The Kings Future Might Be Brighter than One Thinks

CruzDude

Senior Member sharing a brew with bajaden
#1
The Kings Future Might Be Brighter than One Thinks

The volcanic expressions of the Cousins trade have begun to die down having been tampered by the Nuggets game and the play of Willie, Skal and Buddy. The bench of kids that one night scored 72 points. Think about that, 72 points! And they looked good doing it.

A quick return to reality banged them in the chops in the next game against a defensive minded Hornets team. But a quick vision of possibilities had reared its head and got many of us a buzz a long time coming. Skal's rebounding aggressiveness and shooting, Willies scoring and defense, and Buddy's shot, sweet and quick from anywhere, were essential ingredients for Coach Joeger to cook up a better team.

In the Hornet game it was apparent (to me at least) that Tyreke was not a fit, he'd lost a step and reminded me of a 6-5 version of "he who shall not be named", iso's and all.

So Skal and Buddy, both first year rookies are keepers, Willie had a break out for which we'd all been waiting, Calloway was a zero in too few minutes to evaluate, and Richardson, unfortunately injured, is the new Ice Man and plays the NBA game.

Coming down the pipeline is Bogdanovich a super shooting guard who just scored 27 points in a top Euro game in Turkey and, requiring uncharacteristic luck, the remote chance the Kings could have two, yes 2, first round picks, their own and NOLA's, in the coming loaded draft. Then there is Big Papa, their 7-2 project in Reno, who has shown some really good shooting and ball handling skills along with a big bunch of D-League shot blocking. He needs to cook in the Vlade stew for awhile in Reno, but he's only 19!

So Bogs, Big Papa, Malachi, Buddy, Skal, and Willie, a young core to build around. Add in a couple of new draftees, plus vets like Lawson, Tolliver, Koufos, and a couple key FA's and next year should see the playoffs then maybe a couple slots higher the year after.
 
#3
I agree with most of what you just said. The more I think about it the more I feel like we'll be alright and at the very least, fun to watch. I honestly enjoyed watching our loss to Charlotte much more than any of our losses previously this year or last. I realize that sounds weird but in my eyes watching youth lose has some entertainment value whereas watching a team with more expectations lose causes me unneeded anxiety. Obviously I'd much rather watch the Kings win but I'm cautiously optimistic about our future now and how we're going to get there and stay there. This franchise has had so many peaks and valleys though that I almost expect something bad to happen every year. We'll find out within the next year-year and a half one way or the other I guess. I'll be watching, that's for sure.
 
#4
I agree, it is much easier watching a bunch of youngins lose a hard fought game while they gain experience. Joerger not playing them was worse than watching Cousins help squeak out a few extra wins.

I like Cousins and was not happy with the way the trade went down, but the Kings inability to improve around him had to change somehow. If theses 2017-18 draft picks work out we should have a young promising team soon.
 
#5
The Kings may be competitive sooner than we all think.

Their depth chart, just with the young players, has some potential:

PF: Skal
SF: Malichi / Bogdan (?)
C: WCS / Papa
SG: Heild / Malichi / Bogdan
PG: ????/ Galloway or I Cousins

We just need to fill the starting PG role and a full size SF and we can become a very exciting, young team! :)
 
#6
Tatum/Isaac & Monk/Ntilikina/Fox would be the most ideal draft for us (assuming we don't jump into the top 3). If we can pull that off, our rebuild will be off to an excellent start.

PG - Ntilikina (NOP 1st) / J. Evans (PHI 2nd)
SG - Hield / Richardson
SF - Isaac (SAC 1st) / Bogdanovic
PF - Labissiere
C - Cauley-Stein / Papagiannis

I could get excited about that team knowing we'd have yet another early 1st round pick in 2018 (most likely).
 
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#8
You don't win in this league without stars. A team full of unfulfilled potential is a team that is going to lose 50+ games. So an optimistic vision has merit provided one or more of the guys we are betting on emerges as a star. 27/10 followed by 2/2 is not star potential. A SG around 40% FGs or 50% TS is not star potential. If you don't have a star you don't have a go-to player in the crunch. If you don't have a star you don't have anyone to attract a double. In trading Boogie, Achilles snap of Rudy and UFA status of Collison, this is a team without a star. For brighter days, someone is going to rise to rarified air, 20+ PER territory, and those who take over games for stretches. You know, kind of, er exactly what Boogie used to do. :confused:

Who are best candidates.
  • Buddy?
  • Skal?
  • Malachi?
  • 2017 #1 pick (NOP)?
  • 2017 #1 pick (SAC)?
  • Willie
  • Papa
  • Bodgan
There will be plenty of consternation and best case projecting before these guys become positive contributors and possibly stars. Before stardom comes capable rotational then capable starting status. None of these guy have yet to do that! Not to be pessimistic just laying it out there. This is the issue as to whether Vlade's gamble of trading away Boogie for peanuts pays off or backfires. The team will go nowhere with a bunch of mediocre and meddling players who try hard and hustle but lack star power. Someone has to emerge as special. I think Skal can be special. Buddy can be special. Malachi has a swagger about him with the skill to back it up. But potential in the mind and actualization on the court are separate realms.
 
#9
You don't win in this league without stars. A team full of unfulfilled potential is a team that is going to lose 50+ games. So an optimistic vision has merit provided one or more of the guys we are betting on emerges as a star. 27/10 followed by 2/2 is not star potential. A SG around 40% FGs or 50% TS is not star potential. If you don't have a star you don't have a go-to player in the crunch. If you don't have a star you don't have anyone to attract a double. In trading Boogie, Achilles snap of Rudy and UFA status of Collison, this is a team without a star. For brighter days, someone is going to rise to rarified air, 20+ PER territory, and those who take over games for stretches. You know, kind of, er exactly what Boogie used to do. :confused:

Who are best candidates.
  • Buddy?
  • Skal?
  • Malachi?
  • 2017 #1 pick (NOP)?
  • 2017 #1 pick (SAC)?
  • Willie
  • Papa
  • Bodgan
There will be plenty of consternation and best case projecting before these guys become positive contributors and possibly stars. Before stardom comes capable rotational then capable starting status. None of these guy have yet to do that! Not to be pessimistic just laying it out there. This is the issue as to whether Vlade's gamble of trading away Boogie for peanuts pays off or backfires. The team will go nowhere with a bunch of mediocre and meddling players who try hard and hustle but lack star power. Someone has to emerge as special. I think Skal can be special. Buddy can be special. Malachi has something special about him. But potential in mind and actualization on the court are separate realms.
That is why they play the game. We have a team full of potential and I'm looking forward to see the progress of the kids. Two years, they need to make that 2019 pick not matter. That is the timeline Vlade gave himself, let's see if he can deliver.
 
#10
Tatum/Isaac & Monk/Ntilikina/Fox would be the most ideal draft for us (assuming we don't jump into the top 3). If we can pull that off, our rebuild will be off to an excellent start.

PG - Ntilikina (NOP 1st) / J. Evans (PHI 2nd)
SG - Hield / Richardson
SF - Isaac (SAC 1st) / Bogdanovic
PF - Labissiere / J. Jeanne (SAC 2nd)
C - Cauley-Stein / Papagiannis

I could get excited about that team knowing we'd have yet another early 1st round pick in 2018 (most likely).
Aren't Kings giving away their 2nd rounder to Chicago if the first rounder falls inside top 10?!

Anyway, what the Kings did was replenish the youth in last year's draft. Papagiannis has been improving but he is a long way off from being a nightly positive contributor in the NBA but his improvement has been encouraging.

Richardson is the only youngster on out team that can create his own shot and it's a crap timing with the hamstring injuries as something tells me he would have got significant minutes to close out the season.

Skal has NBA game but he needs to get bigger and stronger. I suspect that will take a bit of time as you want him to keep the quickness and athleticism while he is getting bigger.

I think overall the Kings did reasonably well in last year's draft given that it was widely regarded as lacking in talent.

How quickly this thing gets turned around depends entirely on how well the Kings do in the draft this year and next year. Forget abut getting a big name FA here, or even semi-big. With how the whole Cousins situation was handled, there is no way any self respecting reasonably big name FA will sign with the Kings. It is just not going to happen.

So hopefully the Kings get two top 10 picks in this draft and another top 10 pick next year.....hopefully with a bit of luck top 3. Kings really have NO room for error if they are to come out of this reasonably quickly. The pick in 2019 is going to Philadelphia so ideally you want that to be a non-lottery pick.

Kings can't continue to draft good solid talent like they did last draft. They need to draft franchise level talent. Ideally a SF and PG this year and a PF or C franchise level big next year is one is available.

From the young core, the only player capable of creating their own shot is Richardson so in this draft Kings need to draft a scorer who can create his own shot and a PG that can create for himself and others since most of these kids on the roster need to be set up to be successful.

Drafting well is half the battle. The other half is developing these kids. What Kings have not done well in the past is develop these players. I am seeing the glimpses of player development this year which is a great sign. For Kings to succeed they need to invest HEAVILY into scouting and player development both in Reno and Sacramento.
 
#12
Aren't Kings giving away their 2nd rounder to Chicago if the first rounder falls inside top 10?!

Anyway, what the Kings did was replenish the youth in last year's draft. Papagiannis has been improving but he is a long way off from being a nightly positive contributor in the NBA but his improvement has been encouraging.

Richardson is the only youngster on out team that can create his own shot and it's a crap timing with the hamstring injuries as something tells me he would have got significant minutes to close out the season.

Skal has NBA game but he needs to get bigger and stronger. I suspect that will take a bit of time as you want him to keep the quickness and athleticism while he is getting bigger.

I think overall the Kings did reasonably well in last year's draft given that it was widely regarded as lacking in talent.

How quickly this thing gets turned around depends entirely on how well the Kings do in the draft this year and next year. Forget abut getting a big name FA here, or even semi-big. With how the whole Cousins situation was handled, there is no way any self respecting reasonably big name FA will sign with the Kings. It is just not going to happen.

So hopefully the Kings get two top 10 picks in this draft and another top 10 pick next year.....hopefully with a bit of luck top 3. Kings really have NO room for error if they are to come out of this reasonably quickly. The pick in 2019 is going to Philadelphia so ideally you want that to be a non-lottery pick.

Kings can't continue to draft good solid talent like they did last draft. They need to draft franchise level talent. Ideally a SF and PG this year and a PF or C franchise level big next year is one is available.

From the young core, the only player capable of creating their own shot is Richardson so in this draft Kings need to draft a scorer who can create his own shot and a PG that can create for himself and others since most of these kids on the roster need to be set up to be successful.

Drafting well is half the battle. The other half is developing these kids. What Kings have not done well in the past is develop these players. I am seeing the glimpses of player development this year which is a great sign. For Kings to succeed they need to invest HEAVILY into scouting and player development both in Reno and Sacramento.
Hield seems fairly competent at creating his own shot, maybe not well yet, but I think he'll be alright
 
#14
The Kings Future Might Be Brighter than One Thinks

The volcanic expressions of the Cousins trade have begun to die down having been tampered by the Nuggets game and the play of Willie, Skal and Buddy. The bench of kids that one night scored 72 points. Think about that, 72 points! And they looked good doing it.

A quick return to reality banged them in the chops in the next game against a defensive minded Hornets team. But a quick vision of possibilities had reared its head and got many of us a buzz a long time coming. Skal's rebounding aggressiveness and shooting, Willies scoring and defense, and Buddy's shot, sweet and quick from anywhere, were essential ingredients for Coach Joeger to cook up a better team.

In the Hornet game it was apparent (to me at least) that Tyreke was not a fit, he'd lost a step and reminded me of a 6-5 version of "he who shall not be named", iso's and all.

So Skal and Buddy, both first year rookies are keepers, Willie had a break out for which we'd all been waiting, Calloway was a zero in too few minutes to evaluate, and Richardson, unfortunately injured, is the new Ice Man and plays the NBA game.

Coming down the pipeline is Bogdanovich a super shooting guard who just scored 27 points in a top Euro game in Turkey and, requiring uncharacteristic luck, the remote chance the Kings could have two, yes 2, first round picks, their own and NOLA's, in the coming loaded draft. Then there is Big Papa, their 7-2 project in Reno, who has shown some really good shooting and ball handling skills along with a big bunch of D-League shot blocking. He needs to cook in the Vlade stew for awhile in Reno, but he's only 19!

So Bogs, Big Papa, Malachi, Buddy, Skal, and Willie, a young core to build around. Add in a couple of new draftees, plus vets like Lawson, Tolliver, Koufos, and a couple key FA's and next year should see the playoffs then maybe a couple slots higher the year after.
I agree. I enjoyed watching the loss. It had gotten so repetitive watching the Kings repeat the same season. It was old but I still watched. Now there is hope for the future.
 
#15
That is why they play the game. We have a team full of potential and I'm looking forward to see the progress of the kids. Two years, they need to make that 2019 pick not matter. That is the timeline Vlade gave himself, let's see if he can deliver.
I agree but the point that I was alluding to above is that Vlade needs an exponential rate of progress for this to work, given he traded away a superstar for a unproven rookie and a draft pick. Think about it. Among other unknowns, he needs Willie to prove himself as a capable starter. He needs Buddy to show star potential. He needs Bogdan to come over and be immediate contributor. If he drafts a PG this summer, we need him to contribute sooner than later barring something significant in free agency. The standard growth curve or stagnant progress of guy like Willie and Ben is not going to cut if we want to turn this around quickly. I don't see how this team gets anywhere near .500 next year or the year after next unless someone and ideally more than one player makes a statement with his play he can be Top 10 at his position. That is asking a lot of guys with limited experience but that's kind of what needs to happen for real optimism to be justified.
 
#17
The two year timeline is pushing it if he can't get anyone to sign here. But he is developing assets and the hope is that you can package them for trades or develop them into solid players.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#18
the Kings' future will be determined based on where they pick in the lottery and if they pick in the lottery. If they manage to get 2 picks then that gives them that much more of a chance to land either a productive player or possibly a all-star/superstar with time. Then you have the 2018 draft class where you would expect them to be competing for a top 10 pick. Until then, let the rookies play and see what you have in them.
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#19
the Kings' future will be determined based on where they pick in the lottery and if they pick in the lottery. If they manage to get 2 picks then that gives them that much more of a chance to land either a productive player or possibly a all-star/superstar with time. Then you have the 2018 draft class where you would expect them to be competing for a top 10 pick. Until then, let the rookies play and see what you have in them.
Yes and no. Draft picks are notoriously fickle. Some work out, some exceed expectations and others are T-Rob and Jimmer. More often than not I urge trading picks for known entities but since this year we are precluded from even dreaming of a top 3 pick we may do well to draft the guy we want to keep and hope he at least meets expectations.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#20
Yes and no. Draft picks are notoriously fickle. Some work out, some exceed expectations and others are T-Rob and Jimmer. More often than not I urge trading picks for known entities but since this year we are precluded from even dreaming of a top 3 pick we may do well to draft the guy we want to keep and hope he at least meets expectations.
Hopefully Vlade doesn't draft a T-Rob or Jimmer...old management. Can't really judge Vlade yet until we see how this rebuild works out.
 

HndsmCelt

Hall of Famer
#21
Hopefully Vlade doesn't draft a T-Rob or Jimmer...old management. Can't really judge Vlade yet until we see how this rebuild works out.
But we don't have to stay focused on the Kings or even other bad managers to understand what a risk draft pics are, good teams with good mangers have picked guys like Sam Bowie, Kwamie Brown, and Shawn Bradley just to name 3 off of a very long list of top picks who did not pan out. This is not to mention that further down you pick the less likely a team is to find the kind of star the Kings need now. It is much more a case of probabilities as it is about the kind of scouting a team hopes to employ to cheat those odds just a bit.
 
#22
The entire concept of this thread is absurdly premature.

These players haven't proven anything.

At this moment in time, based on their careers so far, there is not one NBA quality starting player on the entire roster.

How do you go from that, to expecting playoffs in the near future...?
I count six.
 
#24
This team is molding into a shape that sorry *** owner has been envisioning. Of course, here and there everyone and someone show up making career highs making the most believing in that he's a diamond in the rough, without a true star. Orlando Magic comes to mind.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#27
But we don't have to stay focused on the Kings or even other bad managers to understand what a risk draft pics are, good teams with good mangers have picked guys like Sam Bowie, Kwamie Brown, and Shawn Bradley just to name 3 off of a very long list of top picks who did not pan out. This is not to mention that further down you pick the less likely a team is to find the kind of star the Kings need now. It is much more a case of probabilities as it is about the kind of scouting a team hopes to employ to cheat those odds just a bit.
Scouting, luck and development are the three main elements in finding good youth.
 
#28
Scouting, luck and development are the three main elements in finding good youth.
Luck plays the least part. You make your own luck by working your backside off and doing the right things.

Is it luck that Spurs keep finding productive players and all-stars no matter where they draft?! I don't think so. Buford and his team scout their backsides off and then Pop and his staff develop the hell out of their draftees. Teams that draft and develop well are those that put a lot of work into scouting and development.
 
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#29
Look plays the least part. You make your own luck by working your backside off and doing the right things.

Is it luck that Spurs keep finding productive players and all-stars no matter where they draft?! I don't think so. Buford and his team scout their backsides off and then Pop and his staff develop the hell out of their draftees. Teams that draft and develop well are those that put a lot of work into scouting and development.

I think pop could make the playoffs with our roster, that's how good he is. Not saying they don't scout and develop well, but he is a cut above them all and the difference between a great franchise and a very good one.
 
#30
I think pop could make the playoffs with our roster, that's how good he is. Not saying they don't scout and develop well, but he is a cut above them all and the difference between a great franchise and a very good one.
But the players over the years that they have drafted also speak for themselves. Leonard at 15, Parker at 28 etc...