Kings 2009-2010 NBA Draft:

[bajaden]

Do you really see Dexter Pittman as a top 6 lottery guy or is it more that he's an under-valued prospect you like and someone to keep an eye on if we get a late first or for our 2nd rounder?

He certainly laid the wood against UNC's big front line, but it seems like he can't go more than five or six trips up and down the court without sucking wind.

In answer to your question. No! I don't see him as a top 6 lottery pick. Thats why I qualified my top ten by saying that these were players that I had seen and had impressed me. And that my top ten had nothing to do with other draft boards. Yes on the undervalued prospect. Of course if he continues to play like he did against NC, he won't be undervalued for long.

He has some flaws to his game. Conditioning is also a problem, but a fixable one. I'm curious to see how he progresses and what type of condition he's in when the tourney starts. One added note. Since his freshman year until now, his on court demeanor has changed. He has a little bit of a mean streak in him now that he didn't have before. As a result he's more aggressive and its helped his game.

 

[dbfish]

I like Pittman a lot. I liked him last year, but since he's slimmed down to about 295 lbs. this year he is a lot more mobile. Not saying that he moves around like a ballet dancer but he has improved quite a bit.
Plant him under the basket and Hawes would have to rent a forklift to move him.

 

[bajaden]

I like Pittman from what Ive seen.. i havent really been watching any NCAA even tho i have the super sports pack.. Who are the best defensive bigs in our draft range we should be looking at?

Maybe Soloman Alabi of Florida St. Its hard to know without knowing where the Kings will end up. I would say that Alabi is a top ten pick for sure. Jarvis Varnado of Mississippi St. He's more of a PF type at 6'9", but is reported to have a wingspan of 7'4 to 7'6". He has led the SEC in blocked shots in his first three years. And he's currently leading the SEC again and closing in on the all time NCAA shotblocking record. Larry Sanders out of VCU is a very good defensive player.

An interesting guy is Art Parakhouski from Radford. He's a 6'11" center that dominated Cole Aldrich in their meeting this year. Hassan Whiteside from Marshall. A 6'11" center/PF freshman who has been very impressive so far this year. Lastly there's Jerome Jordan, who I haven't been able to see so far this year, but showed potential last year. He's another 7 footer with a big wingspan. There are more, but that should keep you occupied for a while.

 

[hammystyle]

In answer to your question. No! I don't see him as a top 6 lottery pick. Thats why I qualified my top ten by saying that these were players that I had seen and had impressed me. And that my top ten had nothing to do with other draft boards. Yes on the undervalued prospect. Of course if he continues to play like he did against NC, he won't be undervalued for long.

He has some flaws to his game. Conditioning is also a problem, but a fixable one. I'm curious to see how he progresses and what type of condition he's in when the tourney starts. One added note. Since his freshman year until now, his on court demeanor has changed. He has a little bit of a mean streak in him now that he didn't have before. As a result he's more aggressive and its helped his game.

That's what I figured, but since he was bookended by some more traditional top 10 type guys I was curious if you just REALLY liked him.

I do like him as a sleeper. I think he could play a pretty capable 10-15 minutes of backup C right now which is plenty good for a 2nd rounder....and there's always the added upside of if he can ever fully remake his body into the 6'10 265 range. There's really no reason he couldn't do it, though that's a battle others have failed before.

 

[hammystyle]

In answer to your question. No! I don't see him as a top 6 lottery pick. Thats why I qualified my top ten by saying that these were players that I had seen and had impressed me. And that my top ten had nothing to do with other draft boards. Yes on the undervalued prospect. Of course if he continues to play like he did against NC, he won't be undervalued for long.

He has some flaws to his game. Conditioning is also a problem, but a fixable one. I'm curious to see how he progresses and what type of condition he's in when the tourney starts. One added note. Since his freshman year until now, his on court demeanor has changed. He has a little bit of a mean streak in him now that he didn't have before. As a result he's more aggressive and its helped his game.

That's what I figured, but since he was bookended by some more traditional top 10 type guys I was curious if you just REALLY liked him.

I do like him as a sleeper. I think he could play a pretty capable 10-15 minutes of backup C right now which is plenty good for a 2nd rounder....and there's always the added upside of if he can ever fully remake his body into the 6'10 265 range. There's really no reason he couldn't do it, though that's a battle others have failed before.

 

[bajaden]

That's what I figured, but since he was bookended by some more traditional top 10 type guys I was curious if you just REALLY liked him.

I do like him as a sleeper. I think he could play a pretty capable 10-15 minutes of backup C right now which is plenty good for a 2nd rounder....and there's always the added upside of if he can ever fully remake his body into the 6'10 265 range. There's really no reason he couldn't do it, though that's a battle others have failed before.

When you consider that he weighed 400 pounds in highschool, he's come a long way. His skill level has improved every year. If you get him in the second round, he would be a steal. I think eventualy he'll get picked at the bottom third of the first round. Of cours you never know. Texas is a good team and if they end up winning the whole banana or even make the final four and he plays well, he could skyrocket up the board.

 

[bajaden]

I watched the John Wall show against Drexler last night. Wow! You think you know how good this kid is, and then you watch him again, and its like the first time again. He's like eating cotton candy. You'll never get full of it. Now he's added a post up game to his arsernal. Kentucky was up by 50 points at one time. DeMarcus had a nice game also. I can't get too excited because Drexler was seriously outclassed.

 

[Henkel]

I have been so damn busy that I haven't got a chance to keep up with college ball like I have the last few years. I just wanted to thank you bajaden and everyone else for the analysis, good stuff.

 

[TTown Kings]

So where do we stand draft position wise right now? Gotta be 11-13 or so right?

 

[bajaden]

So where do we stand draft position wise right now? Gotta be 11-13 or so right?

Your pretty close. Right now we are essentially tied with two other teams for the 11th, 12th and 13th spots. Of course its sort of meaningless right now.

 

[bajaden]

I thought I would spend some time mentioning a few players that are lesser know, but that I really like. One such player is Damion James from Texas. He has improved quite a bit from last year. His jumpshot has improved, and when in total body control he's very consistant with it. One should remember that in his first three years at Texas he played PF, which limited his playing on the perimiter. Gerold Wallace suffered the same fate his freshman year.

James is a terrific athlete and has an NBA body. At 6'7" and 228 pounds and a long wingspan, he has a similar look as LeBron James body wise. He'll have to play SF in the NBA and has the quickness to do it. He's a terrific rebounder and seems to be everywhere on the court. He's also a good on the ball defender at the college level. His freethrow shooting, while still not great, has improved from last year. He's a very smart player and seldom forces the issue. He has a very good Basketball IQ. His primary weakness is his ballhandling, which prevents him from getting to the basket as much as you would like. He tends to get into trouble when he gets into traffic. His jumpshot still needs improving, but his fourm looks fine. Just a matter of practice.

I think he'll probably go late first round or early second round. He's also one of those guys that could slide because of changing position in the NBA. Whoever gets him will get a pertty good basketball player

 

[Vlade4GM]

I have to say that even though I haven't seen much of Motiejunas and haven't heard much about him this season, I'm kind of on his bandwagon if he's around our draft range. Even though everyone says we need a defensive big, and I totally agree with that. I think when you look at what this team needs long term more than anything, is a big that can be a true scoring option, that can create down low ala Pau Gasol. Now rebounding/shot blocking centers are not super easy to come by, but I'd say guys like Pryzbilla are easier to come by than bigs who can create down low.

 

[bajaden]

I have to say that even though I haven't seen much of Motiejunas and haven't heard much about him this season, I'm kind of on his bandwagon if he's around our draft range. Even though everyone says we need a defensive big, and I totally agree with that. I think when you look at what this team needs long term more than anything, is a big that can be a true scoring option, that can create down low ala Pau Gasol. Now rebounding/shot blocking centers are not super easy to come by, but I'd say guys like Pryzbilla are easier to come by than bigs who can create down low.

Well whenever you bring up a european player, all I can do is say no comment, and put my faith in Petrie. Since I can't see them play, or if I can, its one of those catch as catch can deals on NBA TV. He sounds like a very skilled player, and I like skilled players. There a lot less chance of failure with one.

I can honestly say that so far this year I haven't seen one highly skilled center in college. There are of course a lot of reasons for that. Some are one and done guys who haven't really developed yet. Some are upperclassmen, but they came to basketball late, and once again, haven't really developed yet. Others are just plain flops. They're just tall, and thats their talent. I'am intriqued by one guy though. Thats Art Parakhouski from Radford. He's one of those that came to baskeball late, but has developed rather quickly. I need to see him play more, and if you get a chance take a look at him.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I like what I've read about him and he's not just a skills guy, he seems to have good quickness and height, but ultimately I'm really just trying to make a point that I think getting a true scoring option down low to pair with Evans should be higher on the priority list than a defensive role player like say a Kendrick Perkins. I think we eventually need a Perkins type player, but I just don't think we can be a championship caliber team until we get a true post scorer. Mainly because I don't think Evans is ever going to be quite as good as Wade in his scoring ability, and considering the way he dominates the ball, I don't think there is much room for another high quality scoring type out on the perimeter. Now, we may not have the option of either of these types of players in the draft, but I'm just expressing a concern about what our long term goals should be.

 

[bajaden]

I like what I've read about him and he's not just a skills guy, he seems to have good quickness and height, but ultimately I'm really just trying to make a point that I think getting a true scoring option down low to pair with Evans should be higher on the priority list than a defensive role player like say a Kendrick Perkins. I think we eventually need a Perkins type player, but I just don't think we can be a championship caliber team until we get a true post scorer. Mainly because I don't think Evans is ever going to be quite as good as Wade in his scoring ability, and considering the way he dominates the ball, I don't think there is much room for another high quality scoring type out on the perimeter. Now, we may not have the option of either of these types of players in the draft, but I'm just expressing a concern about what our long term goals should be.

I don't disagree about our needs. Good big men are hard to come by, and they take longer to reach their potential. I think Thompson can be a good scoring big man, but he's not there yet. Hawes, I'm not sure about. He's skilled enough, but I'm not sure he'll ever be agressive enough. But regardless of those two players, we still have a need down low, and particularly at the center spot.

As far as whether we need an offensive big before a defensive big, I'll go with which ever best option becomes available first. As far as Evans dominating the ball too much, its way too early to profile him one way or the other. He's a 20 year old kid thats still learning. He's a long way from being a finished product. And, personally, I think he'll be as good as Wade and maybe even better in time.. Just my opinion though, which is worth nothing..

 

[Vlade4GM]

I thought Hawes could be a good 14-16 ppg low post scorer, but yeah it's looking like he doesn't have the assertiveness to do that. I just don't think Thompson has it in him to be a true go-to scorer. A good off-ball scorer? Sure, but not a creator who can draw double teams.

Yeah, he's 20 and many things are possible when you are that age, but when he's been ball dominant his entire playing career up to this point and he hasn't really shown any kind of aptitude for off-ball movement or the mechanics to be a good spot up shooter, I don't consider it likely he becomes much of a threat off the ball. It just rarely turns out that way for players like him. As far as him vs. Wade, even if you assume Evans develops all the skills that Wade has, Wade's athleticism still beats out Evans' by a significant margin. The only thing Evans has on him is a couple inches in reach.

 

[bajaden]

I thought Hawes could be a good 14-16 ppg low post scorer, but yeah it's looking like he doesn't have the assertiveness to do that. I just don't think Thompson has it in him to be a true go-to scorer. A good off-ball scorer? Sure, but not a creator who can draw double teams.

Yeah, he's 20 and many things are possible when you are that age, but when he's been ball dominant his entire playing career up to this point and he hasn't really shown any kind of aptitude for off-ball movement or the mechanics to be a good spot up shooter, I don't consider it likely he becomes much of a threat off the ball. It just rarely turns out that way for players like him. As far as him vs. Wade, even if you assume Evans develops all the skills that Wade has, Wade's athleticism still beats out Evans' by a significant margin. The only thing Evans has on him is a couple inches in reach.

Well, his so called career so far is one year of college and 20 some odd games in the NBA. Right now his outside shot is better than LeBrons outside shot was when he came into the league. Wade was an absolutely terrible shooter when he came into the league, and still can't shoot from three point range. Evans has already developed a good free throw stroke. His outside shot will come along just fine. Wade is a better athlete, but the difference isn't earth shattering, and in my opinion won't matter that much.

Wade is a great player, not because he's a great athlete, but because he has that mentality that all great players have. His athleticism is just one of his tools. I think people should take note of Derrick Rose. One of the knocks on his game was his outside shot. I think most will notice that his shot has improved dramaticly.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Well, his so called career so far is one year of college and 20 some odd games in the NBA. Right now his outside shot is better than LeBrons outside shot was when he came into the league. Wade was an absolutely terrible shooter when he came into the league, and still can't shoot from three point range. Evans has already developed a good free throw stroke. His outside shot will come along just fine. Wade is a better athlete, but the difference isn't earth shattering, and in my opinion won't matter that much.

Wade is a great player, not because he's a great athlete, but because he has that mentality that all great players have. His athleticism is just one of his tools. I think people should take note of Derrick Rose. One of the knocks on his game was his outside shot. I think most will notice that his shot has improved dramaticly.

I'm including his high school career as well. Off-ball play is definitely a lost art in the NBA, especially among 1-on-1 guards like Evans.

I think Wade's ability to finish above the rim in traffic, makes him a lot better than he would be without it. Evans can't do that.

Evans' rookie year - has an eFG% of .370 on his jump shot, making up 47% of his total attempts.

James' rookie year - had an eFG% of .356 on his jump shot, making up 67% of his total attempts.

Wade's rookie year - had an eFG% of .371 on his jump shot, making up 50% of his total attempts.

Rose's rookie year - had an eFG% of .419 on his jump shot, making up 60% of his total attempts.

I definitely wouldn't say Evans has a better shot than James did, they're about the same % and James shot a lot more from the outside. Wade and him are about the same. Still, that's not really what I'd go off of personally. Both Wade and Rose had better mechanics to work with than Evans has. They had quicker releases, more consistent release points, and they got up straighter and higher.

This is kind of going off on a tangent, focusing on his shot wasn't really my intention, Wade isn't really much of a spot up shooter either.

 

[Vlade4GM]

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Hassan-Whiteside-5660/

Hassan Whiteside - Marshall

Interesting C prospect. Putting up some pretty damn good rebounding/shot blocking numbers. He's a freshman but he's also a little older for his class, maybe if he keeps up the good play he'll gain enough attention to want to declare.

 

[bajaden]

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Hassan-Whiteside-5660/

Hassan Whiteside - Marshall

Interesting C prospect. Putting up some pretty damn good rebounding/shot blocking numbers. He's a freshman but he's also a little older for his class, maybe if he keeps up the good play he'll gain enough attention to want to declare.

I've seen him play twice now. He's not ready for the NBA. He has good shotblocking instincts, but thats about it. He's putting up decent rebounding stats, but most of that is because he's taller than most of the competition. He's not one that fights for rebounds in a crowd. His offense is mostly putbacks. What bothered me the most was his not getting back in transition. He was always the last one down the floor. He is pretty athletic and shows good quickness at times.

I won't pass judgement just yet, but from what I've seen so far, he needs to stay in school and get stronger. He gets pushed around by players way smaller than him.. He does show good potential though. Unlike Jerome Jordan who I think will be a huge bust in the NBA. I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole at this point.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I've seen him play twice now. He's not ready for the NBA. He has good shotblocking instincts, but thats about it. He's putting up decent rebounding stats, but most of that is because he's taller than most of the competition. He's not one that fights for rebounds in a crowd. His offense is mostly putbacks. What bothered me the most was his not getting back in transition. He was always the last one down the floor. He is pretty athletic and shows good quickness at times.

I won't pass judgement just yet, but from what I've seen so far, he needs to stay in school and get stronger. He gets pushed around by players way smaller than him.. He does show good potential though. Unlike Jerome Jordan who I think will be a huge bust in the NBA. I wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole at this point.

But lets say he did declare for the draft, would you think he's worthy taking a shot on with a mid 1st rounder?

 

[bajaden]

But lets say he did declare for the draft, would you think he's worthy taking a shot on with a mid 1st rounder?

I guess that would depend on who else is there. Personally I think he'll be a second round pick. At least from what I've seen so far. He's going to be a project. Nothing wrong with that because he has potential. Lets say that its my turn to choose and my choice is between Whiteside and Xavior Henry. I would have to choose Henry at this point. Less chance of failure and a player that I think has a chance to be a star.

Now if my choice is between Whiteside and lets say Oqilvy, then I would go with Whiteside. Although Oqilvy is the better player right now, Whiteside has a much higher upside, while I don't think Oqivy is going to get much better.

 

[hammystyle]

Paul George

Has anyone seen him play at all? He was in the top-15 to start the season as a 19 year old soph but seems to have been pushed down the wing pecking order a little because of how well Wesley Johnson, Evan Turner, and Xavier Henry have played.

The scouting reports have him as a super long, athletic wing, who can shoot the three and pass. Down side being that he's skinny and doesn't have a good handle.

Statistically he brings the same across the board contributions that Johnson and Turner do except that he's two years younger than Turner and three years younger than Johnson (albeit against much inferior competition).

17ppg 8rpg 3apg 4to 3spg 47 FG% 41% 3pt (on five attempts per game) 90% FT

 

[bajaden]

I've seen him play once this year. He's a very good outside shooter. He's very thin and long. He could use another 15 pounds of muscle. He seems like a good athlete, but nothing special. He didn't handle the ball that well, but wasn't terrible. Hard to get a read on just one game. Offensively he appears to be pretty much a perimiter player. He did rebound fairly well for being so slight of build.

I can't put him in the same class with Turner and Johnson. Both these guys are ready to play in the NBA. And by that, I mean step in and contribute. I just finished watching the Seton Hall/Syracuse game. Johnson ended up with 20 points and 19 rebounds. Considering that he's a SF, he's a great rebounder for the position. The amazing thing about Johnson is that he never forces anything offensively. He just gets his points when their there, if you know what I mean. He's actually too unselfish. I think this guy could average 30 points a game if he really tried. He's a very good ballhandler and a good passer. His ballhandling isn't in the same ballpark with Turner, but Turner is an exceptional ballhandler. Johnson is also a good defender. I think he had three blocked shots tonight. Maybe more. He's always around the ball, and yet he seems to do it in a quiet way. Probably because he's such a graceful athlete, so it looks effortless.

 

[hammystyle]

^^^ Indeed, what Johnson and Turner have done this year is "jaw-dropping" vs George's numbers being "pretty impressive". Their across the board stats are just insane. They'll be off the charts when Hollinger does his draft rater system later this year because they nail all the things that trend well to the NBA. A/T, rebounds, steals, blocks, efficient scoring...if you're good at all that, you'll be a good pro.

Of course, that's also while they'll probly be in the top 5, and the Kings will probly draft in the 12-14 range. George likely will be available, hits on a lot of those same attributes, and he's only 19. I'm bringing him up more as a comparison point to Devin Ebanks, Solomon Alabi, Willie Warren, Avery Bradley, Greg Monroe, Quincy Pondexter etc. These guys are routinely ranked ahead of Paul George in our range, and I'm not sure why.

 

[bajaden]

^^^ Indeed, what Johnson and Turner have done this year is "jaw-dropping" vs George's numbers being "pretty impressive". Their across the board stats are just insane. They'll be off the charts when Hollinger does his draft rater system later this year because they nail all the things that trend well to the NBA. A/T, rebounds, steals, blocks, efficient scoring...if you're good at all that, you'll be a good pro.

Of course, that's also while they'll probly be in the top 5, and the Kings will probly draft in the 12-14 range. George likely will be available, hits on a lot of those same attributes, and he's only 19. I'm bringing him up more as a comparison point to Devin Ebanks, Solomon Alabi, Willie Warren, Avery Bradley, Greg Monroe, Quincy Pondexter etc. These guys are routinely ranked ahead of Paul George in our range, and I'm not sure why.

Well first of all, its subjective. You throw them all into a bowl and stir. Then the order in which they come out is up to the picker, and what it is that they value. I'm not that high on Ebanks, but apparently someone is. I think the upside with George is his age. Plus, you know what his position is. When you look at someone like Bradley, you start making exceptions for him right away because of his lack of height for his proposed position. But he's one of the best athlete's in college and is a terrific defender. But once again, what is his position, and is he a good enough shooter from the outside to play at the SG position. The answer is probably yes, but still, your taking a gamble.

Now if I have to choose between Alabi and George, I'm probably going with Alabi. George is more skilled, but Alabi has a huge upside, and also fills a need for us. So I guess I don't have a problem with where George is being projected in the draft right now. Especially when you look at some of the players that are below him. Lawal, Pittman, Damion James, who I really like.

I'm looking forward to seeing him play again. I'll be honest. The players that I'm looking for are the one's that have attitude. That have a little Jon Brockman or Casspi in them. I like the direction the team is going in, and I think thats the type of player that will fit in. Thats why I love Turner so much. Not only is he very skilled and a great athlete, he's has an attitude about him that doesn't allow him to accept losing. Ditto Johnson, just in a more quiet way.

 

[NME]

Draftexpress says best case for Turner is Anthony Parker. Of course, they also said best case for JT was Mark Blount.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Draftexpress says best case for Turner is Anthony Parker. Of course, they also said best case for JT was Mark Blount.

That's still up from last year, they just haven't updated it.

 

[NME]

That's still up from last year, they just haven't updated it.

I realize that. My point stands.

 

[hammystyle]

John Wall broke the Kentucky assist record today, nothing new, the guy's ridiculous...but Demarcus Cousins had 19 points (8/10 FG), 12 rebounds and 2 blocks...in 19 minutes!

For the season that puts him at 15.2 ppg 9.0 reb 1.8bpg 54.5% FG 64.6 FT in only 18.7 minutes per game. He's #1 in the country in per 40 scoring. He's #1 in the country in per 40 rebounding! If he played a reasonable 30 minutes a game the stats would be 24.4 ppg 14.4 rpg and 2.9 bpg. Essentially when he plays, he's far and away the most dominant big man in college.

There are caveats. You can't read a word about him without "major character issues" popping up. He's already pretty hefty and fouls too much. How much of his success is generated by his talented teammates? That said, he's a having Beasley and Durantesque freshman year, just in less minutes. And he comes with no worries about size having already measured out at 6'10" with a 7'6" wingspan.

He's currently in the late 20's on most draft boards. I suspect if he maintains his current level of play and doesn't commit a felony he'll rise significantly.