perfect prospect and he's going to struggle scoring through contact at least initially but I like his defensive instincts and his ability to handle and pass in the open court. Seems like he could be a good fit for us.
 
#39
Wouldn't touch Johnson unless it was after pick 20. Dude crumbled and quit when coach K got on him.
Yeah he doesn’t seem like a team guy and isn’t willing to make the necessary sacrifices to be THE guy

Also he would quit on the Kings given our lack of success and most likely would be extremely disappointed to be drafted by us
 
#40
BPA. But at 9, for now, give me Scottie Barnes, Josh Giddey, or Jalen Johnson. Give me a big wing with handles and is pass first. Never hurts to have Hali with another pass first player on the floor.

This year’s should be drafted higher player: Ayo Donsumu. If the Kings acquire a late teens, early 20s pick, he’s the dude. Will be a 10 year pro. And would slot in nicely with Fox and Hali.
I'm interesting to see what happens with Isaiah Mobley. Obviously he somewhat disappointed coming out of high school and his brother has elevated but I think he could be someone that sticks in the league for 10 years plus too. He's super underrated these days.
 
#41
The problem with Jalen is he also quit on a high school team so that adds more questions on the kid.
If the Kings stick at 9 with where they currently sit I still think gambling for upside wouldn't be the end of the world. Gamble away and if it works it might make up for a lot of the mistakes being made currently. If it fizzles oh well, add it to the pile. I'd rather watch a player like Johnson fizzle than someone like Justin Jackson. There was never a high payoff there.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#42
Agreed! At this point, all I care about is defense. We can't afford to draft another player who is a liability on defense. Some franchises always go after offensively challenged prospects who excel defensively (Orlando and Charlotte immediately come to mind) and we always go after defensively challenged prospects who excel at scoring. I can only hope that 15 years of banging our heads against the wall wondering why we suck at defense might spur some kind of a change in philosophy, regardless of who is currently managing the front office.
your defense is only as good as the personnel you have, everything else makes no sense until that aspect is taken care of and with the moves Monte has made thus far, I'm holding out hope that he feels the same way. His post season presser told us that he feels the same way so the draft will be the first stepping stone in telling us what the outcome will be followed by free agency.
 
#43
I'm a big Davion Mitchell fan. He gets after it on defense. I think he'd make our team way tougher, we need a guy like him, I think he's a winner
I like him too, but my issue is he isn't a generational type talent like a Suggs/Green where you just don't care and find a way to make it work. And it'll be difficult to get all 3 of Fox/Hali/Mitchell on the court together. Add on the fact there's a really good chance a wing will be available at 9 (Wagner, Moody, Barnes, Giddey, Williams, Kispert, it makes Mitchell a tough sell for me.
 
#44
My understanding of the Jalen Johnson situation is that he was injured and tried to come back but struggled in limited minutes for a couple games then made the decision to bow out early to ensure he was healthy and ready for the draft. Duke was all but eliminated from the tournament by that point in the season anyway. A number of ESPN personalities made a big stink about him "quitting" on the team but top NFL prospects do the same thing every year (49er 2nd overall pick Nick Bosa to cite just one recent example) and nobody cares. I don't know why it's a problem for basketball and not for football.

The interesting thing about Jalen Johnson to me, particularly if we end up at 9 or 10, is that he offers a combination of positional need (combo forward who can guard wings), playmaking skills, outside shooting, and defensive versatility that no one else in the late lotto range has. The mock drafts are penalizing him for his perceived transgressions but I think he's going to move up draft boards once he gets into a workout situation the same way Patrick Williams did last year and we could see him go as high as 5th or 6th because of his potential and his production in limited minutes at Duke. I'm curious to hear where people are getting their info on him chaffing under Coach K because that sounds more like speculation than fact to me. Maybe I missed something.
The "quitting" thing always never sat well with me. Say Jalen Johnson comes back, tears his ACL and his future in the NBA is changed forever. Is Duke going to take care of him for the rest of his life? I'm glad these kids are getting a chance to go to the G-League Ignite squad and start cashing in on their talent, rather than play for free for a billion dollar company. This is the chosen profession they want to be in, they should be allowed to cash in on it.
 
#45
This isn't anything I haven't read before and it's all speculation. Roy Williams isn't in the Duke locker room. The internet eats up stories like this and yeah, it is rather odd that he did more or less the same thing in High School, but he's been a top prospect for awhile and the world of prep sports is a cesspool of adults making money and building their reputations on the backs of kids who are expected to play nice and do what they're told. I don't think it's fair to write him off as a quitter without knowing the full story. His teammates supported him when he opted out. He's far from a perfect prospect and he's going to struggle scoring through contact at least initially but I like his defensive instincts and his ability to handle and pass in the open court. Seems like he could be a good fit for us.
Would you expect them to say anything different than toe the company line?
 
#46
I'm interesting to see what happens with Isaiah Mobley. Obviously he somewhat disappointed coming out of high school and his brother has elevated but I think he could be someone that sticks in the league for 10 years plus too. He's super underrated these days.
Isiah Mobley definitely has the physical profile to be an NBA player. Worse case, if he adopts a defensive mindset, can be a Javale McGee/Robin Lopez type. That said, it was hard to get a good read on any of those USC players this year. The offense and defense was kind of a jumbled mess. I haven’t seen the G-league players, but of the guys that I’ve seen, I would take Evan first mostly because I think he has the highest floor (Aldridge/JJJ). I’m not that high on Cunningham or Suggs—think both will be good, but I don’t see generational players. Harrison Barnes with better handles and a bigger George Hill.
 
#47
I'm interesting to see what happens with Isaiah Mobley. Obviously he somewhat disappointed coming out of high school and his brother has elevated but I think he could be someone that sticks in the league for 10 years plus too. He's super underrated these days.
yeah me too. I would target him with our second round pick.
 
#48
I'm interesting to see what happens with Isaiah Mobley. Obviously he somewhat disappointed coming out of high school and his brother has elevated but I think he could be someone that sticks in the league for 10 years plus too. He's super underrated these days.
I think Isaiah Mobley definitely looks like he could be an NBA player. I haven't seen if he declared for the draft though. I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed in college another year.
 
#49
Jalen Johnson is an interesting one depending on if the Kings stay at 9 and who is already off the board.

Pros:

Defense
Rebounding
Point forward potential
Scoring potential

Cons:

Character concerns
Shooting (3pt% is a small sample size coupled with poor FT%)
Turnovers (per40 he's at 4.2 AST/4.7 TO)


He fits some of the biggest needs the Kings have. Defense and rebounding. His point forward abilities may take a few years to hone in but the franchise doesn't really have that luxury to give him the ball and let him find his way. It could potentially neuter his ceiling but at the same time his point forward skills aren't nearly as necessary with the addition of Haliburton and Wright.

I think two things need to happen for him to be a 10 year role player. His character concerns need to be over and done with and his shooting needs to improve. That gets him into solid 3&D territory. If he can develop his point forward skills to be somewhere in the range of a 2/1 assist to turnover ratio, now he's elevated himself into the Gordon Hayward level potentially.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm taking him over any of the other SF/PF prospects unless league intel says that he definitely has character concerns that make him too risky.
 
#50
Jalen Johnson is an interesting one depending on if the Kings stay at 9 and who is already off the board.

Pros:

Defense
Rebounding
Point forward potential
Scoring potential

Cons:

Character concerns
Shooting (3pt% is a small sample size coupled with poor FT%)
Turnovers (per40 he's at 4.2 AST/4.7 TO)


He fits some of the biggest needs the Kings have. Defense and rebounding. His point forward abilities may take a few years to hone in but the franchise doesn't really have that luxury to give him the ball and let him find his way. It could potentially neuter his ceiling but at the same time his point forward skills aren't nearly as necessary with the addition of Haliburton and Wright.

I think two things need to happen for him to be a 10 year role player. His character concerns need to be over and done with and his shooting needs to improve. That gets him into solid 3&D territory. If he can develop his point forward skills to be somewhere in the range of a 2/1 assist to turnover ratio, now he's elevated himself into the Gordon Hayward level potentially.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm taking him over any of the other SF/PF prospects unless league intel says that he definitely has character concerns that make him too risky.
I’m not sure I take him over Wagner. But lucky for me I don’t have to decide. It’s going to be an interesting draft once you get to 6
 
#51
I think Isaiah Mobley definitely looks like he could be an NBA player. I haven't seen if he declared for the draft though. I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed in college another year.
Last I read he was "testing the waters". I would think with his brother being a top pick he'll try and latch onto that steam.
 
#52
I’m not sure I take him over Wagner. But lucky for me I don’t have to decide. It’s going to be an interesting draft once you get to 6
I agree. It'll get interesting once 6 hits. If the Kings already had Fox and Fox 2.0, I'd take Wagner because I think he's a safe pick. I just don't think Wagner will be enough to get this team into the playoffs. He's too much of a basic role player to me. I think he has a low floor and a low ceiling but I see him having higher odds than Johnson at becoming an average player. Johnson is a crap shoot but I think that's the situation the Kings are in right now due to the lack of talent. It would take a massive leap by Hali to make me be ok with Wagner in the top 10 but obviously that won't be known come draft night.
 
#55
It is smart for him to test the waters. If the feedback is he would be a late 2nd rd pick, he will probably stay in school.
Probably but I'm not sure it's wise considering he had a whole year to himself and he didn't blow the scouts away. I think him getting into the NBA and at least the G-league/2 way level would be wise. He's big, athletic, and skilled the way modern bigs need to be. His numbers might tick up at the G-league/NBA level.
 
#56
I’m not sure I take him over Wagner. But lucky for me I don’t have to decide. It’s going to be an interesting draft once you get to 6
Unless somebody clearly worth it drops again this is going to be a difficult decision for Monte. Perhaps 1 more loss and his summer gets a LOT easier haha. We have to see where the lotto breaks though obviously.
 

Capt. Factorial

trifolium contra tempestatem subrigere certum est
Staff member
#57
Probably but I'm not sure it's wise considering he had a whole year to himself and he didn't blow the scouts away. I think him getting into the NBA and at least the G-league/2 way level would be wise. He's big, athletic, and skilled the way modern bigs need to be. His numbers might tick up at the G-league/NBA level.
I really have a hard time imagining Isaiah Mobley returning to school with his little brother in the NBA. There was at least some thought that he was considering one-and-done but between (as you said) not blowing the scouts away and being able to play with his brother, he returned for his sophomore year. But he can always come back and finish school any time, seeing as his brother is basically going to make sure he is set for life. I'd assume he's ready to clear out and try his hand professionally.

Definitely a kid who is on my radar at #38-40 (wherever we end up following the lottery). There's a lot to like, and he's been overshadowed in a way that I think hurts his stock more than it ought to be hurt.
 
#58
It will be interesting. Wagner has a much higher floor than Johnson, but Johnson's ceiling is much higher. It comes down to if you believe that Johnson will come closer to his ceiling than his floor.
But with where the Kings are currently as a franchise, I would rather draft for ceiling. The Kings aren't a role player away from being relevant, so I would take the chance on the guy with the higher ceiling, assuming that's the choice available to them.
 
#59
It will be interesting. Wagner has a much higher floor than Johnson, but Johnson's ceiling is much higher. It comes down to if you believe that Johnson will come closer to his ceiling than his floor.
yeah I think that point is true but it’s probably not just those two you have to decide on. But a reasonable chance exists Giddey, and Sengun could also be there. I really wish we had traded H Barnes and had two bites at this apple but our owner is who he is.
 
#60
Unless somebody clearly worth it drops again this is going to be a difficult decision for Monte. Perhaps 1 more loss and his summer gets a LOT easier haha. We have to see where the lotto breaks though obviously.
yeah this summer will be the summer Monte proves his chops or not.

Everyone focuses on Vlade’s Luka pick but his JJ, Giles and PappaG pick was almost as bad. Consider he well could have had John Collins and OG Anunoby with those picks. It was obvious Vlade sucked at drafting after the 2017 freshman year. This year will be as telling as 2017 was for Vlade.