KINGS PICKING 4TH IN 2022 NBA DRAFT!
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Just throwing this out there because he's gotten remarkably little buzz so far... Benny Mathurin (Arizona) was the best player I saw in college basketball last year. I don't know why Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe are both projected in the top 5 and Mathurin isn't. He's at the very least equal as a shooter and ballhandler with Sharpe and he's the same size and just as athletic too. He doesn't have the shot creation skills that Ivey does but he's excellent at playing off the ball and gets most of his points from spot up jumpers and backdoor cuts so he should fit perfectly next to Fox and Sabonis. And he actually had good production in a major NCAA conference this year instead of meaningless high school rankings.
You can't take a guy like this at 4. PERIOD! I'd rather swing for the damn fences than get a base knock that barely moves the needle. Murray's ceiling is a very good player but he's not elite at anything and don't see him exceeding a Barnes type player. If we aren't looking for a star at 4, by pick or trade, then what the hell are we doing making the pick at 4? Our pick will have a ton of value and I'm sure we can package #4 and a player/s to get another stud. We have screwed the draft up too many times so i get it that fans are skittish and don't want to KANGZ this pick up but we can't afford to play it safe. I hope Monte doesn't feel the pressure by Vivek and makes bold moves in the draft and this offseason. Bottom line is the West is too stacked to play it safe.
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This quote is just one man's opinion. It's not like John Hollinger hasn't been all kinds of wrong about players in the past. Scouting isn't an exact science. A lot of these same criticisms were also said about Luka Doncic (inability to create separation, looks plodding, not an NBA level athlete, etc.)
i don’t either but those players aren’t chopped liver. I think people assume that the first four picks will be stars and it often doesn’t work out that way.
You are betting on upside not necessarily production with guys like Ivey and Sharpe (who I like) but I think what some are missing is that Murray has untapped potential as well. In the final game of the season for the Hawkeyes Keegan had a 15 minute plus stretch without taking a shot because he plays within the system and does what Fran asks. He still ended up with 20 points in that game. They didn’t really run plays for him even though he was their clear best player. I won’t be surprised if he is a better creator than he showed in college at the NBA level. Throw in the positional value and versatility and you have a pretty intriguing prospect imo
You are betting on upside not necessarily production with guys like Ivey and Sharpe (who I like) but I think what some are missing is that Murray has untapped potential as well. In the final game of the season for the Hawkeyes Keegan had a 15 minute plus stretch without taking a shot because he plays within the system and does what Fran asks. He still ended up with 20 points in that game. They didn’t really run plays for him even though he was their clear best player. I won’t be surprised if he is a better creator than he showed in college at the NBA level. Throw in the positional value and versatility and you have a pretty intriguing prospect imo
Basketball IQ is something the Kings have been lacking as well. This is an area where Murray could help to elevate the Kings. People also dismiss him because he’s an older prospect. But when you take his late growth spurt into account and improvement trajectory - I think it negates the bias against older prospects.
Watching some more Jaden Ivey and I don't think he will be available at #4. If he gets drafted by a team that lets him have the ball he is going to win ROY. If he is available at #4 we would probably need to take him and trade him for our ideal player and a pick (Jerami Grant?). Im pretty sure a team like Detroit, or a non-playoff team, would part with their best player for Ivey.
A number of college players are held back by their system. I thought Devin Booker was 6'2 and a point guard when he was coming out of Kentucky, because he played on such a loaded, tall team. Ben Howland's UCLA players were never really showcased--maybe except for Kevin Love. Russ Westbrook came off the bench his freshman season and played off the ball next to Darren Collison in his second season...
Regardless, I just don't see the ceiling to warrant him being in the top tier. We'll see.
Regardless, I just don't see the ceiling to warrant him being in the top tier. We'll see.
The player that Keegan Murray reminds me of is a bigger Paul Pierce. Both were not elite athletes, but smart, heady player who can score the ball in bunches. I think Murray can be an alpha 20+ pts per game scorer in time. He's not flashy, but he's very active and smart player that will get you 20+pts and 7+ reb a game once he hits his stride.
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