Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1593086216492437506

Kris also acts like a normal human being.

 

[bajaden]

It's really hard to tell what each brother can do that the other can't just because Fran had them playing different set roles last season. I had absolutely no idea that Keegan would be so good as a movement shooter for the Kings because that is absolutely not something they had him do at Iowa whereas I had an inkling Kris might be solid in that regard since they had him pivoting off of Keegan all season.

I will say that working out with Keegan in the predraft process has done wonders for Kris because he's playing a whole lot faster than he did last year.

I agree, and he looks a little lighter than Keegan. You could do worse than having both of them on your team. I like Brandon Miller quite a bit as well. Dillon Mitchell is a freakish athlete with a great motor. If he can learn how to turn that into an offensive game he could be something. Defensively he just needs to be more disciplined. His teammate Tyrese Hunter had a hell of a game tonight.

 

[bajaden]

Houston keeps on rolling along with Jarace Walker who had a very good game today. As did his teammate Marcus Sasser. Gonzaga got they're head handed to them by Texas. Yesterday Cason Wallace had a terrific game in a loss to Michigan St in double overtime. He did it all including 8 steals. He's just a terrific basketball player, and a terror on defense. Still not totally buying stock on Toppin. He's improved, but right now, I wouldn't have him in the 1st rd. But hey, he can change my mind.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Cason Wallace, a 6'4" combo guard who plays for Kentucky. He can do just about anything you ask of him. Terrific defender. Very good 3 pt shooter who can score at all three levels. He can play the point or off the ball.

What I'm not seeing from Wallace so far is the drive game. Kid is clearly a ridiculous defender, but if he's not a threat to get to the basket I have a tough time seeing him in the lotto. Does just about everything else, though, so an easy first rounder.

 

[Ozymandias]

So ESPN updates their top-100;

Emoni Bates(Eastern Michigan) jumps from the 70's to #31!

Coleman Hawkins (Illinois) is up to #40! He's from Sacramento.

Ryan Kalkbrenner(Creighton) and Matthew Murrell(Ole Miss) up to 48 and 49


The Kings have had some success with strong 6'4" SG's from Ole Miss who throw down big dunks and make 3's (Terence Davis). Interested to see what kind of climb Murrell can make up the draft boards this season since he's a more reliable shooter than lots of wings projected ahead of him and is gonna have tons of attempts to prove it.

 

[Ozymandias]

Olivier Maxence-Prosper, 6'8 230lb Junior from Montreal on Marquette, explodes for 31 points on 11/12 from the feild in 20 minutes

 

[Ozymandias]

dunk of the season so far.. filthy

You can be sure 6'10 212lb Sophomore Trevon Brazile's stock is on the rise..

Arkansas faces 0-3 Louisville on ESPN Monday... sheesh the bad luck for UL doesnt stop early this season

 

[Ozymandias]

Anthony Black is going nuclear vs Louisville rn.. If he keeps playing like this he could actually go top5

I'll add in the stats n highlights once it goes final. Arkansas is in scary form today... They have terrific depth.

 

[Ozymandias]

Now that the Kings draft outlook is starting to change slightly (good chances at Wembanyama are destroyed):


How do we feel about Terquavion Smith?

With the way Monk is such a proficient passer, I think he's an interesting fit. The Kings are an interesting fit for him too, he's built for a high paced explosive offense so if he hits his 3's he can use his 1st step to blow by n get to the rim.

I feel like maybe he could slide right into Terence Davis(expiring) role/minutes and add a nice wrinkle off the bench, and he's got upside.

 

[Ozymandias]

More from Trevon Brazile! On a star studded team he's really starting to break out.

He was even better in yesterdays insane OT win vs #17SDSU (20pts 9rebs 2stl). Down 2 with 11 seconds SDSU has the ball and the Brazile double comes up with a steal then they hit a buzzerbeater on a putback to bring it to OT.

I want this kid on the Kings he could maybe develop into our Brandon Clarke. He'd be insane value in the 2nd rd I feel like cuz of upside. He's 6'10 with long arms n an explosive athlete... I'm starting to think there's a chance he ends up out of our reach

 

[Ozymandias]

How about Oumar Ballo yesterday? 30pts, 14/17 fg's, 13boards, 1blk only 2 turnovers carrying Arizona in the heavyweight showdown vs Creighton

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1595999165192208384

 

[iowamcnabb]

Vecenie has moved Kris Murray up to 16th in his top 100 prospects

 

[pdxKingsFan]

How about Oumar Ballo yesterday? 30pts, 14/17 fg's, 13boards, 1blk only 2 turnovers carrying Arizona in the heavyweight showdown vs Creighton

damn haven't gotten to watch my Cats yet (problem when Kings are playing must watch hoops). That's great for him.

 

[Ozymandias]

Tamar Bates with 24 points in 22 mints off the bench, 6'4-6'5" Sophomore SG at Indiana on 8/11 from the field 4/6 from 3. Interested to see how he can follow this up, has potential for sure.

 

[Ozymandias]

Vecenie has moved Kris Murray up to 16th in his top 100 prospects

Yeah Kris has been so good recently, taking 5 3's a game n making almost half of them, the teens seem about right. There's a lot of movement going on everywhere around the nation, my bigboard is changing by the minute. Lotta good games.

 

[Ozymandias]

This outburst deserves mention here. 6'7" SF Julian Philips is young, long armed, quick, explosive and can shoot

 

[Ozymandias]

Filipowski actually reminds me a bit of Trey Lyles. I could see him stepping into that role Lyles currently occupies next season. Though I'm kind of hoping if we draft a PF/C its more of a Holmes replacement.



For the Kings Kelel Ware (and I think maybe Dillon Mitchell and Dereck Lively II) could be a real prize(maybe GG Jackson as well).

Luckily its early and many more PF/C's will stake their claim at the first rd.

Ware in particular would be a fun fit here because he's a natural offensive player and has the body control already in that young frame and we of course have such a high powered offense, he would be in SUCH a lower pressure situation than Keegan this year.. He kind of gives you hope for that best of both worlds new school and old school offense combined.. These highlights are impressive as UConn plays 2 high quality C's that probably end up in the league (Sanogo and Clingan). Ware would be decidedly a low risk high reward pick, It's super early but I'll be shocked if that changes, which is something given that he's 18.

Lively II who's also still 18 would end up a fan favorite. We'd see a nice uptick in lobs. I just feel like all types of mayhem would happen around him all the time and just possibly most of it would be in the Kings favor. Invariably he'd be compared to WCS nonstop.

 

[Ozymandias]

Down goes #1 UNC in a 4 OT thriller to Bama.

In the middle of the madness that was this game, Sophomore 6'11 Bigman Charles Bediako was steady and most excellent for the Crimson Tide. 7/9 from the field, 14 pts, 16 rebs (8 offensive), 2ast, 2stls, 3 blocks.

Bama lists him at 7' im gonna call him 6'11" til we see otherwise. Encouraging signs from a talented player though.

He appears to be strengthening up quite a bit from where he was at about 2-3 years ago has to have added at least 20lbs.

 

[bajaden]

Anthony Black is going nuclear vs Louisville rn.. If he keeps playing like this he could actually go top5

I'll add in the stats n highlights once it goes final. Arkansas is in scary form today... They have terrific depth.

I like Black a lot. My only question is his 3 pt shot. If he can consistently shoot around 37% or above, then I could see him definitely being a top 10 pick, maybe top 5. He's a very good defender and a great passer. With the shot, he's the complete package. I also like his running mate Jordan Walsh. Dude is a freak athlete and an outstanding defender. Arkansas is a very good team and they still haven't had the services of who is supposed to be their best player, Nick Smith.

 

[bajaden]

Down goes #1 UNC in a 4 OT thriller to Bama.

In the middle of the madness that was this game, Sophomore 6'11 Bigman Charles Bediako was steady and most excellent for the Crimson Tide. 7/9 from the field, 14 pts, 16 rebs (8 offensive), 2ast, 2stls, 3 blocks.

Bama lists him at 7' im gonna call him 6'11" til we see otherwise. Encouraging signs from a talented player though.

He appears to be strengthening up quite a bit from where he was at about 2-3 years ago has to have added at least 20lbs.

To be honest, I was very surprised when they had N. Carolina ranked number one going into the season. I just didn't see it. Yeah, the entire team is made up of mostly upper classmen, but there isn't any real star power on that team. To me, I couldn't see them beating a team like Arkansas. Hell, I would have been surprised if they could have beaten Pepperdine, who might give Gonzaga a run for the money in that conference.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

To be honest, I was very surprised when they had N. Carolina ranked number one going into the season. I just didn't see it. Yeah, the entire team is made up of mostly upper classmen, but there isn't any real star power on that team. To me, I couldn't see them beating a team like Arkansas. Hell, I would have been surprised if they could have beaten Pepperdine, who might give Gonzaga a run for the money in that conference.

The same Pepperdine that UCLA whacked by 47 points? I kinda thought Pepperdine must be pretty weak this year, because I know UCLA isn't that good.

 

[bajaden]

The same Pepperdine that UCLA whacked by 47 points? I kinda thought Pepperdine must be pretty weak this year, because I know UCLA isn't that good.

Actually, I think UCLA is going to be pretty competitive this year. I'm not a big fan of the system they run, but they usually manage to keep every game close and give themselves a chance to win.

I've been pleasntly surprised by Jaylen Clark, who has turned into a defensive monster. My knock on him was his outside shot, but so far this season he's killing it. As for Pepperdine, everyone is allowed a bad game. I'm a huge fan of Max Lewis who I think will be a lottery pick by seasons end. They also have Houston Mallette, who could find his way into the bottom of the first round, or not! My point is that they have a lot of talent. Just need to get everyone on the same page.

I think your team is going to surprise a lot of teams this year. But what do I know?

 

[Ozymandias]

I like Black a lot. My only question is his 3 pt shot. If he can consistently shoot around 37% or above, then I could see him definitely being a top 10 pick, maybe top 5. He's a very good defender and a great passer. With the shot, he's the complete package. I also like his running mate Jordan Walsh. Dude is a freak athlete and an outstanding defender. Arkansas is a very good team and they still haven't had the services of who is supposed to be their best player, Nick Smith.

yeah Arkansas is LOADED. I'm convinced they have quite a few NBA players, I'm always impressed by Ricky Council IV when I've seen them so far this szn, seems that he could get drafted and if he doesnt I'd sure be excited to have him on the SL / G-League squads and I'm a big believer in Brazile, who reminds me of Chris McCollough but more skilled.

Also the games that Jordan Walsh has made 3's are the ones I've caught so Its hard for me to criticize him. It does seem to me that he'd be a good fit with the kings if that 3pt shot is falling, he'd add a nice wrinkle to the wings/forwards. though obviously hes young n raw n needs seasoning..

I forgot to post the highlights from the Anthony Black game in question so here they are now

 

[206Fan]

yeah Arkansas is LOADED. I'm convinced they have quite a few NBA players, I'm always impressed by Ricky Council IV when I've seen them so far this szn, seems that he could get drafted and if he doesnt I'd sure be excited to have him on the SL / G-League squads and I'm a big believer in Brazile, who reminds me of Chris McCollough but more skilled.

Also the games that Jordan Walsh has made 3's are the ones I've caught so Its hard for me to criticize him. It does seem to me that he'd be a good fit with the kings if that 3pt shot is falling, he'd add a nice wrinkle to the wings/forwards. though obviously hes young n raw n needs seasoning..

I forgot to post the highlights from the Anthony Black game in question so here they are now

I think about the what ifs with Eric Musselman on the Kings, but it's clear that he has the college game figured out. He's got an amazingly talented Arkansas roster full of possible NBA talents, and that's without having Nick Smith Jr. playing.

Jordan Walsh reminds me of freshman Justin Jackson at UNC. His NBA potential will come down to his 3pt shot. He's really raw around the edges, but you can overlook the rawness if he makes his 3pt shots.

 

[Ozymandias]

Actually, I think UCLA is going to be pretty competitive this year. I'm not a big fan of the system they run, but they usually manage to keep every game close and give themselves a chance to win.

I've been pleasntly surprised by Jaylen Clark, who has turned into a defensive monster. My knock on him was his outside shot, but so far this season he's killing it. As for Pepperdine, everyone is allowed a bad game. I'm a huge fan of Max Lewis who I think will be a lottery pick by seasons end. They also have Houston Mallette, who could find his way into the bottom of the first round, or not! My point is that they have a lot of talent. Just need to get everyone on the same page.

I think your team is going to surprise a lot of teams this year. But what do I know?

Maxwell Lewis looks great! I'm sold. very impressive.

Use the first rd pick on him! Seems like he'd greatly benefit from playing with a PG like Fox.

Sheesh, to trade for Huerter, sign Monk, draft Keegan and then this kid the next year -- that'd truly be a rags to riches story real quick on the wing for us.


Sign me up for Max Lewis in the first then Julian Strawther and Trevon Brazile in the 2nd.

 

[206Fan]

I recently watched an LSU game where they played against Wofford. A kid they kept mentioning was Wofford's freshman Jackson Paveletzke. No clue who he was but I looked him up and saw that he was a 6'3 PG currently averaging 16.9pts 4.0asts 2.0rebs on shooting splits of 59.3/52.6/88.4.

I think there might be some potential there. He plays lead PG for Wofford, but looks more like a combo-guard. He's a great shooter with high IQ. I wasn't able to find any footage outside of espn+ for him, but here's some highlights of his college career so far:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1596202732897140747

He finished the LSU game with 19pts 5asts and 3tos on 7-10 shooting. Very high IQ player who nearly won the game for his team. If he keeps up his current play, I think we'll see him in a new college uniform next year.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I think about the what ifs with Eric Musselman on the Kings, but it's clear that he has the college game figured out. He's got an amazingly talented Arkansas roster full of possible NBA talents, and that's without having Nick Smith Jr. playing.

The Maloofs were delusional when they fired Adelman thinking they had a championship contender still. I thought Muss was a good hire, but he completely f'd up getting that DUI before the ink was dry on the contract and then proceeded to miss the playoffs. He should have been given a second year but this team was on a downward slope and all this happened right as Vegas bottomed out and the family was losing everything they overextended on in Vegas so it probably wouldn't have mattered.

 

[Ozymandias]

So I was wrong about Virginia in the preseason, definitely a solid team, one of the ACC's elite and looking like they will vie for a good seed..

However I did say that If they do turn the corner it's gonna be because of a big uptick in PG play mainly from Reece Beekman, and that's just whats happened

The 6'3" Junior PG is shooting a blistering 57% from 3 so far.. Which is obviously something worth monitoring as he's good defensively and has a knack for getting steals. Scoring overall has upticked from 8ppg to 12.

Appears ESPN's bumped him up their big board quite a bit to the mid 2nd rd.

Could end up being an interesting player for the Kings IMO. He could handle the 3rd string duties as a rookie I think, if not having him run the show for SL (and then G-League) would be a massive upgrade from this summer, and he figures to be low risk, decently high floor 3 and d specialist.

 

[Ozymandias]

Coleman Hawkins is up to #24 on ESPN's bigboard!!!!!

Lively down 20 spots and most other mocks have him dropping even further. Dariq Whitehead drops outside of the lottery to #15!

Ricky Council IV and Terrence Arceneaux up to #33 and #34. Jordan Walsh has also made a big jump up their board iirc, to #41.

6'5" Sophomore PG Taran Armstrong at Cal-Baptist, from Tasmania looks solid and they have him ranked #70. currently shooting 50+% from 3(only 3attempts per) after only 31% as a freshman but he gets to the line a lot n gets downhill and has some explosion. Shades of Greivis Vasquez.