Sacramento selects Francisco Garcia
- Thread starter Bibby_10
- Start date
We'll see, but that would surprise me. Of all the guys not named Bogut in this draft, Garcia is the guy who really seemed the most "Kingsish". Sometimes when a pick does not make sense you say that must have been for another team (kept on waiting to hear about the Villanueva trade after Toronto picked him), but in this case I think Garcia makes perfect sense if you are thinking like the Kings front office seems to anymore.
Let me tackle some issues here:
1. Defense: Garcia is NOT a 1-on-1 shut down defender, you doubters are correct. However, he is exceptionally good at team defense, which is why I compare him to DC. On the defensive end of the floor they play VERY similar games. DC was never a 1-on-1 guy either. He was a ball-denial defender. Once his man caught the ball, especially the better OGs he faced, he was rather pedestrian. But so is every other 2-guard in the league not named Artest. EVERY 2-guard in the NBA can beat the first guy off the dribble. DC was not stopping that, Garcia will not stop that. What seperates guys like DC and Garcia from your average defender is their rotation. They will dive to the key to cover the big man who has to rotate up to stop ball penetration, and gets steals and rebounds that way. This is precisely what guys like Bibby and Peja do not do, which is why Miller ends up in foul trouble so often. Garcia will bring intensity, rotation, and ball-denial to our TEAM defense. The Kings need that badly. Another guy to compare him to on the defensive end of the floor would be Rip. Rip ain't shutting down nobody, but he gets his hands on a lot of passes and loose balls. . .there's a reason for that.
2. Shot Creation: Garcia CAN create his own shot. He was effectively the PG for Louisville, both the guy who initiated the offense and the guy taking the shot w/ the clock winding down. Again, Rip would be a good comparison. Rip is not going to dribble down the lane and dunk on opposing big men. But he can create enough seperation to get a shot. His handle is good enough now to run an offense at the college level. Not just the college level, but in a tough conference and playing for Pitino. He struggled against Illinois, but given Illinois' defense all year and a week to prepare, frankly I'm not surprised. Illinois is the same team that embarassed Chris Paul, the #4 pick in the draft. Garcia does not require the Princeton offense to get shots, and as other posters have noted, that is a dead system anyway without Vlade or Chris.
3. Athleticism: Like I said, he will not take it to the whole and posterize the opposing center, but he is remarkably quick, and has a great first step. Rip is, again, a good comparison. Can Rip jump out of the gym? No. But he is a good athlete. Maybe not great, but whatever. He is certainly a far superior athlete than Miller, Peja, or Bibby, so saying he's the same as our "core" is just ridiculous. Besides, Petrie drafted for athleticism twice (St. Jean and Wallace), and neither turned out particularly well. Seems Petrie is learning from past mistakes.
4. Availability: Who else was there? If you want to disparage Garcia for disappearing in big games, don't even mention Simien. I mean that, seriously. Maxiell was there, but people would be crying about how he's undersized. Turiaf was available, but he's a roll of the dice. Same with Taft. If Jack slips one more spot we may have pulled the trigger. He is a shut down defender type; very strong, quick, and athletic. But he's a PG, albeit a big one, so there would have been belly-aching for that as well. Petrie may have tried to trade up, we don't know. But in this draft, how much would you give up to move into the high-teens. Probably not much. Of course, the free agent PF market has a lot more talent in it the SG market. Garcia gives us a starter with size at a position of need, and allows the Kings to let Evans and Cat walk if need be. I, and I suspect Petrie, are more than comfortable to go into next season with Garcia as the starter and Martin at the backup with B-Jax and Barnes getting spot time at the 2.
1. Defense: Garcia is NOT a 1-on-1 shut down defender, you doubters are correct. However, he is exceptionally good at team defense, which is why I compare him to DC. On the defensive end of the floor they play VERY similar games. DC was never a 1-on-1 guy either. He was a ball-denial defender. Once his man caught the ball, especially the better OGs he faced, he was rather pedestrian. But so is every other 2-guard in the league not named Artest. EVERY 2-guard in the NBA can beat the first guy off the dribble. DC was not stopping that, Garcia will not stop that. What seperates guys like DC and Garcia from your average defender is their rotation. They will dive to the key to cover the big man who has to rotate up to stop ball penetration, and gets steals and rebounds that way. This is precisely what guys like Bibby and Peja do not do, which is why Miller ends up in foul trouble so often. Garcia will bring intensity, rotation, and ball-denial to our TEAM defense. The Kings need that badly. Another guy to compare him to on the defensive end of the floor would be Rip. Rip ain't shutting down nobody, but he gets his hands on a lot of passes and loose balls. . .there's a reason for that.
2. Shot Creation: Garcia CAN create his own shot. He was effectively the PG for Louisville, both the guy who initiated the offense and the guy taking the shot w/ the clock winding down. Again, Rip would be a good comparison. Rip is not going to dribble down the lane and dunk on opposing big men. But he can create enough seperation to get a shot. His handle is good enough now to run an offense at the college level. Not just the college level, but in a tough conference and playing for Pitino. He struggled against Illinois, but given Illinois' defense all year and a week to prepare, frankly I'm not surprised. Illinois is the same team that embarassed Chris Paul, the #4 pick in the draft. Garcia does not require the Princeton offense to get shots, and as other posters have noted, that is a dead system anyway without Vlade or Chris.
3. Athleticism: Like I said, he will not take it to the whole and posterize the opposing center, but he is remarkably quick, and has a great first step. Rip is, again, a good comparison. Can Rip jump out of the gym? No. But he is a good athlete. Maybe not great, but whatever. He is certainly a far superior athlete than Miller, Peja, or Bibby, so saying he's the same as our "core" is just ridiculous. Besides, Petrie drafted for athleticism twice (St. Jean and Wallace), and neither turned out particularly well. Seems Petrie is learning from past mistakes.
4. Availability: Who else was there? If you want to disparage Garcia for disappearing in big games, don't even mention Simien. I mean that, seriously. Maxiell was there, but people would be crying about how he's undersized. Turiaf was available, but he's a roll of the dice. Same with Taft. If Jack slips one more spot we may have pulled the trigger. He is a shut down defender type; very strong, quick, and athletic. But he's a PG, albeit a big one, so there would have been belly-aching for that as well. Petrie may have tried to trade up, we don't know. But in this draft, how much would you give up to move into the high-teens. Probably not much. Of course, the free agent PF market has a lot more talent in it the SG market. Garcia gives us a starter with size at a position of need, and allows the Kings to let Evans and Cat walk if need be. I, and I suspect Petrie, are more than comfortable to go into next season with Garcia as the starter and Martin at the backup with B-Jax and Barnes getting spot time at the 2.
Every year that I can remember, Petrie, Adelman or Jerry Reynolds had some sort of interview on 1140. Tonight we have heard zip from them. Not even Kings.com has a quote from the team. 1140 hasn't even said that they are trying to get someone in for an interview. Weve gotten someone from the Lakers, Magic, Warriors and the Clippers coming up. The Kings are conspicuous by their absence.
O
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/draft?round=1&dl=nba u can see a video of garcia here. just click on the camera logo next to his name.
Don't buy the Stephen A. Smith hype, those were good picks. They wanted a C, but none of the good ones were going to last until their next pick, so they nab Villanueva. Now, he has question marks, but so do all the top C prospects in him, Frye, and Bynum. They still had their choice of Graham and Granger w/ their second pick. That's good drafting.
As for the Carter trade, that only happened because Carter is the biggest jerk in the league and absolutely tanked for 2 years. He had Babcock over a barrel. Smith refuses to see that, I assume because Vince is his boy.
http://www.nba.com/kings/news/Francisco_Garcia_Media_Transcr-145657-58.html
Were you surprised that you went as low as you did in the draft, and what were your thoughts as you slid down further into the first round?
“I thought I was going to go a little higher than I did, but it happens and I’m still happy with my opportunity right now. I’m happy to play with them because they fit right into my style."
Have you ever been to Sacramento?
“Yeah, I worked out there before. I had a good workout when I went over there.”
What do you know about the Kings right now?
“They are a great team…they shoot the ball and do a lot of pick-and-rolls and they want me to produce and that’s what I’m going to do.”
We have heard a lot of the so called ‘experts’ talk about your game, how would you describe your game?
“My game, um…I can do a lot of things. I can bring the ball up the sometimes and shooting, inside-out shooting and running pick-and-rolls…I used to do that at Louisville a lot the past three years so I feel comfortable doing it.”
Describe what it was like inside your moms’ house when you heard your name called out?
“It was, it felt great you know, for me having to wait for 23 picks, it was hard for me. But, me hearing my name, and by the Kings, I think they play my style of ball. It felt great.”
It’s been said that defense is the emphasis of this off-season, how are you defensively and what can you bring to this team?
“Well when I was in Louisville I used to guard 1’s, 2’s and 3’s, so I know it’s going to be a challenge for me to guard smaller guys and bigger guys so you know, I’m just gonna work on it and get better.”
What position do you expect to play when you get to Sacramento?
“Well, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever they want me to do I will do. I will bring whatever they want me to bring to the table and I’m gonna work hard everyday to get better.”
One of your assistants was Reggie Theus. Did you ever talk to him about Sacramento at all?
“No, not really, but they called me after my name was called and they continued to say good things about me and they had a good talk.”
How many people are in your moms’house right now?
“Um, there’s like 50 people here.”
We hear that you were on the Athletic Director’s honor roll, are you still going to pursue trying to get your degree, because a 3.0 seems like you were going in the right direction.
“Oh I will, I will finish. I will go back in the summer and take some computer classes when I can.”
For Kings fans, tell us what you’re like off the court.
“Off the court I’m a funny guy, happy guy. I like to communicate with my teammates and see what they are all about, ya know, just have fun."
You said you came and worked out for the Kings, did you meet any of the current Kings players while you were there?
“No, nobody was there when I worked out. I was looking forward to it but nobody was there.”
Your life is obviously going to change immensely, what is one of the first purchases you are going to make once you get your contract settled this summer?
“I’m gonna buy my mom a house. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while, ya know. Just taking care of her and let her know that I’m working for her. She has been working for me for all of these years so it’s time for me to pay it back.”
Talk about how different you are as a person since the tragedy happened with your brother.
“Well, I’m just more dedicated and I take things more serious because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Did Rick Pitino call you after the draft?
“Yeah, we had a good talk. He congratulated me and told me that he was proud and, that’s my coach and he did everything he could for me and he made me a great player.”
How many times has your cell phone rang since you got drafted?
“Ha ha ha, I don’t know. Probably like 50.”
Who did you talk to from the Kings since you got drafted?
“Geoff Petrie.”
And what did he say?
“He just said thank you and he is looking forward to seeing me and looking forward to getting me over there. You know, he’s happy that they picked me and all that.”
When do you expect to be here in Sacramento?
“I’ll probably be there on Thursday.”
Were you surprised that you went as low as you did in the draft, and what were your thoughts as you slid down further into the first round?
“I thought I was going to go a little higher than I did, but it happens and I’m still happy with my opportunity right now. I’m happy to play with them because they fit right into my style."
Have you ever been to Sacramento?
“Yeah, I worked out there before. I had a good workout when I went over there.”
What do you know about the Kings right now?
“They are a great team…they shoot the ball and do a lot of pick-and-rolls and they want me to produce and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“My game, um…I can do a lot of things. I can bring the ball up the sometimes and shooting, inside-out shooting and running pick-and-rolls…I used to do that at Louisville a lot the past three years so I feel comfortable doing it.”
Describe what it was like inside your moms’ house when you heard your name called out?
“It was, it felt great you know, for me having to wait for 23 picks, it was hard for me. But, me hearing my name, and by the Kings, I think they play my style of ball. It felt great.”
It’s been said that defense is the emphasis of this off-season, how are you defensively and what can you bring to this team?
“Well when I was in Louisville I used to guard 1’s, 2’s and 3’s, so I know it’s going to be a challenge for me to guard smaller guys and bigger guys so you know, I’m just gonna work on it and get better.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever they want me to do I will do. I will bring whatever they want me to bring to the table and I’m gonna work hard everyday to get better.”
One of your assistants was Reggie Theus. Did you ever talk to him about Sacramento at all?
“No, not really, but they called me after my name was called and they continued to say good things about me and they had a good talk.”
How many people are in your moms’house right now?
“Um, there’s like 50 people here.”
We hear that you were on the Athletic Director’s honor roll, are you still going to pursue trying to get your degree, because a 3.0 seems like you were going in the right direction.
“Oh I will, I will finish. I will go back in the summer and take some computer classes when I can.”
For Kings fans, tell us what you’re like off the court.
“Off the court I’m a funny guy, happy guy. I like to communicate with my teammates and see what they are all about, ya know, just have fun."
You said you came and worked out for the Kings, did you meet any of the current Kings players while you were there?
“No, nobody was there when I worked out. I was looking forward to it but nobody was there.”
“I’m gonna buy my mom a house. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while, ya know. Just taking care of her and let her know that I’m working for her. She has been working for me for all of these years so it’s time for me to pay it back.”
Talk about how different you are as a person since the tragedy happened with your brother.
“Well, I’m just more dedicated and I take things more serious because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Did Rick Pitino call you after the draft?
“Yeah, we had a good talk. He congratulated me and told me that he was proud and, that’s my coach and he did everything he could for me and he made me a great player.”
How many times has your cell phone rang since you got drafted?
“Ha ha ha, I don’t know. Probably like 50.”
“Geoff Petrie.”
And what did he say?
“He just said thank you and he is looking forward to seeing me and looking forward to getting me over there. You know, he’s happy that they picked me and all that.”
When do you expect to be here in Sacramento?
“I’ll probably be there on Thursday.”
Thanks for this. Somehow it's easier to read stuff like this from someone you are even vaguely familiar with and believe they love the game, rather than by someone you could never ask questions to, or interact with...who may just be giving you fluff. 
Good stuff.
P.S. (personal) Hi Franc.
Good stuff.P.S. (personal) Hi Franc.
Last edited:
AleksandarN said:
http://www.nba.com/kings/news/Francisco_Garcia_Media_Transcr-145657-58.html
Were you surprised that you went as low as you did in the draft, and what were your thoughts as you slid down further into the first round?
“I thought I was going to go a little higher than I did, but it happens and I’m still happy with my opportunity right now. I’m happy to play with them because they fit right into my style."
Have you ever been to Sacramento?
“Yeah, I worked out there before. I had a good workout when I went over there.”
What do you know about the Kings right now?
“They are a great team…they shoot the ball and do a lot of pick-and-rolls and they want me to produce and that’s what I’m going to do.”
We have heard a lot of the so called ‘experts’ talk about your game, how would you describe your game?
“My game, um…I can do a lot of things. I can bring the ball up the sometimes and shooting, inside-out shooting and running pick-and-rolls…I used to do that at Louisville a lot the past three years so I feel comfortable doing it.”
Describe what it was like inside your moms’ house when you heard your name called out?
“It was, it felt great you know, for me having to wait for 23 picks, it was hard for me. But, me hearing my name, and by the Kings, I think they play my style of ball. It felt great.”
It’s been said that defense is the emphasis of this off-season, how are you defensively and what can you bring to this team?
“Well when I was in Louisville I used to guard 1’s, 2’s and 3’s, so I know it’s going to be a challenge for me to guard smaller guys and bigger guys so you know, I’m just gonna work on it and get better.”
What position do you expect to play when you get to Sacramento?
“Well, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever they want me to do I will do. I will bring whatever they want me to bring to the table and I’m gonna work hard everyday to get better.”
One of your assistants was Reggie Theus. Did you ever talk to him about Sacramento at all?
“No, not really, but they called me after my name was called and they continued to say good things about me and they had a good talk.”
How many people are in your moms’house right now?
“Um, there’s like 50 people here.”
We hear that you were on the Athletic Director’s honor roll, are you still going to pursue trying to get your degree, because a 3.0 seems like you were going in the right direction.
“Oh I will, I will finish. I will go back in the summer and take some computer classes when I can.”
For Kings fans, tell us what you’re like off the court.
“Off the court I’m a funny guy, happy guy. I like to communicate with my teammates and see what they are all about, ya know, just have fun."
You said you came and worked out for the Kings, did you meet any of the current Kings players while you were there?
“No, nobody was there when I worked out. I was looking forward to it but nobody was there.”
Your life is obviously going to change immensely, what is one of the first purchases you are going to make once you get your contract settled this summer?
“I’m gonna buy my mom a house. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while, ya know. Just taking care of her and let her know that I’m working for her. She has been working for me for all of these years so it’s time for me to pay it back.”
Talk about how different you are as a person since the tragedy happened with your brother.
“Well, I’m just more dedicated and I take things more serious because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Did Rick Pitino call you after the draft?
“Yeah, we had a good talk. He congratulated me and told me that he was proud and, that’s my coach and he did everything he could for me and he made me a great player.”
How many times has your cell phone rang since you got drafted?
“Ha ha ha, I don’t know. Probably like 50.”
Who did you talk to from the Kings since you got drafted?
“Geoff Petrie.”
And what did he say?
“He just said thank you and he is looking forward to seeing me and looking forward to getting me over there. You know, he’s happy that they picked me and all that.”
When do you expect to be here in Sacramento?
“I’ll probably be there on Thursday.”
Were you surprised that you went as low as you did in the draft, and what were your thoughts as you slid down further into the first round?
“I thought I was going to go a little higher than I did, but it happens and I’m still happy with my opportunity right now. I’m happy to play with them because they fit right into my style."
Have you ever been to Sacramento?
“Yeah, I worked out there before. I had a good workout when I went over there.”
What do you know about the Kings right now?
“They are a great team…they shoot the ball and do a lot of pick-and-rolls and they want me to produce and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“My game, um…I can do a lot of things. I can bring the ball up the sometimes and shooting, inside-out shooting and running pick-and-rolls…I used to do that at Louisville a lot the past three years so I feel comfortable doing it.”
Describe what it was like inside your moms’ house when you heard your name called out?
“It was, it felt great you know, for me having to wait for 23 picks, it was hard for me. But, me hearing my name, and by the Kings, I think they play my style of ball. It felt great.”
It’s been said that defense is the emphasis of this off-season, how are you defensively and what can you bring to this team?
“Well when I was in Louisville I used to guard 1’s, 2’s and 3’s, so I know it’s going to be a challenge for me to guard smaller guys and bigger guys so you know, I’m just gonna work on it and get better.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever they want me to do I will do. I will bring whatever they want me to bring to the table and I’m gonna work hard everyday to get better.”
One of your assistants was Reggie Theus. Did you ever talk to him about Sacramento at all?
“No, not really, but they called me after my name was called and they continued to say good things about me and they had a good talk.”
How many people are in your moms’house right now?
“Um, there’s like 50 people here.”
We hear that you were on the Athletic Director’s honor roll, are you still going to pursue trying to get your degree, because a 3.0 seems like you were going in the right direction.
“Oh I will, I will finish. I will go back in the summer and take some computer classes when I can.”
For Kings fans, tell us what you’re like off the court.
“Off the court I’m a funny guy, happy guy. I like to communicate with my teammates and see what they are all about, ya know, just have fun."
You said you came and worked out for the Kings, did you meet any of the current Kings players while you were there?
“No, nobody was there when I worked out. I was looking forward to it but nobody was there.”
“I’m gonna buy my mom a house. I’ve been wanting to do that for a while, ya know. Just taking care of her and let her know that I’m working for her. She has been working for me for all of these years so it’s time for me to pay it back.”
Talk about how different you are as a person since the tragedy happened with your brother.
“Well, I’m just more dedicated and I take things more serious because you never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Did Rick Pitino call you after the draft?
“Yeah, we had a good talk. He congratulated me and told me that he was proud and, that’s my coach and he did everything he could for me and he made me a great player.”
How many times has your cell phone rang since you got drafted?
“Ha ha ha, I don’t know. Probably like 50.”
“Geoff Petrie.”
And what did he say?
“He just said thank you and he is looking forward to seeing me and looking forward to getting me over there. You know, he’s happy that they picked me and all that.”
When do you expect to be here in Sacramento?
“I’ll probably be there on Thursday.”
He sounds genuine, probably a good lockerroom guy. That's a relief.
A Sam Mitchell interview I heard. I mean, they're both going to be out there. One of them will technically be the center. Either way, they drafted a big combo guy at #7, which is where they needed to draft one if they wanted one. The guys Smith was crying about were still available with their second pick. . .good drafting.
Not talking might be a sign of them trading Garcia's rights as a part of a bigger trade.
Considering that there are a lot of callers to 1140 that are being pretty critical of the pick, don't you think that they would like to come on the radio and talk about how happy that they are to have him?
Don't you think that the 1140 guys have been scrambling to get anyone from the Kings on the air to talk about him?
At the very least, odd behavior.
Considering that there are a lot of callers to 1140 that are being pretty critical of the pick, don't you think that they would like to come on the radio and talk about how happy that they are to have him?
Don't you think that the 1140 guys have been scrambling to get anyone from the Kings on the air to talk about him?
At the very least, odd behavior.
Disagree here and with everyone who says Petrie can't draft. Ive been very impressed with every Petrie pick thus far. Jason Williams was a solid selection, Hedo was solid for us, and started to look good last year for the Magic. I think the more pt he gets the better he will get. Gerald got labeled with a bad attitude rap, but the games I saw him play in I was impressed. Last year he averaged around 10 and 10 for the Bobcats although he battled injury problems.
Its tough to judge our drafts now compared to the past because we have been such a dominant team that rookies not only weren't expected to contribute, but it was exceedingly difficult for them to ever see the court, especially with Rick not liking younger guys. Now that we are moving in a different direction, however, Petrie's drafts will become important again.
Its tough to judge our drafts now compared to the past because we have been such a dominant team that rookies not only weren't expected to contribute, but it was exceedingly difficult for them to ever see the court, especially with Rick not liking younger guys. Now that we are moving in a different direction, however, Petrie's drafts will become important again.
I can't say that I'm unhappy with the pick. He's not someone who could be considered a "project". I guess you can call it a "safe" pick, although as I read these posts, safe isn't what some of us fans want.
Ugh, don't get me started on Villanueva, honestly I never saw what the hype was with him at UConn or in high school for that matter. Still think he should have stayed at UConn for at least another year.
Ugh, don't get me started on Villanueva, honestly I never saw what the hype was with him at UConn or in high school for that matter. Still think he should have stayed at UConn for at least another year.
Garcia = smaller Tayshaun Prince with a better shot.
GREAT PICK UP!
Don't worry about his one bad game in the NCAA tournament, it was against Deron Williams with all of Illinois defense focused on stopping ONLY him. He actually struck me as a better player than Deron, even though Deron had much better numbers that game...
GREAT PICK UP!
Don't worry about his one bad game in the NCAA tournament, it was against Deron Williams with all of Illinois defense focused on stopping ONLY him. He actually struck me as a better player than Deron, even though Deron had much better numbers that game...
I would hope that the Kings front office doesn't pander to the Napier/Koz/Monty callers. There are a more reasonable group of fans out there than those, for example ..... well ...... pretty much anyone else that lives in the area.
I would hardly consider the actions (or lack thereof) of the front office this evening an indictment. Far from it, actually.
I would hardly consider the actions (or lack thereof) of the front office this evening an indictment. Far from it, actually.
That's not the way the business works. 1140 is the home of the Kings. They have a contract and a mutual need to support each other. The Kings work to get their players on their programs. They send reporters to press conferences and get quotes. The have tape recorders and phones. This is the first draft I can recall where they haven't had somebody from the Kings staff talk about their pick.