It's early, but anybody have a draft wish list yet?

Kingster · Mar 26, 2012

So I've been in the no-TV cave for college games up until yesterday. I saw games yesterday and these are my observations:

MKG - I'm not sold on him as a top 5 pick. He manhandled a much smaller player yesterday, but won't be doing that in the NBA. Can't jump terribly well, not as explosive as I expected, still raw offensively. Longer term project. When I look at him I ask: What's the diff between him and T. Williams? T. Williams is more explosive. And by all accounts MKG is more mature. So how much overall difference is there?

T. Jones - he can play D, no doubt. But on offense he reminds me of Donte Greene. Not very fluid, he's more mechanical. Has good vision with his passing. When he got the ball 3 ft from the basket didn't really know what to do with it. If he can defend and rebound and hopefully hit the open 18 footer, he could be valuable for the Kings. But typically, this kind of guy doesn't go in the top 5.

Barnes - nope; I just don't want Barnes, whether we get in the top 5 or the top 10. He doesn't have the foot speed. He can't get his own shot.

Robinson - man, he's still so raw. I didn't see much from him in this game either on offense or defense. He's obviously a top tier athete. He's very fast and quick for his size. Reminds me of Shawn Marion with is ability to pogo stick off the floor. Still, there's going to be considerable waiting on this guy before he's ready for the NBA.

Davis - looks like the real deal, but it's obviously a long shot getting him. Isn't the sturdiest of big guys. I worry a little bit about him banging around with the big boys in the NBA.

Sullinger - he's going to have a lot of problems on defense. He's got the rear to get position down low in the NBA, nice post footwork, good hands and touch, but he's limited. All other things being equal, I wouldn't want to pair him with Cousins. He's definitely a step down from Jason Thompson on defense, and I don't classify Thompson as a very good NBA defender.

KingsFan707 · Mar 26, 2012

I still think Perry Jones might the best fit for us even though he had a rather disappointing March. We need a Forward with some size and athleticism that can do it all like Jones. Hickson was suppose to be that spark, and I'm sure we will once again be rumored to have interest in Jones if he declares. I'd love MKG as well, I just don't see us picking in the top 4 to get him. We should be targeting....

Thomas Robinson
MKG
Harrison Barnes
Andre Drummond
Perry Jones III

If we have land one of those guys I'll be happy moving forward. I hope a vet PG will be brought in, maybe a replacement for Salmons/Garcia too.

whozit · Mar 26, 2012

VF21 said:

Right now, he is saying that he is returning to school. However, it they win it all this year ..............

On a side note, one co-worker was concerned about the match-up between UK and U of L in the final four. Talk about bragging rights and humiliation .....................

Gilles · Mar 27, 2012

MKG is not staying. Calipari will drive him to the airport himself. He already got his SG/SFs for next season. Ever since Calipari came to Kentucky they cleaned the house every year with the exception of last year but that was because of lockout.

bajaden · Mar 27, 2012

Kingster said:

Not sure how many times you saw Gilchrist play, but to say he can't jump very well tells me you haven't seen him play very much. Gilchrist is a freak athlete. He has only one hole in his game, his outside shot. Other than that, there's is nothing he can't do. He's a terrific ballhandler and passer. He's the best defensive SF in college. He has guarded PF's, SF's, SG's, and PG's this year. He's third on his team in blocked shots, and second in rebounds.

On Robinson, your right, he's still raw in a lot of areas, but he another freak athlete, who runs the floor like a guard. I only have one question about him, and thats whether the Adidos measurements are accurate. They say he's 6'10" in shoes with a 7'2" wingspan. If true, he's going to be a stud. This is the first year he's really had a chance to play. He was the leading rebounder per minute in college, averaging around 11 per game. Once again, if you haven't seen him play a lot, then you really have no idea what he's capable of. But until I see his true measurements at the combine, I'm withholding my final judgement.

I have Terrence Jones going somewhere between 9 and 15. Another very good athlete who can play both SF and PF. He has the strength to play PF and the quickness to play SF. He still needs to redefine his jumpshot. His release is too slow, however, he's fairly accurate with it. In the post he has a variety of shots he uses, but has not go to shot, so to speak.

In closing, I'll just say this about Drummond. He came into college with just as high, if no higher expectations as Davis. So in that regard, he's a tremendous disappointment. I watched him play over 20 times this year, and I'm far from sold on him. However, he has the talent to be a superstar. So I have him as a high risk, but high reward guy. Personally, I wouldn't take him in the top five. His play doesn't deserve that ranking. But I'm sure someone will. Perry Jones, I wouldn't draft unless I was picking below 12. He literally scares me to death.

Gilles · Mar 27, 2012

Terrence Jones may have quickness but doesn't have the skills to play SF. I still hope that Petrie watches a lot of Kentucky's games just to see what having three good shot blockers in your starting frontcourt does to your defense. If you use Jones as your primary paint protector you won't have much success. Use him as a secondary next to Davis he's becoming a force because you can adjust to one guy but flying among trees is totally different experience. Btw Kentucky set the NCAA record for team season-high number of blocks even before the Baylor game.

Kingster · Mar 27, 2012

bajaden said:

Like I said, this is one game's observation. I've been in "moving mode" for the last five months and so haven't been able to watch the college games. Gilchrist looked pretty earth-bound to me. What is his vertical? How would you compare him to Terrence Williams, who was also a guy in college who could get you points, rebounds, assists and D-up, but didn't have an outside shot?

Robinson doesn't look like 6'10" to me. More like 6'8". I don't think we disagree. I saw Robinson play when he was a freshman and raved about him on this board. Said he was a guy who made a major impact on a game without having any real offense to speak of. (As far as I know, nobody had ever mentioned him up until that point). He has the opportunity to be special, but you're going to have to wait a few years to get there, from what I can tell.

Perry Jones I saw last year. Sounds like he hasn't changed much from last year. If he doesn't have the fire and toughness in college, forget about it in the NBA.

Drummond I haven't seen. I'll take your word for it; we don't want him.

Barnes - same opinion as last year; overated; don't want him.

I wanted to see the NC point guard, but unfortunately that's not going to happen until next year.

So who are the guys flying under the radar that might zoom up the board on draft day?

Kingster · Mar 27, 2012

Gilles said:

I tend to agree with this. He's not the fluid athlete that you want at the 3. He's more of a 4. And yes, I do think his performance is augmented by Davis.

TTown Kings · Mar 27, 2012

Gotta say, I'm also not a fan of the MKG thing. Not because I don't like him, but he seems to be a duplicate of what we already have on this team. I mean, how many 6'6" swing men do we need? He looks like an NBA SG to me and we need a legit NBA sized SF. My opinion, far from expert, is that he'd look just like Tyreke playing the 3. Don't we all want to move Tyreke back to the Guard spot and get a legit sized 3 man? I think at this point I'd rather go after a big and try to plug the SF thing through FA. Terrance Jones looks like a stretch 4, same with Perry Jones. I don't either would fit at the 3 for us.

bajaden · Mar 27, 2012

Kingster said:

I don't know his vertical, but trust me, the kid is a freak athlete, and thats not just my opinion, but the opinion of every scout thats out there. He is a disrupter on defense thats unequaled in college. But most importantly, he's a total team player and will do what's ever necessary to win. In the first game this weekend, when Davis went out because of foul troubles, he became an offense player and ended up with, I believe 24 pts. But I've seen him have games where his offense isn't needed, and he'll end up with 4 pts, but he'll also have 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocked shots. He's definitely a player that you have to see play several times to even have a clue what he's capable of.

I remember when I said that Griffin was a freak athlete, and I had people tell me that he couldn't jump, or that he wasn't quick, or that he wasn't really 6'10". Griffin was another of those athlete's that you had to watch play a lot to see what he was capable of. I would put Thomas Robinson in that same catagory. I also think you have to take the system a player plays in into consideration. Calapari always tries to play a player to the stengths he needs for the team. Example: No on knew that Cousins had such a good outside shot, or that he was such a good passer. Why, because Calapari wouldn't let him leave the post area. So those skills were disquised. But, if you watch a player play over 20 times a year, you'll eventually see some of those skills.

I realize that most people don't have the time to watch that many games, and thats fine. All I'm saying is don't make judgements based on just a couple of games. You might see that players worse game of the year, or his best game of the year. Either way, your not getting a true picture of the player.

bajaden · Mar 27, 2012

TTown Kings said:

First off, Gilchrist is 6'7.5" in height. Not 6'6". He also has a 6'10" wingspan, not a 6'6" wingspan like many of the SF's in college. So he has the height and length of a SF, not a SG. I've always thought of Williams as a SG, who could play some SF. Similar to Salmons. I look at Gilchrist as a SF who could play some SG. Gilchrist has the quickness to guard PG's, SG's and SF's. Throughout the season he's been asked to guard the other teams PG at times durinig the game.

Offensively, he's one of the most dangerous players in the open court in college. He's a terrific finisher, thanks to his advanced ballhandlinig skills. I can safely say, that in the NBA, you'd be hard pressed to find another SF that can handle the ball as well as Gilchrist. Add in that he's also a very good passer, he has point forward written all over him if thats your need. He's also one of the best, if not the best rebounding SF's in all of college. Don't think you can do that in a crowd if you can't jump.

If we were to draft him, he would automaticly be the best defender on the team. He has SF size, which by the way hasn't even been questioned by any NBA scout out there. Carmelo Anthony is 6'7.5" in shoes, just like Gilchrist. Melo has a slightly longer wingspan, and is almost the exact same weight. If Melo can play SF, then I think Gilchrist can.

bajaden · Mar 27, 2012

Kinster said:

I don't know if they're flying under the radar, but I think most of these guys might move up the board a little. The only guy who I might put under the radar is Jeff Withey of Kansas. He's currently projected as a second round pick. But one more outstanding game, and he might move into the first round. The first time I saw him play, my immediate reaction was that he was the token 7 foot white guy out there to take up space. Turns out he's a lot more than that.

In 24 minutes this season he averaged 9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.5 BPG, while shooting 54.8% from the floor. He ended up being one of the best shotblockers in college not named Anthony Davis. In the first game this past week, he had 10 blocked shots. I could easily see a team that needs interior defense taking a shot at him in the bottom of the first round. He's a lot better athlete than thought, and is fundamentally sound.

Others might be Marquis Teague, who is projected in the bottom of the first round. I just can't see him going that low. He's a very good athlete, and a good defender. He has all the skills to be a good point guard in the NBA. In a draft thats light on PGs, I just can't see him being drafted that low.

Arnett Moultrie is sort of a dark horse. He's a transfer from UTEP, where he played mostly SF. Now he's playing PF. So he comes with unique, but not refined skills. Terrific athlete who runs the floor very well. Not quite sure what he is, but someone will take a gamble on him.

Meyers Leonard will probably be taken ahead of Perry Jones, who is dropping like a rock. Spare me anyone that liked Jones aggression in the last game. Two games out of 34 just doesn't cut it for me. But Leonard, who is still raw, has legit size at 7 foot with a very large wingspan. Add in that he weighs around 250/260 with a nice build and is a terrific athlete. I'd gamble on Leonard ten times before I gambled on Jones.

I think Festus Ezeli could easily slip into the first round, and maybe mid first round. He never touched a basketball in his life until his junior year of highschool. When you see how much he's improved in that short period of time, along with his athleticism, he's comes closer to a sure thing than a gamble. I really like this kid.

A kid that really impoved his game, thanks to a coaching change is C.J. Leslie. He's still lacking somewhat on the offensive side of the ball, but he has improved in that area. Defensively he's always been a good player. If someone is looking for a defensive PF who might be able to play some SF down the road, he might be your guy. He'll never be a star, but I see him as a player that will just drive the other team nuts.

Someone that I see dropping in the draft is Draymond Green. Throughout the year, and this past week, I think he's been exposed that when guarded by a taller, larger and just as quick player, something he'll be confronted with on a nightly basis in the NBA, Green disappears. Not saying he can't play in the NBA. Maybe as a SF. But I just don't see him as 1st round material.

Kingster · Mar 27, 2012

bajaden said:

First off, Gilchrist is 6'7.5" in height. Not 6'6". He also has a 6'10" wingspan, not a 6'6" wingspan like many of the SF's in college. So he has the height and length of a SF, not a SG. I've always thought of Williams as a SG, who could play some SF. Similar to Salmons. I look at Gilchrist as a SF who could play some SG. Gilchrist has the quickness to guard PG's, SG's and SF's. Throughout the season he's been asked to guard the other teams PG at times durinig the game.

Offensively, he's one of the most dangerous players in the open court in college. He's a terrific finisher, thanks to his advanced ballhandlinig skills. I can safely say, that in the NBA, you'd be hard pressed to find another SF that can handle the ball as well as Gilchrist. Add in that he's also a very good passer, he has point forward written all over him if thats your need. He's also one of the best, if not the best rebounding SF's in all of college. Don't think you can do that in a crowd if you can't jump.

If we were to draft him, he would automaticly be the best defender on the team. He has SF size, which by the way hasn't even been questioned by any NBA scout out there. Carmelo Anthony is 6'7.5" in shoes, just like Gilchrist. Melo has a slightly longer wingspan, and is almost the exact same weight. If Melo can play SF, then I think Gilchrist can.

If what you say is true, I'm sold. I don't think height is a big deal. Paul Pierce is one of the greatest Celtics ever to put on the sneakers and he's 6'7". Big whoop if you're matched up against a guy that's 2" taller.

Kingster · Mar 27, 2012

bajaden said:

I don't know if they're flying under the radar, but I think most of these guys might move up the board a little. The only guy who I might put under the radar is Jeff Withey of Kansas. He's currently projected as a second round pick. But one more outstanding game, and he might move into the first round. The first time I saw him play, my immediate reaction was that he was the token 7 foot white guy out there to take up space. Turns out he's a lot more than that.

In 24 minutes this season he averaged 9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 3.5 BPG, while shooting 54.8% from the floor. He ended up being one of the best shotblockers in college not named Anthony Davis. In the first game this past week, he had 10 blocked shots. I could easily see a team that needs interior defense taking a shot at him in the bottom of the first round. He's a lot better athlete than thought, and is fundamentally sound.

Others might be Marquis Teague, who is projected in the bottom of the first round. I just can't see him going that low. He's a very good athlete, and a good defender. He has all the skills to be a good point guard in the NBA. In a draft thats light on PGs, I just can't see him being drafted that low.

Arnett Moultrie is sort of a dark horse. He's a transfer from UTEP, where he played mostly SF. Now he's playing PF. So he comes with unique, but not refined skills. Terrific athlete who runs the floor very well. Not quite sure what he is, but someone will take a gamble on him.

Meyers Leonard will probably be taken ahead of Perry Jones, who is dropping like a rock. Spare me anyone that liked Jones aggression in the last game. Two games out of 34 just doesn't cut it for me. But Leonard, who is still raw, has legit size at 7 foot with a very large wingspan. Add in that he weighs around 250/260 with a nice build and is a terrific athlete. I'd gamble on Leonard ten times before I gambled on Jones.

I think Festus Ezeli could easily slip into the first round, and maybe mid first round. He never touched a basketball in his life until his junior year of highschool. When you see how much he's improved in that short period of time, along with his athleticism, he's comes closer to a sure thing than a gamble. I really like this kid.

A kid that really impoved his game, thanks to a coaching change is C.J. Leslie. He's still lacking somewhat on the offensive side of the ball, but he has improved in that area. Defensively he's always been a good player. If someone is looking for a defensive PF who might be able to play some SF down the road, he might be your guy. He'll never be a star, but I see him as a player that will just drive the other team nuts.

Someone that I see dropping in the draft is Draymond Green. Throughout the year, and this past week, I think he's been exposed that when guarded by a taller, larger and just as quick player, something he'll be confronted with on a nightly basis in the NBA, Green disappears. Not saying he can't play in the NBA. Maybe as a SF. But I just don't see him as 1st round material.

So who would your top 10 be?

hammystyle · Mar 27, 2012

Kingster said:

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I will take a crack. This is just the King's board. The first thing I would note is that this draft class has not shaken out as hoped whatsoever. Maybe there are some interesting guys in the 20's, but past the top 4 or so, everyone has holes.

1) Davis - If we finished with the 8th pick worst record there's about a 3% chance we would become the next major title contender. That's how big a deal he is.
2) MKG - One of the safest picks out there. I've heard him compared to Gerald Wallace, but I really think that's his floor. He's much much better than Gerald Wallace was at his age. How about this? Ron Artest's talent with Shane Battier's mindset. I' don't think he'll ever be a go-to scorer, but he will still be one of the best players in the league
3) Thomas Robinson - I don't think he's really that raw per se. I just don't think he's eve going to have a really diversified game. But as a super athletic, rebounding 4 he will be very good. I think he probably lands somewhere between a Brian Grant and Antonio McDyess type career.
4) Sullinger - If I were a team without DeMarcus Cousins, I might have Sullinger as high as number 2. He's not perfect fit, but otherwise I think very highly of his game. He has a highly skilled, highly fundamental game and he's going to be a tough cover in the NBA. I don't think he's got Kevin Love upside, but being a Zach Randolph without the crazy is pretty good too.
5) Barnes - I find it very worrisome how much he has struggled without Marshall in both years, but he's still a very athletic, long pure SF who can shoot and create efficient offense if he gets it in his spots. This is more of an indictment of the other top 10 prospects. To me there's a big difference between top 4 and everyone else.
6) Tyler Zeller - Never going to be a star, but I think he'd play very well next to Demarcus. He runs very well for a 7' guy and has an efficient offensive game.
7) Bradley Beal - Not really a great freshman year. But it would have looked really good if he had made about 5% more of his 3's. I think that will come around and he will be a very good 2.
8) Perry Jones - Where is the production with him? Luckily for him, there's not a lot of production backing him up on the draft board. I think you hope he becomes a Robert Horry or Derrick McKey type. Kind of a do it all PF who uses the athleticism to really be a good defender.
9) Drummond - What if his upside is just more like DeAndre Jordan? Shooting under 30% of FT's is pathetic. Just calls in all kinds of questions about his mind and habits. I am sure he will carve out some kind of NBA career but I highly doubt he will be a legit impact guy. You can give him a little credit for
10) Austin Rivers - Not a great fit for the Kings, but I think he's pretty talented with flaws in his game. If I had to bet on a guy smoothing out those flaws I'll take Doc Rivers son over some of the other guys.

Some guys who missed:
John Henson - Three years in and he still is ultra-skinny and can't shoot free throws. I just don't think the rebounding and shot-blocking will translate.
Terrence Jones - Every year guys in this mold struggle to adapt to the NBA. He's nowhere near as good as Michael Beasley or Derrick Williams. So you basically don't know what to do with him, and he's not talented enough to take the risk.
Jeremy Lamb - Could be a solid starting SG one day. A team with that need might take him higher. But I don't there's a ton of upside.
Kendall Marshall - He can really pass and run an offense. But I doubt there is one single NBA PG who averaged 8 ppg in college. You still have to get your own offense sometimes. I've heard him compared to Rubio, but he is nowhere near that talent level. In particular Rubio is about 20 times the defender.
Terrence Ross - Decent SG prospect...but he is 21 and just put up ok numbers in the pathetic Pac-12.

A couple sleepers I like:
Jae Crowder - Do everything guy with major athleticism. He might actually be a really good starter just with his defense.
Orlando Johnson - Fellow Gaucho! I've watched him for three years be very good, and get subtly better. He will be an Arron Afflalo type SG. 3 and D.

I don't think McAdoo or Cody Zeller are coming out.

bajaden · Mar 27, 2012

Well, if I had to pick right now, and it changed a little bit since last week, this is who it would be. However, I have the right to revise it before the draft. Also, these are the players I happen to like, based on how they played this year, and not solely on future projections, such as a Perry Jones III.

1. Anthony Davis: Big shock there, huh? I seriously doubt that any GM or scout has anyone else at that position.

2. Michael Gilchrist: Almost as much of a sure thing as Davis is. He has a chance to be one of the best all around SF's in the league. One of the youngest players in the draft.

3. Thomas Robinson: This is a kid that has, could be future star written all over him. If truely 6'10", he can do things other 6'10" players just can't do.

4. Bradley Beal: Listed at 6'4", but with a huge wingspan. I can almost guarantee he'll be a very good player. Great athlete, good shooter and ballhandler, and very unselfish.

5. Harrison Barnes: Had him third two weeks ago. Still too talented to drop any futher. Good shooter, and great size and length. Also still young. I think he'll be just fine.

6. Jared Sullinger: Not a good fit for the Kings. But he's a solid and consistent player. Depending on true height, he can play both PF and Center. Hey, he's taller than Hayes!

7. Jemery Lamb: He was over shadowed by Kemba Walker, and then Drummond, but he was probably the best player on the team both years. Not sure of his ceiling, but he can play right now. Solid all around player at both ends of the court. Very few holes in his game.

8.Austin Rivers: There's a lot about his game that irritates me, but he's just a very talentd kid. Loaded with confidence, and almost cocky about it. With the right direction, he could be a star in the league.

9. Andre Drummond: I was very disappointed with him this year, but you saw glimpses of what he could be in the future. The sky's the limit for him, if he works hard. He's young, so we'll see.

10. Terrence Jones: I probably like him more that others. He plays with great intensity, and Kentucky players almost always end up being better pro's than college players because of playing in a system that restricts them to some extent. He still needs to refine his skill set, but I think he's going to surprise some people.

Those just missing the top ten. Ty Zeller, Meyers Leonard, Damian Lillard, and Kendall Marshall.

Prince_XY · Mar 28, 2012

Nice posts. It helps fans like me who barely watch College basketball.

REQUEST:

When you talk of a player and if possible, can you guys at least include the following after the players name so we can imagine/visualize what type/style of player these upcoming draftees will be? This also helps create interest on the player. A good example is Kingster's post at the top.

1.) Height and position

Example: 6' 7.5" SF

2.) which NBA player reminds you of:

Example: has the swagger of dwane wade, handles the ball well like Steve Nash, can be the second coming of Ben Wallace.

Thanks.

Kingster · Mar 28, 2012

Hammy and Baja,

Thanks for the projections. Drummond, Rivers and Beal I haven't seen. But I just don't have the love for Barnes. I like Lamb over Barnes. I think he comes up big at big moments, has a good BB IQ, is a good defender. Also, I think he'll get his shot off easier than Barnes. I'm very concerned about that with Barnes. He could get it off in the NBA with picks set for him, but if a guy is drafted that high I'd like for him to get his own shot fairly easily.

Hallama · Mar 28, 2012

I'm a big fan of Jeremy Lamb too. If Kings fans miss Doug Christie, this guy has a better all-around offensive game and sneaky length on defense like Doug. He's not a top-dog type of player, just one that makes big plays at the right time for a winning team. Although he was the best player on the Team USA (under 20?) last summer. If the Kings don't move up to a top 2 pick for Kidd-G or Davis, Lamb is a nice consolation prize.

I keep hearing Sullinger and Cousins aren't a good mix, but I'm always for drafting the best player and letting trades and free agency balance out your roster. I think he is one of the most solid picks in the draft, and you really do need depth on your frontline over a season. He's my surprise pick for the Kings in this draft. Does Hayes become redundant? Ya. Oh well.

Jones III: while I just mentioned above selecting the best player and not need, Jones III really does fill an athletic need for the Kings, especially alongside Cousins. I agree with Baja about his motor/lack of aggression being a huge concern, especially looking at his block numbers. I didn't like how he tends to watch the action on defense rather than get involved. He's also the type of player that I call a "second teamer", meaning he will probably be developed by the team who drafts him and then leave once his rookie deal is up, and play well for them. But all that said, if you're drafting for talent, this is your guy.

TJones: he always surprises me with his floor game. I think he can and will play some SF in the pro's. A team selecting him 6-12 in this draft will be very lucky with a solid starting level pro in a few years.

I have my doubts about Thomas Robinson in the NBA, especially his height. Certainly has the desire and skills plus a nice little 15 foot jumper, but I don't know, just call it a bad feeling about the next level.

Not a fan of Harrison Barnes. But unlike Robinson, I think he'll be fine in the NBA in an (early) Rashard Lewis type of role.

The North Carolina bigs, Zeller and Henson will make nice role playing bigs in the NBA. Henson being the better prospect imo.

Wild card: Lillard. This guy has a crazy game. Good 3-point shooter, although I don't like his low release, and just a crazy slashing quick change of hands finisher. If he can play PG, he can be a NBA starter. If not, he'll be another Jeff Teague type (Atlanta Hawks).

hammystyle · Mar 28, 2012

Hallama said:

You know what? I agree with you. I expect Sullinger to outplay Robinson on Saturday and go on to be a better pro. We all just watched Marc Gasol and Zack Randolph carry Mike Conley, Tony Allen, and Shane Battier to within a whisker of the Western Conference finals (where they would have been a b**** for the Mavs to handle)....and yet we can't figure out how Sullinger and Cousins would fit together? I think any way you slice it Sully and Cousins are more athletic and talented than the other duo.

Uncia03 · Mar 28, 2012

Here are my thoughts for my top ten picks for the Kings in the upcoming draft.

1.) Anthony Davis: I don’t know how he could not be the consensus #1. Needs to bulk up some, but he’s just amazing.

2.) Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: The first game I saw of his I was left un-impressed. But after watching game after game, I’m convinced that this kid is a pure winner. He’s relentless in his drive to win on the basketball court. He has great size, length, athleticism, and aggression. He’s the best SF/PF defender in college and is terrific rebounder. The flaw is with this shooting, as he has a strange release which creates some side-spin on the ball. But after watching him all year, I don’t doubt that he’ll kill himself trying to become a good shooter.

3.) Thomas Robinson: I’ll be honest in saying that I didn’t watch a lot of Kansas this year. But after watching a few games this season, as well as the tournament so far, I have to say that if he actually measures out to 6’9.5/6’10 then he’s someone I might even consider before MKG. His quickness and athleticism for someone of his size is ultra-elite. He’s a great rebounder and he does a very good job moving into position for post touches. His offensive post game isn’t remotely as refined as Sullinger’s, but he’s not hopeless in that area. To me, everything is going to depend on his measurements. If he is 6’8, then he drops considerably.

4.) Harrison Barnes: Brings Size and shooting ability with good athleticism to the SF position. If we drafted him, he’d be our best SF option. Has his flaws (not great ball handler, lacks aggression at times), but he is the 2nd best SF on the board, and SF is where we need the most help to solidify/balance our team.

5.) Andre Drummond: Had a miserable year. I think I was fortunate enough to watch the one really good game he had, but I was also unfortunate to watch game after game of mediocrity. The problem I have is forecasting whether or not he’ll be another Perry Jones III. If I was drafting last year, I had Perry Jones in the top 10, easily. Now, after watching another year of Jones not develop, he is someone I wouldn’t think of in the top 10. With Drummond it’s all based on potential, and potentially he’s a fantastic fit next to Demarcus. So I would draft him, in the hopes that he fits along-side Demarcus and then we have a really strong JT coming off the bench.

6.) Jeffrey Taylor: I admit that I’m probably the only person in the country who would take Taylor this high. But I consider Taylor to be the best SF/SG defender in college. He has good size at 6’7 and is an outstanding athlete. He’ll do very well in the combine measurements (Though the worst thing will be his wingspan, which isn’t in the same class as MKG or Barnes).
His two biggest knocks have been consistency and outside shooting. Well he’s done all the things that you’d want of a player who decided to spend all four years in college. His first year he had a 3pt% of 22% only attempting 1.3 per game. His senior year he shot 42.3% attempting 4.3 a game. His overall FG% for his senior year was at 49.3%. He has a good enough handle that he’s been tasked to break pressure by bringing the ball up the court when needed, and I think his handle and ability to drive to the rim is better than Barnes. He is not remotely a selfish player, and more times than not is criticized for not trying to take over games more often. He likes to pass and has shown a good ability to get the ball into the post when Ezeli is good position. He also fit in very well with arguably the best shooter in the SEC (and maybe the NCAA) in Jenkins, so I think he’d mix in very nicely with what we have going with DeMarcus/Tyreke/Thornton.

7.) Jeremy Lamb: I liked Lamb a lot last year, I just felt he needed to add a lot more strength this year if he was going to be successful at the next level. There is a lot to like about Lamb. He’s got great length and good athleticism. He’s a great defender, a good shooter, a good rebounder, and has the ability to drive to the rim. My only problem with him this year is the same issue that people have with Jeffrey Taylor. He wasn’t aggressive enough to take over games when he was clearly the best player on the floor. Instead he deferred a great deal to Napier and Boatright. But he doesn’t really have any holes in his game, though he does need to get stronger, and like Taylor I think he has the personality which would mix in nicely with our team.

8.) Bradley Beal: I’m putting Beal here even though I wasn’t truly blown away with the performances that I saw. He looks to be a great athlete, and I think will be a good defender in the NBA. He also seems to have a good shooting stroke. My problem is that he just didn’t stand out during the course of the game. Interestingly enough, by the end of the game he always seemed to fill the stat sheets, so he was out there doing work, he just didn’t seem to make a big show while doing it. Didn’t seem to be a player who made mistakes, but also didn’t seem to be the one to be aggressive and make the big move to bring about the victory. So an athletic shooter who can play defense, isn’t selfish, and can fill up the stat-sheet is someone that I’d take a look at.

9.) Tony Wroten: He probably won’t come out this year, which would be a good thing for him, as another year or two in college would be beneficial. But if he does come out, I have him in the top 10. To me he is a Tyreke clone, and Yes I’m a huge Tyreke fan. He’s a lefty that drives left and has problems finishing right. He can’t shoot from the outside and is bad FT shooter. (Tyreke has him dominated on the FTs) What is appealing his insane aggressiveness in driving to the rim and finishing. He has outstanding size, length, and quickness and probably has better vision than Tyreke in passing the ball, when he feels like passing. He’d be a project, but he could possibly play PG if you reigned in his attack-mode game-play. It’s true that pretty much all the issues that you have with Tyreke you’d have with Wroten, but his ability to get to the rim and his aggression to continually attack are outstanding in college, and we all know how much the floor opens up in the NBA. Can 2 Tyreke’s co-exist on the same team? Probably not, but I’d give it a shot due to his seemingly elite ability to attack and finish at the rim.

10.) Terrance Jones: This is a very tough call. I’m picking him 10th only if the organization plans to try and play him at SF first, and then if that doesn’t work look to work him in at PF. After watching him for 2 years I’m still not 100% convinced that he can be a full-time SF like MKG/Barnes. However, if put in the position to play SF, I think he would be better than any other option we have at the moment. When he’s motivated and ‘in a good place’ he’s just dominant. He rebounds well, blocks shot, and attacks the rim off the dribble. When he’s not ‘in a good place’ he’s almost non-existent. He has shown that he can hit the outside shot if left wide open, but he has an incredibly slow release which means that he would have to be wide open to knock down the jumper. He’ll never be someone that can run off screens or quickly catch-and-shoot. If the organization does not plan to try him out at SF, then I would probably go with Sullinger at # 10.

Uncia03 · Mar 28, 2012

hammystyle said:

My problem with Sullinger is that I'm not convinced that his post-scoring is going to translate to the next level. He's a fantastic post player but I don't think that his post-game is going to translate when being guarded by NBA bigmen who will have the size and length to bother his shot. If you think that all his other attributes (rebounding and defense) are good enough to to draft him high with the expectation that his post-game is going to suffer, then that's fine. But if you're drafting him mostly due to his refined post-game, I think there might be some disappointment there.
He's clearly a big strong kid with a winning attitude and highest post skill level I've seen of a dominant player in quite a while, but I'm not certain enough that it will all translate to him being more than just a solid player in the NBA.

For Thomas Robinson, if he measures out well, then I take his phenominal combination of size and quickness over Sullinger's skill. If Robinson measures out poorly, then I think Sullinger moves ahead of him. I can't wait for the game when we can really see how well these two players match up. I'm more excited over-all for the Kentucky/Louisville game, but the Robinson/Sullinger match-up will be the best player match-up of the Final 4. (Though Craft/Siva will be really fun to watch as well)

Hallama · Mar 28, 2012

Uncia03 said:

Sullinger really needs to bully Robinson around to show his worth/girth to scouts. I thought NC did a good job early posting Zeller against Robinson which Zeller scored easily over him. Zeller had him on length, Sullinger has him on...butt.

bajaden · Mar 28, 2012

Hallama said:

Yeah, but his butt isn't as big this year! Strangely, I'm not sure he wasn't a better player with the bigger butt. No one could budge him in the post last year, and this year he's been pushed around a little at times. Just quibbliing a little..

MassachusettsKingsFan · Mar 28, 2012

I respect the following players, but I just don't want the Kings to draft them - Thomas Robinson, Bradley Beal, Jarred Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, and Perry Jones.

The top 4 players I want the Kings to draft are:
Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, John Henson, Andre Drummond and Terrence Jones.

David and MKG aren't totally realistic. We'd have to hit in the lottery, and I don't expect that to happen.

Henson is my guy this year. (joining my previous favorites Durant, Westbrook, Curry, and Cousins). I've watched him play for three seasons, and I've watched him improve every year. He already has experience playing next to a high volume scoring big in Zeller, so playing next to Cousins would be a natural fit for him. I'm actually surprised more people on these forums don't like him as much (looking at some other top 10's he doesn't rank for most people). His stats match up well with the type of numbers Anthony Davis is putting up, and I would argue Davis has more opportunities in the post to prove himself then Henson does.

At the very least I think Henson is Ekpe Udoh, who is finally playing some really effective basketball, and proving to be the defender everyone thought he could be coming out of Baylor. At best .. Henson is the perfect, and I mean perfect person to put next to Cousins long term.

Drummond is still totally interesting to me if he where to drop to us. It would be hard for me to pass him up even though he hasn't shown a whole lot this season.

Terrence Jones would be last on my wish list, if that makes sense. I'd take him and be exited about it, but if we drafted him over Henson I'd be a bit upset.

Uncia03 · Mar 28, 2012

bajaden said:

That's been my feeling as well.
You always want your big-man to be in the best shape possible, I it seems to me that Sullinger was a better post player last year, and I think a lot has to due with him slimming down some and loosing some of his heft down there.

Glenn · Mar 28, 2012

Uncia03 said:

This is interesting in a tangential way. Smart has said he wants his players to lose 10 pounds over the summer. He mentions the bigs. He wants them leaner and faster and uses JT as an example. My first thought had to do with Cousins. Don't you lose something as a post player by losing weight? I don't want a guy who is fat but to arbitrarily say that Cousins should lose 10 pounds seems to be taking away some of the advantage that he has right now. He has the size to bounce people around. As long as he has enough muscle to move his size, why should he lose weight? Smart's answer is that he wants his entire team to run 48 minutes a game.

Small ball. Why turn your head away from goliath and take away his strength? This is one of those times when I wish he would just shut his mouth as he aggravates me because he is making no pretense of using his bigs. What if we draft a big? Our team can go in differrent directions depending on who is on the court right now. It can use strength or it can use speed. Why eliminate the ability to use strength? Or should I just calm down?

Bricklayer · Mar 28, 2012

MassachusettsKingsFan said:

Its the whole most members of this board could kick sand in his face and take his lunch money even though he's a junior now factor that makes people hesitant. That and the potential comparison to another too skinny NC guy in Brandon Wright (who to be fair I think had ore offensive but less defensive talent). If Henson could just find enoguh strength to be able to hold his position agiainst the likes of Zach Randolph or Blake Griffin, then yeah, ahtletic flying shotblocker = win. But right now he's get snapped in two, and that's where the being older thing comes in again. Anthony Davis isn't ready to bang either -- noted that in the Conferecne Tournament Finals when he flat got bullied. But he's a frosh, and he's got a better frame. You expect him to fill out and have adequate strength eventually. Henson I think came to school at lesss than 200lbs. He's already filled out just to reach that point and you have to figure with the extra couple of years he's closer to his adult body than Davis is.

Which is not to say I think he's a terrible idea -- in fact I think he might be the best idea for us outside of the Davis/KIdd-Gilchrist/Drummond trio. Just that the weight/strength is the problem. As Jimmer has found out, you come to the NBA and the size/strength/speed of the guys just takes a huge leap and Henson weighs less than Reke.

Hallama · Mar 28, 2012

MassachusettsKingsFan said:

Yeah, he has all the indications of being a solid defensive pro. Already plays well alongside a center with good skills, so Zeller may take away some of Henson's stats. I had Henson as my guy too (if Kings pick 5-10) but recently I've shied away from him. Probably just because of his malady of injuries right now - and to give him credit, he's played through them. Maybe his frame is too much like Branden Wright's and that is what I'm not liking. Seems like this draft is pretty even from pick 3-10.

Can't go wrong with picking Henson, though. I'd be happy overall with the pick.

Bricklayer · Mar 28, 2012

Glenn said:

No, I agree with that. Not that a smallball advocate even udnerstands what you just said. We're going on 30 years now of the big "fat" guys standing over the shattered remains of little scrawny smallball teams and peing on themn before moving onto more serious matchups against other teams with grown men capable of physically battling it out. But if you're a smallball cultist you are blind to that.

It's early, but anybody have a draft wish list yet?

Hall of Famer

Prospect

Starter

Starter

Hall of Famer

Starter

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Bench

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Starter

Hall of Famer

Starter

Hall of Famer

Starter

Starter

Starter

Starter

Starter

Hall of Famer

All-Star

Starter

Hall of Famer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat

Starter

Don't Make Me Use The Bat