It's hard to believe anything that comes out this time of year.
Some truth, lots of smoke.
Some truth, lots of smoke.
Michael Porter Jr
- Thread starter funkykingston
- Start date
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Well, the rumor Ham related had to do with when the Kings were sitting in the 7th spot, and he has admitted that it may not be relevant now. I haven't heard what Grant has had to say. Hard to get his show on a beach in baja. As for Blob, I have him blocked, so therefore have no idea what he has said, and I have no desire to know what he said. I have zero respect for him. Which of course is why I have him blocked. By the way, I admire your honesty!
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Ozymandias
All-Star
I saw Porter play a bunch of games before he got injured btw many with Trae Young on Mokan Elite. Ppl trying to besmirch his talent because of a botched injury riddled szn are foolish, HE'S 6'11 !!!!!
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Welcome back by the way! Nice to hear another voice of reason. The only reports I've heard about Porter's back have come from Porter himself, who of course should know more than anyone else how his back is, but at the same time, is less likely to be believed since he has quite a bit of money at stake. I have to assume that he'll come with medical records in hand when he/if he, works out for the Kings. I think in his case, the individual workouts will be more important than normal.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Another little known fact is that when he was on either the U16 or U17 team, he played PG at times. That's for those that don't think he's capable of passing the ball.
Blob
Starter
The Effort Police
Starter
Someone said that Grant and Ham were propping up MPJ as a guy that the organization is highly interested in. Blob said that there was clear interest in WCS and Fox from the Kings before their respective drafts, so it's unlikely to be a misdirection. Sometimes we tend to know who it is they're leaning towards and the results speak for themselves.
I still think it will be Doncic in the end, but picking MPJ at #2 is more than a remote possibility and as someone who thinks that shouldn't be an inkling in anyone's mind and is a risky and stupid move, it's frustrating.
Ozymandias
All-Star
Yeah. He's like Grant Hill but 6'11. His shot is PURE.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
OK, to keep it short, I agree, I disagree, I agree, I agree, and I disagree. Hey, three out of five isn't bad!
bajaden
Hall of Famer
I agree! He has great shot fundamentals with a very high release, making his shot almost unblockable. Especially when he uses his stepback fadeaway. If there's was a pre-injury question it probably had to do with his ability to defend. I thought he was a plus defender in highschool, but then, it is highschool and he was pretty much a man among'st boys there.
burekijogurt
Starter
Conjecture. But guessing is all we can do from the outside and your guess is as valid as any other.
Here is something for you to take apart:
Boogie trade cannot be called a failure just yet (notwithstanding the way it went down). As a result of that trade we now have Buddy, Giles, Jackson and Mason. If Buddy keeps improving and reaches his potential, and Giles is as advertised we will have gotten two excellent starters in that trade...
bajaden
Hall of Famer
One could argue that we also have Fox as a result of that trade because before the trade took place, we were in a fight for the 8th and final spot in the playoffs, and odds were at the time, that even if we didn't make the playoffs, we would end up in the lottery in the 12th, 13th, or 14th position, which means we would have lost the pick with which we drafted Fox. After trading Cuz, the team took a nosedive and the rest is history.
Blob
Starter
Achieving certainty is not possible. We don't know how good or great these players can be. What you can do is an accurate risk assessment and let that be the basis of your decisions. Thats what I try to do. You make perhaps the best choice by eliminating the prospects with sufficient red flags. Then you are more likely to end up with the best player.
I will tell you one thing I did wrong last year was not listen to Jayson Tatum in an interview pre-draft. He is introspective and thoughtful. He's not just giving canned answers. This translated to his accelerated performance curve. He got better towards the end of season and playoffs! He was poised never rushed. Same goes for Dennis Smith regarding poise as a player though I still have my doubts on him as a 6'0 SG.
But professional aptitude was what Danny saw in Tatum in addition to the face-up skill set that was not as apparent on tape. On other hand I DID watch Fultz interview. Fultz came across as a typical 18 year old kid. I did not give him bonus points like I did with De'Aaron Fox for his intelligence and maturity beyond his age. I also loved the way Donovan conducted himself in the pre-draft and part of the reason I projected stardom.
So you mitigate your risk this way. Not to arrive at certainty but probability. Bagley has a great personality and work ethic. Mo Bamba is thoughtful and mature. Ayton seems like a good kid. Donic and Porter may not measure up as well in this respect. It is not that a strong negative but maybe not as much of a positive if they were mature beyond their years. Its all part of the puzzle. I am glad we have Brandon Williams on board to help Vlade figure it out.
Blob
Starter
I am doing more than guessing. I am forming a reasoned opinion based on assessment of the pertinent variables. If you want to propose a contrary opinion with circumstantial evidence you are welcome to do so. Given the way the Boogie trade unfolded and fact Williams is potential replacement for Vlade should he continue to flounder, it is more viable to conclude his hiring was initiated by someone else in the organization other than Vlade. It is human nature not to contribute to your own professional demise.
burekijogurt
Starter
You are also doing more than just forming a reasoned opinion based on assessment of pertinent variables. Some of the variables are of your own mind's making. Namely that the owners view Vlade's performance the same way you do, and that Vlade is the worst GM in all of sport. My guess is that you reached that conclusion based on your own assessment of Vlade's moves rather than some objectively measurable metric. Furthermore, you probably did not analyze all the moves of other GMs in the same detail to objectively rank them even if you are using a subjective measurement stick. But now I digress.
Here is an alternative explanation of the same variables excluding the ones that I think are colored by opinion. Vlade starts a job he has never done before. He goes through some growing pains. He realizes he does not have the experience to be good at some aspects of what a GMs job entails just yet. So he says to himself, what am I good at? I am good at being the glue. I am good at making other people work together and be best they can be. So let me clean my house first and then let me surround myself with people with key competencies and let me make all of them work together and make the whole thing tick. Now, did he personally identify Williams as someone that fits that criteria I don't know. But I do believe that impetus for it came from his own vision for the Kings as an organization and understanding of what is needed to make that vision come true.
whozit
Starter
Blob,
When you give straight forward analysis you do pretty good but when you make it personal or let's say ego comes into play not so good.
To give an example from above, you describe your conclusion as being 'based on assessment of the pertinent variables' and a contrary opinion as one of 'circumstantial evidence.' How about simply acknowledging someone else making an assessment of the pertinent variables just coming to a different conclusion. Now it may be possible that you both can't be right, it may be possible that you both might be wrong.
You seem to have ought against Vlade. I don't happen to think that he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. However talk of strengthening the front office and scouting department began before the Boogie trade. One thing may have nothing to do with the other.
John Galt
Starter
If Porter is 80% of Grant Hill then I take it all back... I'm in. But cmon, Grant Hill is like about as good as a basketball player can be.
If the Kings do draft him, be better be Grant Hill tho... heck maybe he is. If he is... then the guy who drafts him at whatever spot wins.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
And, he says with a somewhat anxious breath, If he is, then wouldn't you want to be the team that drafted him, and not the team that passed while thinking, this could be the best player in the draft?
Sorry, just yanking your chain! You have to remember, I've been watching Porter play since he was 16 years old, so I obviously have a different view of him. I don't question how good he is, I only question how healthy he is, and if he is completely healthy, then I would put his skill level up against anyone else in this draft.
Ozymandias
All-Star
Theres a decent chance he could step in right away and make a jayson tatum like impact. In an absolute best case scenario he'd lead the team in scoring as a rookie.
He really could end up the top gun in this class over doncic too.
My true opinion is at 2 the kings cant make a bad pick, mPjr for certain on the list of players im cool with, i think he'd fit in well with the peices in place.
Justin Jackson can't hold a candle next to Porter Jr's talent either he has no effect o the pick
ApolloDaGod
G-League
*Starts a slow epic chant of "PORTER" in the old Arco Arena*
Telemachus
Starter
Just thought I would put this here.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Yeah, I saw that earlier on Twitter.
Telemachus
Starter
That's where I found it.
allrightythen
Starter
MPJ really is the ultimate wild card in this whole thing. He's got a ton of talent but a ton of risk as well. Medicals, workouts, and interviews always matter but they will have to carry a bunch more weight in his evaluation, but that's always risky. Sure makes things interesting though. To take him at 2 the FO would have to have some major stones and a ton of faith that he works out because they are staking their jobs on him. No pressure though 
.
.Hahaha
This could also go if the 2 jumping the Porter guy were debating Bagley vs Jackson jr
rosa u podne
Bench
You mean we have Fox instead you know who, our FO considered if Fox was not available.
allrightythen
Starter
This is the procedure that MPJ supposedly had. I haven't heard any specifics about the nature of his injury, but I thought some of you might be interested.
https://www.spine-health.com/video/microdiscectomy-surgery-video-a-spine-surgeon-explains-procedure
https://www.spine-health.com/video/microdiscectomy-surgery-video-a-spine-surgeon-explains-procedure
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Yeah, I had already seen that and many others while doing similar research. The one thing we don't know, and I'm sure that the Kings and other teams will certainly find out, is what were his symptoms prior to surgery. Back pain? Leg pain? From what I've read it's a fairly common surgery, and it's been done for years. The only major change is how it's become more of a minimum invasive surgery as opposed to being more of a major surgery.
I know that the success rate is high, and I would suspect that the younger you are the better your chances of full recovery. The other thing he has going for him, is according to him, the pain started after a fall where he landed on his back. So the problem doesn't appear to be degenerative.
