Roy Hibbert to the Kings becoming more popular

[bajaden]

Hibbert will be long gone by the 27 pick. If we pass on him at #12 i would be shocked if either Philadelphia or Toronto didn't take him.

I have Hibbert going to Utah at 23 in my mock draft. They have had him in twice for a look see, and Sloan is used to finding ways to get the best out of, lets say, less than speedy centers.

 

[bajaden]

I would think that a package of Salmons or Garcia and a 2nd rounder would get us another 1st round pick. I'm not saying I want that, just that it could happen.

I don't mean one of our lousy vets like KT or Rahim, nobody would take those guys.

Likely trading partners would probably be teams that have two first round picks. Seattle and Memphis both fall into that catagory. Seattle has indicated that their looking hard at using their second pick on Ibaka, and then letting him play another year in Europe. Portland also has two picks early in the second round that might be worth a look see.

As an aside on Hibbert. I would like to point out that Mutombo isn't the most athletic player in the league. Especially if you watch him on offense, he's very mechanical. Always has been. But, he's been a great defender in the league for a long time. Sabonis wasn't the quickest or most athletic guy in the league either, but I would have taken him on my team anytime.

I'm not endorsing the drafting of Hibbert, but I'am pointing out it might not be as bad as everyone thinks.

 

[Kevin_Martin_23]

Get Augustin dammit. I don't want hibbert. he is too slow. Him and Hawes would be the slowest front court

 

[bench_blob]

Height is so overrated nowadays. Even Kevin McHale who knows nothing while pretending to be a GM knows that much. Hibbert would be a good pick if you want to see a guy get posterized nightly, and pick-n-rolled 9 times out of ten by opponents until he breaks an ankle trying to defend. C'mon just because the guy went to Georgetown don't be fooled!!! Fortunately Geoff Petrie spent as much time considering Hibbert as a draft pick as he considered drafting me, although i do have a fairly sweet jumper....swish.

 

[Bricklayer]

People have WANTED height to be overrated forever, for no reason I have ever been able to discern other than possible Napoleon complexes I suppose. It truly is pissing into the wind. And yet EVERY SINGLE YEAR teams with big big frontcourts go slaming around in the Finals. Every single year BIG big men dominate the league, dominate the awards, and dominate the titles.

Its basketball. The physics of the game (scoring device is elevated 10 feet off the ground) dictate that height will ALWAYS matter. You give two guys similar skillsets, the tall guy wins in this sport.

 

[nbrans]

Well, size does matter yes. I think it's an open question whether big and slow still works given the level of athleticism of the top bigs. Yao's struggles against Utah a year ago were pretty eye-opening, and now with Orlando in the hunt you're adding Dwight Howard to the mix. The final four bigs (KG, Pau, Duncan and Rasheed) are all pretty mobile, which allows them to be good rebounders in addition to clogging the middle (Pau's pretty weak clogigng the middle, but the other three are solid). I think the question about Hibbert is whether he's agile enough to get the rebounds and clog the middle.

The wheel hasn't been reinvented, but the NBA is getting more and more athletic, and that goes for the bigs too. Hibbert seems to have lost some weight and he's probably more athletic than people give him credit for, but still, I'm nervous about the rebounding numbers and whether he can be effective as a big in today's NBA.

 

[GeraldWallace#3]

Height still isn't everything though. Take Kenny George ( who I hope we get in next year's draft) for example, he is the tallest player to ever play Division 1 basketball. But still he is nothing close to the best player, all because of one statistic....his speed.


So I think if you get guys with two simmilar skillsets it would be a very close match. Think about it the speed guy has the hands to steal the ball, the quickness to score the ball. while the bigman has the ability to post the small guy up all the way to the hoop and easily score, and he has the ability to block alot of the small guy's shot that he can get to. So while speed is a very key asset to play in the nba height is clearly not overrated.

Here is a Kenny George mix for people who don't know him.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=4wjuqTY_0_Y

 

[SacKings7]

Toronto is in desperate need of defense and rebounding so picking up Robin Lopez makes a lot of sense. I haven't heard anything about Hibbert going to the bobcats. If you could give me a source on that it would be appreciated. From what i have read they were looking to take Lopez or Westbrook.

Here's the link: http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53135/20080623/bobcats_have_eye_on_roy_hibbert/

But at second glance, they're looking to get another pick to take him. I originally read it as them taking Hibbert with #9

 

[JerN820]

After the article in the NY Daily it appears that more and more mock drafts are showing the Kings taking Hibbert at #12. I'm sure the article was mere speculation but there may be something to it. Is that a good thing and even if so is it a reach?

I remember last year that I was disappointed that Hibbert returned to school because I really wanted the Kings to get him. On the other hand I agreed with the decision because I believed Hibbert would be a top 5 pick this year.

Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of improvement in his senior year, not a drop off but certainly not improvement. Although after watching many Georgetown games this year I didn't think they used him very well, or any of their stars for that matter. The offense was too structured and they were focused more on the system than the players and it's players that win games.

My opinion is that taking him at #12 is a reach but I wouldn't be totally disappointed by getting him, I'm not sure how he would get minutes behind Miller and Hawes because he will have to play center.

I also saw on ESPN.com's mock draft they now have us taking Mario Chalmers. And heck, why not? He was the floor leader for the best college team in the country. Age wise, we dont have to wait for him to grow up, he's clutch, and can score and play defense. They say he has been positive in his workouts, but I was surprised he wasnt picked this high even before the workouts.

 

[Jerichoholic]

First off I have to say that I certainly do not want the Kings to take Hibbert with the #12, that is a reach in THIS YEAR'S draft. That being said I would not be disappointed with the Kings taking him if they can do so later in the draft.

It's so easy to get lost in the hype of young flashy players with tons of potential and forget the consistent performers. Let's not forget that Hibbert was a guaranteed top 10 pick last year and might have gone earlier as I remember us being worried that he wouldn't drop to #10. This year he is projected to go as late as the 20s, why? Because the novelty has worn off, we have seen him before and this year there are a whole new crop of players to see.

In reality, based on college performance he played just as well last season as the one before and don't forget that last season Georgetown's coaching was documented as terrible in almost every sports publication I read because they didn't use their best players well and that included Hibbert.

Another thing, the idea that Hibbert is slow and unathletic. The man is extremely tall with a wide body, 7'2" at 280 pounds, men that big are generally a bit more unathletic than others. But how many times do we read about a 7-foot super athlete who's only problem is that he needs to get bigger and he fails because he never does? So there will always be a problem, either athletic but too weak or strong but not athletic enough.

In conclusion, Hibbert may be slow and unathletic compared to some other players in this draft, and the last draft for that matter. But he is not slow and unathletic for a man of his size! On offense he has a nice array of post moves and the size to create space, combine that with a developing mid-range shot and he is tough to handle. So tough that he shot to the tune of 67% two years ago and 61% last year from the field, he always tends to get fouled a lot because of his size and he shoots near 80% from the line, you can't beat all that. Defensively he is a presence, a shot blocker, a shot changer, and a big post defender. If coaching can improve his rebounding he will be a beast...he may not be worth a lottery pick right now but he is definitely underrated.

 

[kingsfan101]

I would think that a package of Salmons or Garcia and a 2nd rounder would get us another 1st round pick. I'm not saying I want that, just that it could happen.

I don't mean one of our lousy vets like KT or Rahim, nobody would take those guys.

Understand that you probably don't want it either, but unless it's a fairly high pick (unlikely), why would we want to do it?

While we are loaded at the swing position, Artest might leave, via trade during the year, or FA at the end of the year (I know other scenarios from him opting out to us extending him are possible. Detailing what I think are more likely options). Then Salmons, Cisco and Kevin shall form a potent combo at the 2-3 position.

Salmons, for his production as a starter, is a low cost player. The same may hold true for Cisco even after his extension. Why should we give up young, proven, low cost commodities (plus a second rounder) for a middling pick in an average draft?

 

[Bricklayer]

Understand that you probably don't want it either, but unless it's a fairly high pick (unlikely), why would we want to do it?

While we are loaded at the swing position, Artest might leave, via trade during the year, or FA at the end of the year (I know other scenarios from him opting out to us extending him are possible. Detailing what I think are more likely options). Then Salmons, Cisco and Kevin shall form a potent combo at the 2-3 position.

Salmons, for his production as a starter, is a low cost player. The same may hold true for Cisco even after his extension. Why should we give up young, proven, low cost commodities (plus a second rounder) for a middling pick in an average draft?

Because our young "proven" commodities have only proven that they are good at losing. And that will never change until we get bigger and younger.

I would rather keep Cisco -- he at least has the versaility to start or be the 6th man. But Salmons is middle aged, pouty if he does not start, and on a long term contract. For a second first rounder in this draft deep with intriguing bigs I'd move him in a second. He has talent, but I am not convinced, nor is there a shred of evidence to support, him as a winner.

 

[Gary]

My issues with Hibbert are that we have a post player in Hawes, and what we would see happen is the same thing when we had Williamson, Webber, and Divac all on the floor at the same time. All three at that time were mostly post players. It took getting rid of Williamson for a slasher, and having Webber and Divac trade time at the high post so it wasn't so clogged before the team got real good, and fluid with both an inside/out game.

Also.... Rebounding.... Hibbert is a poor rebounder at the college level. For being a post up big man you would think he would get more of his misses than he does. Hawes isn't a strong rebounder either.. People had issues with pairing Love, and Hawes because of D, well Hawes and Hibbert would be as bad in the rebounding dept.

 

[Bricklayer]

My issues with Hibbert are that we have a post player in Hawes, and what we would see happen is the same thing when we had Williamson, Webber, and Divac all on the floor at the same time. All three at that time were mostly post players. It took getting rid of Williamson for a slasher, and having Webber and Divac trade time at the high post so it wasn't so clogged before the team got real good, and fluid with both an inside/out game.

Also.... Rebounding.... Hibbert is a poor rebounder at the college level. For being a post up big man you would think he would get more of his misses than he does. Hawes isn't a strong rebounder either.. People had issues with pairing Love, and Hawes because of D, well Hawes and Hibbert would be as bad in the rebounding dept.

The problem there was Corliss -- he was a freak wihtout a natural game for his positon. But you NEVER object to big guys with post games. At least if you want to win. That is what they do, that is how they punish little twits, create spacing problems, cause foul issues. The more the merrier on that front, and right now we do not have NEARLY enough post play up front at this point. We've got one guy. And he's a kid. Theus would kill for another post presence. Of course whether Hibbert is that guy is an open question.

 

[Jerichoholic]

The problem there was Corliss -- he was a freak wihtout a natural game for his positon. But you NEVER object to big guys with post games. At least if you want to win. That is what they do, that is how they punish little twits, create spacing problems, cause foul issues. The more the merrier on that front, and right now we do not have NEARLY enough post play up front at this point. We've got one guy. And he's a kid. Theus would kill for another post presence. Of course whether Hibbert is that guy is an open question.

Exactly right, with Webber and Vlade you had two guys with post games who could shoot to keep defenses honest who also happened to be great passers to open up a lot of other options for the offense.

So what do Hawes and Hibbert do well? They have good post games, they are good shooters to keep defenses honest and they are very good passers with high bball IQs. I'm not saying they will be as good as Webber and Vlade but will open up a lot of options on the offensive end like they did.

 

[Emma]

In conclusion, Hibbert may be slow and unathletic compared to some other players in this draft, and the last draft for that matter. But he is not slow and unathletic for a man of his size! On offense he has a nice array of post moves and the size to create space, combine that with a developing mid-range shot and he is tough to handle. So tough that he shot to the tune of 67% two years ago and 61% last year from the field, he always tends to get fouled a lot because of his size and he shoots near 80% from the line, you can't beat all that. Defensively he is a presence, a shot blocker, a shot changer, and a big post defender. If coaching can improve his rebounding he will be a beast...he may not be worth a lottery pick right now but he is definitely underrated.

EXACTLY!! I think that is what rubs me the wrong way about his presence in the Draft. Everyone is all: ceiling!, potential!, jumps 52"!, Raw, Raw, Raw, 90" wingspan! Blech..... Give me stable high performance anyday over all that. He is enormous, plus he is 21 (I'm pretty sure), young for a college senior.

 

[ikillz0mbies]

Another thing, the idea that Hibbert is slow and unathletic. The man is extremely tall with a wide body, 7'2" at 280 pounds, men that big are generally a bit more unathletic than others. But how many times do we read about a 7-foot super athlete who's only problem is that he needs to get bigger and he fails because he never does? So there will always be a problem, either athletic but too weak or strong but not athletic enough.

In conclusion, Hibbert may be slow and unathletic compared to some other players in this draft, and the last draft for that matter. But he is not slow and unathletic for a man of his size! On offense he has a nice array of post moves and the size to create space, combine that with a developing mid-range shot and he is tough to handle. So tough that he shot to the tune of 67% two years ago and 61% last year from the field, he always tends to get fouled a lot because of his size and he shoots near 80% from the line, you can't beat all that. Defensively he is a presence, a shot blocker, a shot changer, and a big post defender. If coaching can improve his rebounding he will be a beast...he may not be worth a lottery pick right now but he is definitely underrated.

Well stated. The Kings need an intimidating presence inside, and Hibbert is that. I'm tired of all these players that are too undersized to play inside or can't even defend. Plus, he is a good passer and has good offense in the post. Surely, the knock on him is his speed. He is a big guy, but can still get it done offensively. His rebounding can improve and will with the proper coaching. And the knock on his athleticism, I'd love to see a 7'2 280 lbs. LeBron James or Kobe, but we're not. Hes a big man. He just needs to be a presence inside and score in the post, not do a 360 under-the-leg dunk.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Neither Hawes nor Hibbert will ever be a PF, they'd suck if they're both on the floor together. Way too unathletic, they killed defensively.

 

[Jerichoholic]

We all felt the same way about Hawes last year as we do this year about Hibbert. Now I'm not saying that Hawes was a successful draft pick, too early to tell but if he keeps working he will be a steal in that draft. We've seen glimpses of how good he can be.

Hawes was seen as slow, unathletic, and a poor rebounder coming out of college. Now after seeing one year of development in the NBA he is as athletic as I need from my 7-foot center, he is certainly not slow for a big man, and his rebounding numbers were much more impressive than we imagined. Sure I would love to have a couple of Dwight Howards but he is a rare commodity and IMO a 2-foot hook or bank shot is almost as much a gimmie as a dunk and you will get a lot more chances for those in the NBA.

 

[NewMonkey]

Vlade Divac was also slow and unathletic when the Kings had him and we were one of the best running teams in the league at the time.

 

[bajaden]

Well, size does matter yes. I think it's an open question whether big and slow still works given the level of athleticism of the top bigs. Yao's struggles against Utah a year ago were pretty eye-opening, and now with Orlando in the hunt you're adding Dwight Howard to the mix. The final four bigs (KG, Pau, Duncan and Rasheed) are all pretty mobile, which allows them to be good rebounders in addition to clogging the middle (Pau's pretty weak clogigng the middle, but the other three are solid). I think the question about Hibbert is whether he's agile enough to get the rebounds and clog the middle.

The wheel hasn't been reinvented, but the NBA is getting more and more athletic, and that goes for the bigs too. Hibbert seems to have lost some weight and he's probably more athletic than people give him credit for, but still, I'm nervous about the rebounding numbers and whether he can be effective as a big in today's NBA.

Gosh, when you started, I thought you were doing a Viagra commerical. If you look around the league, there aren't that many great centers at the moment. Granted there a few, like Howard that would present problems, but as I pointed out in another post, Mutumbo isn't the most mobile center in the league, nor the most athletic, but he's done alright as good defender. You probably have to take them on a case by case basis.

 

[king07]

god no...it would be a huge mistake

 

[nbrans]

Gosh, when you started, I thought you were doing a Viagra commerical. If you look around the league, there aren't that many great centers at the moment. Granted there a few, like Howard that would present problems, but as I pointed out in another post, Mutumbo isn't the most mobile center in the league, nor the most athletic, but he's done alright as good defender. You probably have to take them on a case by case basis.

Well, Mutumbo was extremely athletic when he came into the league, but yeah -- Dikembe is still doing a more than competent job at center even though he's 75 years old in large part because of his length and smarts. There's something to be said for guys over 7'0" no matter how unathletic they are. Just look at Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who can cause some havoc on the floor mostly because he's really big.

I think I'd be ok with a Hibbert pick, but I really can't see Hawes and Hibbert on the floor together. Too slow, too unathletic. One's the starting center, one's the backup.

PS: Anyone thinking Hibbert is old should just remember that he's the exact same age as Joe Alexander! Ok, he's 15 days older.

 

[kingsfan101]

Because our young "proven" commodities have only proven that they are good at losing. And that will never change until we get bigger and younger.

I would rather keep Cisco -- he at least has the versaility to start or be the 6th man. But Salmons is middle aged, pouty if he does not start, and on a long term contract. For a second first rounder in this draft deep with intriguing bigs I'd move him in a second. He has talent, but I am not convinced, nor is there a shred of evidence to support, him as a winner.

Given a choice, I would also keep Cisco over Salmons. I also agree that we need to get younger and bigger. All I am saying is that neither of these guys is likely to give us a shot at something valuable. I don't want to give up Salmons for the right to draft DeAndre Jordan. Maybe Jordan (or some other big) shall prove me wrong later, but I feel that the risk is too high for a productive player not making a ton of money. It's not like we need to get under the tax or need to clear major space for next year.

Also, both these guys (or Artest) might have more value during the season. Some team or the other (particularly in West where 10 teams shall be competing for 8 playoff spots, and more), shall look for veteran help to get over the hump.

 

[Elektrik]

First off I have to say that I certainly do not want the Kings to take Hibbert with the #12, that is a reach in THIS YEAR'S draft. That being said I would not be disappointed with the Kings taking him if they can do so later in the draft.

It's so easy to get lost in the hype of young flashy players with tons of potential and forget the consistent performers. Let's not forget that Hibbert was a guaranteed top 10 pick last year and might have gone earlier as I remember us being worried that he wouldn't drop to #10. This year he is projected to go as late as the 20s, why? Because the novelty has worn off, we have seen him before and this year there are a whole new crop of players to see.

In reality, based on college performance he played just as well last season as the one before and don't forget that last season Georgetown's coaching was documented as terrible in almost every sports publication I read because they didn't use their best players well and that included Hibbert.

Another thing, the idea that Hibbert is slow and unathletic. The man is extremely tall with a wide body, 7'2" at 280 pounds, men that big are generally a bit more unathletic than others. But how many times do we read about a 7-foot super athlete who's only problem is that he needs to get bigger and he fails because he never does? So there will always be a problem, either athletic but too weak or strong but not athletic enough.

In conclusion, Hibbert may be slow and unathletic compared to some other players in this draft, and the last draft for that matter. But he is not slow and unathletic for a man of his size! On offense he has a nice array of post moves and the size to create space, combine that with a developing mid-range shot and he is tough to handle. So tough that he shot to the tune of 67% two years ago and 61% last year from the field, he always tends to get fouled a lot because of his size and he shoots near 80% from the line, you can't beat all that. Defensively he is a presence, a shot blocker, a shot changer, and a big post defender. If coaching can improve his rebounding he will be a beast...he may not be worth a lottery pick right now but he is definitely underrated.

I already liked him...but now I'm sold!

 

[Sac.1989]

WE like hibbert and really theres every chance that we will take him at 12. Last year if he stayed in the draft we would have all taken him if given the chance and i dont see why that should change now. Im all for taking him my only issue being if him and hawes can play together. If not a valued big man is always great trade bait and its just a matter of deciding which fits our system better