[Game] Kings vs Pelicans Game Thread(Summer League) 7/11/16 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT

I've been saying all along that Koufos should not be trade bait if Papa is our only backup C. Even if he looked decent in summer league I still think it would be a bad idea to run him out there right away.
 
I keep hearing this but I have to ask .. potential for what? To be a role playing guy who grabs a few rebounds and sets some screens? I can see that. But to be honest right now based on my very very limited sample size of an inexperienced player I'd be happy if he'd even become as good as Koufos. Just doesn't seem to have the tools or skills to be effective in today's league.
you realize he turned 19 last week.
 
Was a fun Game, Malachi and Skal were having a good Game until Buddy opened up a can of Whoop-A** on us

Papa has a long way to go, but hey he is young, maybe needs a year in the DL, But maybe since we have depth at 2,3,4
Keep Koufos and go ahead trade Rudy for a PG
 
you realize he turned 19 last week.
Yes - as evident by my acknowledgment of him being an "inexperienced player". You also realize that when the best thing you can say about a player, even in summer league, is that his mobility looks somewhat decent chances are he's not going to be a future all-star. Look I'm not writing the kid off, but I do need to call a spade a spade. Skal is only a year older but looks way more promising. Malachi also shows some potential. On the other hand, I wouldn't be able to tell you who was the lottery pick between George and Adam Woodbury.
 
Could we just say that we drafted Skal at 13 and Papa at 28 from here on out? lol Would make this so much easier.

On a serious note, Skal looks legit as ****. He'll end up the steal of the draft. No doubt in my mind. I think if the draft was done over tonight, he doesn't make it out of the top 12.

8th and Marco

For

Skal, Malachi, Bogdan and Georgios

We will look back one day on the work Vlade put in on Draft Night 2016 and think damn, this was the night that Vlade turned it around for us. Just watch.
 

Bricklayer

Don't Make Me Use The Bat
I've been saying all along that Koufos should not be trade bait if Papa is our only backup C. Even if he looked decent in summer league I still think it would be a bad idea to run him out there right away.
This does have to be a consideration right now. Vlade seemed to be under the impression Big Papa might be a 20min a night guy in his first year, making Koufos expendable. If he instead is a guy who' going to need time at Reno just to adjust, let alone be a rotation guy, then Koufos is no longer expendable.

An x-factor here is Skal, who is looking like he maybe deserves a spot at the end of the roster, and maybe could even help later in the season. Do you take Skal instead of Big Papa? I would, but it changes the balance of the frontcourt, and without Koufos leaves WCS as the only backup C. Skal being more of a stretch 4.

A Cuz/WCS/Koufos/Skal/Tolliver frontcort has a ton of length and significant range too.
 
Could we just say that we drafted Skal at 13 and Papa at 28 from here on out? lol Would make this so much easier.
Better yet, pretend we never drafted Papa. He was never meant to contribute this year. He is a contingency plan for if/when Demarcus leaves in 2 years. I'm not sure he is even meant for a trade, which is probably why Cuz was upset. Even though Divac said he was the BPA, I doubt the other GMs feel the same and it could be hard to trade him.
 
Better yet, pretend we never drafted Papa. He was never meant to contribute this year. He is a contingency plan for if/when Demarcus leaves in 2 years. I'm not sure he is even meant for a trade, which is probably why Cuz was upset. Even though Divac said he was the BPA, I doubt the other GMs feel the same and it could be hard to trade him.
Word was that Detroit was big on him and were taking him at 18. He's also 19 with a grown mans body. There is definitely intrigue and value there.
 
This does have to be a consideration right now. Vlade seemed to be under the impression Big Papa might be a 20min a night guy in his first year, making Koufos expendable. If he instead is a guy who' going to need time at Reno just to adjust, let alone be a rotation guy, then Koufos is no longer expendable.

An x-factor here is Skal, who is looking like he maybe deserves a spot at the end of the roster, and maybe could even help later in the season. Do you take Skal instead of Big Papa? I would, but it changes the balance of the frontcourt, and without Koufos leaves WCS as the only backup C. Skal being more of a stretch 4.

A Cuz/WCS/Koufos/Skal/Tolliver frontcort has a ton of length and significant range too.
Frankly, I wish Vlade didn't have that impression. If we're going to throw Papa out there for 20 minutes a game instead of Koufos, then that's just another reason to why this team could fail. Would rather just have him be in Reno for the entire year.

Skal and Malachi I think I might want to see as end of the bench players, however. Give 'em some spot minutes here and there and see if they can develop sooner than anticipated. Papa just doesn't look ready for garbage time minutes, let alone backup C, and he certainly isn't a more viable option to take Koufos' place in the rotation.
 
Could we just say that we drafted Skal at 13 and Papa at 28 from here on out? lol Would make this so much easier.

On a serious note, Skal looks legit as ****. He'll end up the steal of the draft. No doubt in my mind. I think if the draft was done over tonight, he doesn't make it out of the top 12.

8th and Marco

For

Skal, Malachi, Bogdan and Georgios

We will look back one day on the work Vlade put in on Draft Night 2016 and think damn, this was the night that Vlade turned it around for us. Just watch.
Not really. Because we passed on a lot of great potential to bring Papa in. Skal and Malachi being good should have nothing to do with Papa
 
The one good thing about Big Papa is that he seems committed to coming to the NBA and trying to get better.

So many European bigs just put their names in the NBA draft and stay overseas. From what I have heard, Big Papa is coming over this year, so at least our coaches will get to work with him and mold him as best they can.

He reminds me more of a young Zydrunas Ilgauskas than Marc Gasol. So, IF Big Papa can ever develop into a Big Z type player, I would be happy.
I tend to be of the opposite opinion. Players that leave early amount to nothing but those that stay to develop and get seasoned experience make impact when they come over. The reason for this is there is a lot more practice time over in Europe, they get more of actual in game development in good quality leagues. Bogdanovic made the right call. Had he come to the NBA when he was drafted, he would be out of the league by now.

Nemanja Nedovic was a more talented player than Bogdanovic and he made a mistake of coming straight over. Bounced around in the D League dominating, got garbage minutes here and there with the Warriors and bounced out of the league. A good player but has not reached his potential.

Worst thing these guys can do is come straight over. I would have been happier if Papagiannis stayed over there for a couple of years to work on his game, get more game time in Euroleague and come over as a young vet with big game experience under his belt.
 
I tend to be of the opposite opinion. Players that leave early amount to nothing but those that stay to develop and get seasoned experience make impact when they come over. The reason for this is there is a lot more practice time over in Europe, they get more of actual in game development in good quality leagues. Bogdanovic made the right call. Had he come to the NBA when he was drafted, he would be out of the league by now.

Nemanja Nedovic was a more talented player than Bogdanovic and he made a mistake of coming straight over. Bounced around in the D League dominating, got garbage minutes here and there with the Warriors and bounced out of the league. A good player but has not reached his potential.

Worst thing these guys can do is come straight over. I would have been happier if Papagiannis stayed over there for a couple of years to work on his game, get more game time in Euroleague and come over as a young vet with big game experience under his belt.
Good points, but there are just as many young euros that make it after coming over, after getting drafted.

Porzingis, Dirk, Pau, Marc gasol, Andrei kirilenko, zdrunis Ilgalskas, vlade divac, to name a few.

The problem is that once they get too comfortable in Europe, a lot of these player never come over to the NBA and you waste a high draft pick. I would rather he learn in an NBA environment, even the d-league would get him more used to the NBA speed than a euro league experience.

Even if he has to spend a year in the d-league, I think vlade and the kings would prefer he be in America learning the game.
 
Good points, but there are just as many young euros that make it after coming over, after getting drafted.

Porzingis, Dirk, Pau, Marc gasol, Andrei kirilenko, zdrunis Ilgalskas, vlade divac, to name a few.

The problem is that once they get too comfortable in Europe, a lot of these player never come over to the NBA and you waste a high draft pick. I would rather he learn in an NBA environment, even the d-league would get him more used to the NBA speed than a euro league experience.

Even if he has to spend a year in the d-league, I think vlade and the kings would prefer he be in America learning the game.
Those were all established players getting major minutes for their teams. Divac was a star in Europe. Porzingis has been one of the key players for his team. Kirilenko, Pau, Marc, Ilgauskas and even Dirk were playing key roles for their teams.

Papagiannis is miles behind where those guys were in terms of development. There has only been a handful of players who have never come over. For every player that has stayed in Europe there have been 3 that have eventually come over.
 
Those were all established players getting major minutes for their teams. Divac was a star in Europe. Porzingis has been one of the key players for his team. Kirilenko, Pau, Marc, Ilgauskas and even Dirk were playing key roles for their teams.

Papagiannis is miles behind where those guys were in terms of development. There has only been a handful of players who have never come over. For every player that has stayed in Europe there have been 3 that have eventually come over.
That is your opinion.

Vlade seems to want big papa here with the kings, rather than leave him over in Europe.

As the commentators mentioned on today's game, the NBA play at a totally different speed than Europe.

At age 19 years old, he can learn on a daily basis battling DMC, WCS and kk in practice.

He is 2-3 years away from being a rotation player, just like most 19 year old big men would be if they came out of college early. I don't see why a 19 year old college freshman first round pick and a 19 year old euro big man first round pick should differ on where they learn the game.

The best players are in the NBA and big papa will learn by being taught by the best coaches and battling the best players in the world everyday in practice.
 
I tend to be of the opposite opinion. Players that leave early amount to nothing but those that stay to develop and get seasoned experience make impact when they come over. The reason for this is there is a lot more practice time over in Europe, they get more of actual in game development in good quality leagues. Bogdanovic made the right call. Had he come to the NBA when he was drafted, he would be out of the league by now.

Nemanja Nedovic was a more talented player than Bogdanovic and he made a mistake of coming straight over. Bounced around in the D League dominating, got garbage minutes here and there with the Warriors and bounced out of the league. A good player but has not reached his potential.

Worst thing these guys can do is come straight over. I would have been happier if Papagiannis stayed over there for a couple of years to work on his game, get more game time in Euroleague and come over as a young vet with big game experience under his belt.
+1

The same story in hockey. European prospects (mostly Russians and Scandinavians) that stay in Europe longer tend to be much much more successful. It does not work this way all the time but usually it is the recipe of success. Big Papa has the goods (huge size, speed) but he clearly needs some serious seasoning. At least one year at home will not hurt him at all. Monitor him, watch all his games, send him heads ups and fitness plans. It will be so much better than playing against D-League guys. The only problem is that big guys game in Europe is so different from NBA.
 
Watched it via DVR so a little bit late to the party.

A few observations.

1. Stockton has a decent shot of having someone take a deep backup role attempt eventually, not sure how long his Croatia contract is.

2. Skal looks like one of those guys who can surprise you out of nowhere, somehow it can all come together briefly and you can see a glimpse of what could be. Definitely worth the pick position to see if we can harness some of that.

3. Richardson's size and athletic ability is nice, basic blueprint to develop. Hopefully the coaching staff can mold him. Basic scoring ability and boldness should translate to an early chance to prove what he can do if you ask me. So at 22, at a position of need, I like our chances.

4. Papa is always thinking on the court, he may end up a high IQ guy over time. Needs a whole lot of work offensively. Does the little things in rotations and movements pretty good for his age. Assume its related to European basketball. Instantly protected Stockton on the hard foul toss to the ground. I liked that.

5. Nice to know we have veterans here for at least a year in front of every one of these guys as of now.