Possible lottery picks in the 2022 draft:

bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#31
#31
Capt. Factorial said:
Hey, I did say trade down! :)

Speaking of wings, after a few COVID-failures I was finally able to catch Caleb Houstan today in his matchup against Indiana. I know his numbers haven't been great this year so far, but he really impressed today. Based on high school he was in the lottery in most mocks I saw to start the year, but now he's buried a lot deeper due to his cold start. He could be another good option for a Kings team in the mid-late lotto looking for a wing.
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Well, If were in the mid lottery, then I'm hoping to get someone like Griffin or Murray. Actually, Brown might be available in that area as well. Late lottery, then I'm taking best player available but hopeful there's a wing that fits that description. I do like Houstan and he has been playing much better of late, but I'm not convinced he's a lottery pick just yet. I'm not very high on Baldwin right now. And it has nothing to do with his injuries. He quits on plays and disappears in games. I don't see any sustained fire in him. So far, I'm very disappointed in what I've seen, and to be honest, if he hadn't come with all the PR, I'd probably have him as a 2nd rd pick.

Yes, he can shoot the ball, but I can name probably 15 other players that can shoot the ball that aren't high picks. Someone like Julian Champagnie who plays for St. Johns. He's a 6'8" Junior SF who shoots the three at 40.2%, grabs 7.2 rebounds and blocks 1.5 shots a game. He plays solid defense as well, grabbing 1.9 steals a game. Right now, he's a better player than Baldwin and a far more physical player who knows how to play the game. That's what the Kings need. Players that know how to play the game. Champagnie is going in the 2nd rd in most mocks.

Another player listed in the 2nd rd on most drafts who I think is definitely 1st rd material isl Ochai Agbaji of Kansas their 6'5" SG. He's a terrific player whose averaging 20 plus points a game while shooting a blistering 47.5% from the three. He's a terrific defender and is talented enough to be a lottery pick in my opinion. But he's a Senior, and so he's in the 2nd rd. Once again, he knows how to play the game. He's a plug and play player. I have the largest player data base this year that I've ever had, which is a lot of fun, but keeping it updated is a lot of work. The fun part is I'm discovering or tripping over players that I might not have noticed otherwise. That's what happens when you don't have a life!
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#32
#32
funkykingston said:
Houston and Baldwin Jr have both disappointed so far (Baldwin much more than Houston) , but their games are both better suited for today's NBA than the college game.

@bajaden - I'm curious where you have Tari Eason. He's one of my favorites in the second half of the 1st round but I could see him sneaking into the lottery. We say this about a few prospects every year, but if he developed a consistent outside shot he could have a heck of a career IMO.
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Right now, I think he's lingering just outside the lottery. He finds a way to make a difference in every game he plays in. I like him, and you nailed it with his shot. He's a fun player to watch. Great motor and has the tools to be a very good defender. Wouldn't shock me to see him slip into the bottom of the lottery. I think he's a player who could make himself valuable to a team even without a great outside shot. Like him a lot!
 
sactowndog

sactowndog

All-Star
#33
#33
bajaden said:
Well, If were in the mid lottery, then I'm hoping to get someone like Griffin or Murray. Actually, Brown might be available in that area as well. Late lottery, then I'm taking best player available but hopeful there's a wing that fits that description. I do like Houstan and he has been playing much better of late, but I'm not convinced he's a lottery pick just yet. I'm not very high on Baldwin right now. And it has nothing to do with his injuries. He quits on plays and disappears in games. I don't see any sustained fire in him. So far, I'm very disappointed in what I've seen, and to be honest, if he hadn't come with all the PR, I'd probably have him as a 2nd rd pick.

Yes, he can shoot the ball, but I can name probably 15 other players that can shoot the ball that aren't high picks. Someone like Julian Champagnie who plays for St. Johns. He's a 6'8" Junior SF who shoots the three at 40.2%, grabs 7.2 rebounds and blocks 1.5 shots a game. He plays solid defense as well, grabbing 1.9 steals a game. Right now, he's a better player than Baldwin and a far more physical player who knows how to play the game. That's what the Kings need. Players that know how to play the game. Champagnie is going in the 2nd rd in most mocks.

Another player listed in the 2nd rd on most drafts who I think is definitely 1st rd material isl Ochai Agbaji of Kansas their 6'5" SG. He's a terrific player whose averaging 20 plus points a game while shooting a blistering 47.5% from the three. He's a terrific defender and is talented enough to be a lottery pick in my opinion. But he's a Senior, and so he's in the 2nd rd. Once again, he knows how to play the game. He's a plug and play player. I have the largest player data base this year that I've ever had, which is a lot of fun, but keeping it updated is a lot of work. The fun part is I'm discovering or tripping over players that I might not have noticed otherwise. That's what happens when you don't have a life!
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I think given the last couple years and what we saw from Barrett, Hunter, Williams, Okoro, Giddey, Wagner, Kuminga …. Griffith and Brown won’t even make it to 8 much less the late lottery. They may not even make it to 6.
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#34
#34
sactowndog said:
I think given the last couple years and what we saw from Barrett, Hunter, Williams, Okoro, Giddey, Wagner, Kuminga …. Griffith and Brown won’t even make it to 8 much less the late lottery. They may not even make it to 6.
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Well, if Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey are the top four, then that means Johnny Davis, Kendall Brown, Keegan Murray, and Adrian Griffin Jr. are the next likely four, in some order. If not, then one of the top four will have slid down. You also have Bennedict Mathurin you can throw into that mix. I also like Nikola Jovic, but haven't made up my mind on him just yet. That's ten players and I know we don't need another PG but I also like Ty Ty Washington, who is very adapt at playing off the ball. Hey, the way the team is playing, we'll probably end the season in the 5th spot. We're in the 6th spot right now with last nights loss.
 
sactowndog

sactowndog

All-Star
#35
#35
bajaden said:
Well, if Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey are the top four, then that means Johnny Davis, Kendall Brown, Keegan Murray, and Adrian Griffin Jr. are the next likely four, in some order. If not, then one of the top four will have slid down. You also have Bennedict Mathurin you can throw into that mix. I also like Nikola Jovic, but haven't made up my mind on him just yet. That's ten players and I know we don't need another PG but I also like Ty Ty Washington, who is very adapt at playing off the ball. Hey, the way the team is playing, we'll probably end the season in the 5th spot. We're in the 6th spot right now with last nights loss.
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True we shall see what happens once teams start tanking. I suspect guards will slide just as they have in the 2-3 drafts.
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#36
#36
sactowndog said:
True we shall see what happens once teams start tanking. I suspect guards will slide just as they have in the 2-3 drafts.
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The only 2 guards that I mentioned were Ivey, who I doubt slides, and if so, he might slide from 4th to 5th. The other guard is Johnny Davis, who I think is going to go somewhere between 5 and 7, with the possibliity of surplanting Ivey at number 4. Point is, we will have a good shot at a very good player, and who knows, if were sitting in the 5th spot, our chance of moving up in the lottery is around 37%. That's a better percentage than our chance of making it into the 10th spot.
 
sactowndog

sactowndog

All-Star
#37
#37
bajaden said:
The only 2 guards that I mentioned were Ivey, who I doubt slides, and if so, he might slide from 4th to 5th. The other guard is Johnny Davis, who I think is going to go somewhere between 5 and 7, with the possibliity of surplanting Ivey at number 4. Point is, we will have a good shot at a very good player, and who knows, if were sitting in the 5th spot, our chance of moving up in the lottery is around 37%. That's a better percentage than our chance of making it into the 10th spot.
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Yeah I think one of Ivy or Davis slides to 8/9 but we shall see. If we are sitting at 5 depending if we get jumped in the lottery we could have a good shot at a forward.
 
S

serbiangoat

Starter
#39
#39
bajaden said:
Well, if Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jaden Ivey are the top four, then that means Johnny Davis, Kendall Brown, Keegan Murray, and Adrian Griffin Jr. are the next likely four, in some order. If not, then one of the top four will have slid down. You also have Bennedict Mathurin you can throw into that mix. I also like Nikola Jovic, but haven't made up my mind on him just yet. That's ten players and I know we don't need another PG but I also like Ty Ty Washington, who is very adapt at playing off the ball. Hey, the way the team is playing, we'll probably end the season in the 5th spot. We're in the 6th spot right now with last nights loss.
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His ball handling just kills me watching it, but everything else is there he's improved a bit after starting out like trash early in the season.
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#40
#40
serbiangoat said:
His ball handling just kills me watching it, but everything else is there he's improved a bit after starting out like trash early in the season.
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Yeah, I wanted to do a write up on him but decided to wait a while to give him more time, since he's playing much better of late.
 
S

serbiangoat

Starter
#41
#41
Roko Prkacin just had surgery on something (not sure) but will be out 3 months, he really should have came out last year and stayed 1 extra year in Europe while having a NBA deal. He had a poor start to the season and this has not helped.
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#42
#42
Patrick Baldwin Jr.: SF, 6'9", 220 Lb's, Freshman, Milwaukee.
27.8 mpg - 13.4 ppg - 37.1% fgp - 31.9% 3pp - 74.1% ftp - 6.8 rpg - 1.8 apg - 1.0 Blk's - ORtg 96.5 - DRtg 99.4

I'm writing about Baldwin in the lottery thread because some of the mock drafts have him going in the late lottery. Frankly, I'll be stunned if some team takes him in the lottery. You'd be betting that everything he's done this year is an aberration and he'll simply throw the switch when he gets to the NBA and be the player you hoped he would be. I think Baldwin is still a good gamble in the bottom of the first round, or maybe the very top of the 2nd, but he would scare me to death as a lottery pick. I hope for his sake I'm wrong.

Baldwin is the only player that's considered a lottery pick that's on the wrong side of the equation when you look at the offensive and defensive ratting. His main strength is supposed to be his shooting, and I have to admit, his form looks great. But unfortunately the results don't, as you can see, he's shooting 31.9% from the three. Some will say that he helped the United States win a gold medal in the FIBA U-19 games, but in fact he only averaged 7.7 ppg, and shot 32.1% from the three.

If you break his game down a bit, he's a much better shooter in the catch and shoot where he's shooting right at 40% from the three. But off the dribble, he's under 30%. He's not very good at creating his own shot, and while it will look like he can in the video I'm posting, bear in mind that Baldwin on most occasions is being guarded by a player 3 to 5 inches shorter than him. He simply stepped back and shot over him. Even when he got in the lane for a mid-range shot, he only shot 35.7%.

He doesn't attack the basket much, and I haven't seen much of a post up game from him. Not saying he doesn't have it, I just haven't seen it. He is a pretty good passer, and his defense isn't bad either, but then you have to remember who he's playing against. This isn't Kentucky or Duke he's going up against. You'd be hard pressed to remember the names of any of his teammates. Now to be fair to Baldwin, he may be playing on a team with the worse guards in college, and as I said, he's not very good at creating his own shot, and at the same time, he doesn't have anyone to create a shot for him. If he were playing with Haliburton, he'd look a lot better.

I guess what I'm saying is that at worse he might be able to turn himself into a good 3 & D player. I might be going to the extreme a bit here, and it's possible that if he were on a team that could run some P&R, or set some screens for him, he might look better. I think he made a bad decision to play for Milwaukee and his Dad. I hate to just hammer a player, but I have to throw this in. There are times when I question his desire. He tends to quit on plays at times, especially on defense when he gets beat off the dribble. I'd just like to see a little fire out of him.

It's going to interesting to see what he does at the end of the season. I'm sure he'll test the waters and get as much feedback as possible, but what will he do if all the GM's he talks to tell him he's a 2nd rd pick. Normally I'd say he should stay another year in college, but I'm not sure he's actually help himself by staying another year at Milwaukee, unless he came back and totally dominated. I think that if a team tells him they're going to take him when they pick in the 1st rd, then he'd be best served to stay in the draft.

 
funkykingston

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
#43
#43
Holmgren has looked great lately.

His weight is a concern both because he doesn't look to have the type of frame that can carry a lot of muscle and because he's older than most freshmen already.

So I don't know that he's ever going to be a full time center. But could he play with a traditional big like Mobley is doing in Cleveland? Maybe. So far he's making things work with/deferring to Timme, but it isn't an ideal pairing.

He's more of a liability than Mobley defending on the perimeter and despite his weight, he's ridiculously efficient in the paint so it's hard to stick him in the corner on offense for spacing. But I think he's just mobile enough on D and has enough perimeter skill to make it work.

Jabari Smith has a higher floor (he'll be good on both ends in the NBA pretty quickly if not right away) and has room to grow if he improves his ball handling, passing etc.

But I'm highly intrigued with Holmgren. Like Mobley, he's just such a smart, instinctive player that can affect the game in several ways. One tough thing with Gonzaga is that it can be tough to judge players during conference play just because they don't have the same strength of schedule as other top teams.

Of the consensus top 3, Babchero concerns me the most. He looks like he can be an offensive focal point but bigs (and I think he's strictly a 4) who aren't good defenders make me nervous. His offense really does have to be elite for him to be a star. I think I'd take Ivey over him honestly.
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#44
#44
funkykingston said:
Holmgren has looked great lately.

His weight is a concern both because he doesn't look to have the type of frame that can carry a lot of muscle and because he's older than most freshmen already.

So I don't know that he's ever going to be a full time center. But could he play with a traditional big like Mobley is doing in Cleveland? Maybe. So far he's making things work with/deferring to Timme, but it isn't an ideal pairing.

He's more of a liability than Mobley defending on the perimeter and despite his weight, he's ridiculously efficient in the paint so it's hard to stick him in the corner on offense for spacing. But I think he's just mobile enough on D and has enough perimeter skill to make it work.

Jabari Smith has a higher floor (he'll be good on both ends in the NBA pretty quickly if not right away) and has room to grow if he improves his ball handling, passing etc.

But I'm highly intrigued with Holmgren. Like Mobley, he's just such a smart, instinctive player that can affect the game in several ways. One tough thing with Gonzaga is that it can be tough to judge players during conference play just because they don't have the same strength of schedule as other top teams.

Of the consensus top 3, Babchero concerns me the most. He looks like he can be an offensive focal point but bigs (and I think he's strictly a 4) who aren't good defenders make me nervous. His offense really does have to be elite for him to be a star. I think I'd take Ivey over him honestly.
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We're pretty much on the same page. I'm not as high on Banchero as some others are. His 3pt shot is a work in progress and at times it's downright ugly. He does have a nice mid-range shot, and some nice moves. He likes to play bully ball around the basket, and while I think most of his stuff will translate to the NBA, I'm not sure it be quite as effective, or good enough for him to ever be a star, while I think Smith and Holmgren can be. I watched the Duke/Louisville game today and Louisville gave Duke everything they could handle. Duke wouldn't have won the game without Griffin, who went 5 for 5 from the three, and two of his three's coming back to back with 5 minutes left in the game and with Duke with a 2pt lead. He essentially iced the game.

I think Smiths passing is OK, but your right about his ball handling. He has a high dribble and it's also a bit loose. If he can tighten that up his ability to attack the basket will improve greatly. He's a terrific defender. Too bad both Smith and Kessler are surrounded by guards that can't make a simple entry pass. They like to chuck up three's though.

If I'm judging Holmgren on talent alone, I'd probably have him going as the number one pick in the draft. But, you have to take his physical appearance into consideration. I'll say this for him, he doesn't shy away from contact. The dude has some fire in the belly. His outside shot has really improved lately, and I think he's a better shot blocker than Mobley. His instincts are off the chart. If he can add just 15 or 20 pounds of muscle, he could be a franchise changer.
 
Tetsujin

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#47
#47
SacTownKid said:
I'm personally glad to see Wendell Moore finally develop. Dudes legit. Theres the wing right there.
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After some initial concern when the Max Christies of the world came out of the gates looking absolutely terrible, it's looking like this is shaping up to be another good wing draft and the Kings currently project to be right in the range for most of these guys right now (unless we get lucky and have a chance to grab one of the three star bigs at the top of the draft instead).
If a miracle happens and we're somehow drafting in the top three, hopefully we could find a way to get another late- to mid- first and pick up a Moore or a Harrison Ingram too.

Picking Moore with our sole potential high lotto pick would be a disaster though haha
 
SacTownKid

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#48
#48
Tetsujin said:
Still have some slight concerns about his handle but at this point Jabari is such a good shooter it might not matter.
https://twitter.com/statuses/1487824697958047744

The way he can defend onto the perimeter as a 6'10" guy is Scottie Barnes-esque and his offensive skillset (aside from passing) is better than Scottie's in college.
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I really, really hope someone takes him number 1. That could upend the whole draft and benefit the Kings in the end for once.
 
miltonap

miltonap

Starter
#51
#51
SacTownKid said:
Not really. I would take Holmgren over him on potential alone. Jabari is a solid player and if he didn't have his shooting ability I would call him a bust, but in the end, he's a stretch 4. Not true value right now.
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yea I'm just starting to get a look at some of these guys, I did like what I saw from Jabari, Holmgren too
 
Tetsujin

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#53
#53
SacTownKid said:
A lot of guards outside the top 3 but they look decent. Monte might be able to score some decent talent if he holds onto that pick.
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The good thing about the guards this year though is that even the smallest guy projected to go in the lotto is still 6'4"-ish (TyTy Washington) with Jaden Ivey and Johnny Davis both sitting at around 6'4-6'5" so even if Monte decided to pick a guard for the third year in a row for some reason, he'd at least be getting a guy capable of not getting immediately destroyed by a wing.

Sitting where we sit at 5th overall right now, we'd probably be right in the Ivey/Davis range but thankfully there are also wings of comparable value on the board still that wouldn't be a huge reach to grab (in my opinion), especially if Sharpe decides to declare for the draft this season.
 
T

The_Jamal

Hall of Famer
#54
#54
Tetsujin said:
The good thing about the guards this year though is that even the smallest guy projected to go in the lotto is still 6'4"-ish (TyTy Washington) with Jaden Ivey and Johnny Davis both sitting at around 6'4-6'5" so even if Monte decided to pick a guard for the third year in a row for some reason, he'd at least be getting a guy capable of not getting immediately destroyed by a wing.

Sitting where we sit at 5th overall right now, we'd probably be right in the Ivey/Davis range but thankfully there are also wings of comparable value on the board still that wouldn't be a huge reach to grab (in my opinion), especially if Sharpe decides to declare for the draft this season.
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Yeah am I crazy? I don't think this a guard draft at all. The 3 guys you pointed out are probably the only dudes who go in the top 10. And just a pile of potential wing small-ball 4 guys along with Duren.
 
Tetsujin

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#55
#55
The_Jamal said:
Yeah am I crazy? I don't think this a guard draft at all. The 3 guys you pointed out are probably the only dudes who go in the top 10. And just a pile of potential wing small-ball 4 guys along with Duren.
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I guess the thing that should be said about some of these wings is that they're either on the smaller size for a wing (AJ Griffin, Dyson Daniels, Agbaji, and Ben Mathurin are 6'6"-ish although almost all of them compensate for that with either elite athleticism or length or both) or they're 3/4 wing forwards (Baldwin/Brown) who have some questions about their ability to play on the wing at the next level.

I suppose in a way, this draft is light on true game-changing potential superstar wings like the last one was but it's full of good starter level prospects who could potentially become more and also Shaedon Sharpe who is the biggest lotto ticket in the draft if he decides to come out this season.
 
SacTownKid

SacTownKid

Hall of Famer
#56
#56
The_Jamal said:
Yeah am I crazy? I don't think this a guard draft at all. The 3 guys you pointed out are probably the only dudes who go in the top 10. And just a pile of potential wing small-ball 4 guys along with Duren.
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I don't know, it anything there could be a some potential SG/SF types? In terms of the big wings that you see as all the rage, no, I think the guards are the better prospects so far up top and in the middle of the lottery although someone like Davis is a beast of a guard so that helps. There's guys like Beauchamp that could potentially fill out but not a 3/4. Then some of the guys are like combo 4/3's at best. It really depends on where the Kings draft. As of now, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a guard there.
 
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