The Official NBA Draft Day Thread 2014 Edition

[HereWeBoogie]

We really need to get Cuz some help in the front court though. I'm gonna feel really bad for the guy if he has to go another season with JT/Landry/Williams as his partners in the front court

 

[Kingsguy881]

They are absolutely stubbornly stupid aren't they? It is amazing. Its not even ego anymore to say I could easily have done better than the front offices of the last decade. So could you. So could a lot of people. The sickness stretches to philosophical stupidity, so of course all the individually stupid moves that follow make a certain sort of clueless sense.

This summer is/was going to tell me everything I needed to know about Gerbil. He started off his unexpected promotion with a bang of ignorance, but who knows how much was him and how much was the dumbass advice coming from around him, including even the fans/remnants of people who should have known the team. Then he got rampantly aggressive for every bit of low hanging fruit on the market and I considered the Gay trade a clear win. But was there a plan? Our remaining assets sucked. What was the vision? All I've got so far is a loser's fascination with middling SGs. Which is straight get that weak crap out of here stuff for me. He has a lot to prove before I rescind my interdiction.

So what move would you have done?

 

[Big Cuz 15]

They are absolutely stubbornly stupid aren't they? It is amazing. Its not even ego anymore to say I could easily have done better than the front offices of the last decade. So could you. So could a lot of people. The sickness stretches to philosophical stupidity, so of course all the individually stupid moves that follow make a certain sort of clueless sense.

This summer is/was going to tell me everything I needed to know about Gerbil. He started off his unexpected promotion with a bang of ignorance, but who knows how much was him and how much was the dumbass advice coming from around him, including even the fans/remnants of people who should have known the team. Then he got rampantly aggressive for every bit of low hanging fruit on the market and I considered the Gay trade a clear win. But was there a plan? Our remaining assets sucked. What was the vision? All I've got so far is a loser's fascination with middling SGs. Which is straight get that weak crap out of here stuff for me. He has a lot to prove before I rescind my interdiction.

vivek shoulda interviewed you for the job. the way this roster is constructed has no foundation. i know what some will say, oh give it some time. i just don't see what the plan is.

 

[kingsfan101]

Best wishes to Stauskas, but when Lakers picked Randle, I was excited that we shall pick Vonleh. I like Randle, and think he can be a Zach Randolph kind of player, but we already have a damn good post player, probably the best in the league.

Vonleh, as a stretch four, was the kind of guy who could stretch the floor for DMC. I was hugely disappointed when we picked Stauskas.

That said, he might be able to help right away (particularly since Ben was so bad last year), and I think that's important for us. DMC must be tired of all the losing, and SG was our weakest position causing this. The last thing we can afford is Cousins getting frustrated, and demanding a trade.

This might also indicate, that we fear losing IT. Perhaps (likely), we have some idea of the amount he is expecting, or offers he might receive. Maybe I'm overthinking this, since Nick is not a 1. Overall guard depth would help if we can get some other PG though.

I would ideally like us to aggressively pursue Shaun Livingstone. Didn't see him play much, but liked the little I saw. Yes, he is injury prone, so it's risky, but we aren't likely to get a better PG with our assets.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

We really need to get Cuz some help in the front court though. I'm gonna feel really bad for the guy if he has to go another season with JT/Landry/Williams as his partners in the front court

sad

 

[HereWeBoogie]

vivek shoulda interviewed you for the job. the way this roster is constructed has no foundation. i know what some will say, oh give it some time. i just don't see what the plan is.

overpay Isaiah Thomas. Have a team at the bottom of the league in defense and assists, but hey at least we can say we have three 20ppg scorers

 

[Big Cuz 15]

lmao, false big 3? i don't even consider rudy a true second option. he would serve better as the third option. i don't see the opposing defenses altering their defense because of him.

with cuz, you know hes most likely going to be the better of the center match up. teams are going to plan to try to stop him. reke had that ability to alter defenses because he was so damn good at what he did. i don't see teams sending 2 defenders at him or put a defensive scheme around him.

 

['89 Kings Fan]

But the Kings drafted Ben McLemore, who has more upside and talent, seventh overall.

That's the problem with national media, can't be bothered to look that McLemore just had one of the worst rookie seasons ever. That's why I don't have a problem with the pick per se (that and I think Vonleh is going to be a bust.)

They have more glaring needs at the PF spot so this pick might be on the move with other teams in the late lottery showing interest in the forward from Michigan.

We have like 15 Power Forwards already, why would we want a rookie one? If a veteran power forward is available fine, but I don't want a rookie starting next to Cousins next year.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

and what veteran power forward can be had that is good? if they're so easy to pluck, why haven't we acquired one yet?

 

[Big Cuz 15]

magoofs & smart probably had the same issues of a rookie (drummond) starting next to cousins. someone who may not be ready skill wise but physically.

 

[mac]

The thing with Ben vs Stauskas is three fold imo:
1. Ben has a season in the nba under his belt... the kings have seen him close up for a year, we have more data on him then we had last year. Much more... and unfortunately most of it is not so good. Of course he's still got a lot of upside and we figured he would struggle... and struggle he did.

2. Offensively, the main thing holding Ben back in his rookie year was probably his handle. Stauskas doesn't have that problem... so imo he has a much better chance of being a solid rotational player right away.

3. It's ok to have two good young sg's. Really, it's all good. Like I said, Jamal Crawford has made a career for himself as one of the best sixth men in the league. He and Reddick both played plenty last year for LAC. Green and Ginobli did the same for the Spurs. Ray and Dwayne for the Heat. Having two sg's play 25+mpg is all good... especially complimentary types like Ben/Nik.

Every single case you brought up are vets. They have proven what they can and cannot do in the league, and don't need time or minutes to develop. We on the other hand, have one unproven rookie and one second year guy who sucked his first year. Both may end up being busts, or both may end up being good players that get in each others' way of developing. All this on a team that frankly doesn't even need a star SG and would be better off filling the spot with veterans through trade or FA. There is simply no way both of them play SG for us without this being a massively stupid move.

You just don't use either your #7 or #8 pick in CONSECUTIVE drafts to get role playing shooters (from your examples - Reddick, Green, Ray Allen). Not to mention all those teams already have much better systems in place to get their shooters easy looks.

I agree with the glaringly obvious sentiment that our FO just wants to try and copy the Warriors for some strange reason. They say all the right things but in the end it's diddly squat, and they don't have the guts to admit when they make a mistake.

 

[mac]

That's the problem with national media, can't be bothered to look that McLemore just had one of the worst rookie seasons ever. That's why I don't have a problem with the pick per se (that and I think Vonleh is going to be a bust.)


We have like 15 Power Forwards already, why would we want a rookie one? If a veteran power forward is available fine, but I don't want a rookie starting next to Cousins next year.

I don't have a problem with picking Stauskas to replace McLemore, because like you said, he sucked big time his rookie season. But it simply doesn't make sense to insist on keeping McLemore AND drafting Stauskas. Admit that you made the wrong pick with McLemore, replace him with Stauskas and move Ben for something else that we need. Yes, you give up on Ben early and may regret it in the future, but that's a risk you have to take if you want to use one of our main assets to draft a guy who plays the same position instead of using the pick to somehow fill other gaps in the team.

 

[sdballer]

I don't have a problem with picking Stauskas to replace McLemore, because like you said, he sucked big time his rookie season. But it simply doesn't make sense to insist on keeping McLemore AND drafting Stauskas. Admit that you made the wrong pick with McLemore, replace him with Stauskas and move Ben for something else that we need. Yes, you give up on Ben early and may regret it in the future, but that's a risk you have to take if you want to use one of our main assets to draft a guy who plays the same position instead of using the pick to somehow fill other gaps in the team.

But no team is going to do that. For one, it hardly helps the outgoing players trade value. Secondly, it throws a player under the bus who may not get trade.

The bigger issues are that they apparently weren't able to see the issues with Ben's game last draft and went bananas over him. Now, they are once again potentially not maximizing their draft position and still haven't seemed eager to address any issues besides shooting and "flexibility".

 

[Sluggah]

If we're going to be bumbling picks, I'd like to lobby for a new selection strategy. Best looking player available. Might lose a little more, but we can look good doing it. Plus, more nationally televised games.

 

[rainmaker]

anybody else on the bandwagon of giving this FO more time to figure it out? lmao

July 31st for me.

Should be a visible plan after four weeks of free agency(Aug is usually dead). If there's a plan that is.

 

[PurpleHaze]

Going into last years NBA draft ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas was very high on Ben McLemore calling him at various times perhaps the best prospect, best pure shooter available. Here's one of Bilas' quotes assessing Ben. "Ben McLemore is the most gifted player and probably has the highest ceiling from a talented standpoint down the road. I don't whether he has got the drive to be great. I don't know that he doesn't." Then there's this years NBA draft and Bilas' assessment of Nik Stauskas. After Kings made their selection Bilas was equally if not higher in his praise of Stauskas virtually gushing, “the best shooter in this draft. He has a complete game. He is cocky, confident, unwavering. He can get his own shot, put the ball on the floor, can dunk on people, and he can also pass. He’s got a total offensive game.” So-called expert analyst Jay Bilas has to be right at least 50% of the time, you'd think!

 

[Jkbiker]

We Got Wiggins!!!!!!!!!

yeah I know the older Brother

Just what we need for summer league - another SG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sean Deveney: A Summer League assignment to report: G Nick Wiggins from @WichitaStateMBB will be playing for the @SacramentoKings. Twitter @SeanDeveney

Sacramento Kings, Summer League, Nick Wiggins
- See more at: http://hoopshype.com/rumors/tag/sacramento_kings#sthash.3smxFdur.dpuf

 

[SacTownKid]

Another SG thank goodness. Since Ben is now PG stopper this team has a glaring hole at SG.

 

[Prince_XY]

Drafting Stauskas can actually be viewed as an insurance move.

We can now make McLemore more available for trade.

More pieces now to dangle (IT, McLemore, DWill, and JT) to get that full-sized shot-blocker big and/or full-sized, pass-first, 3-D PG.

Ekpe Udoh or even the aging Emeka Okafor is fine with me plus one of Darren Collison, Mario Chalmers, or Patti Mills.

 

[NewArena]

Apparently Stauskas can do everything BMac can + dribble and pass (although he isnt nearly as athletic, not that McLemore can finish his dunks).... Its gutsy of the FO to try to sell high on someone they were pumped about last season...Couldnt see Petrie every admitting he made a mistake...But then the guy was burnt out and surrounded by yes men.

right. this is what im thinking

I wonder what we could get for Ben. hmmm ...

 

[NewArena]

We had the worst starting SG in the league and just drafted a lights out shooter SG with great size. Night is still young for trades people

Not just the night, but the summer lol

Everything can't happen overnight. I'm not ecstatic, but no one knows our "plan" (hopefully we have a good one)
but us. Lets see what happens before we jump the gun because of some tweet

 

[NewArena]

As of right now, without any further moves and assuming we resign IT, Stauskus would have the shoot in the pros like he did in college for us to even think about .500 ball.....and Ben has to take a next step. Looks like a 30 win season as of right now.....more moves please

now this i agree with. Great shooter or not, we need significant improvement. im praying we
make a move that gives us that, this summer. We shall see

 

[NewArena]

2 words for you. splash bros.

the FO is predictable.

pick low hanging fruit and mimic the franchise you just left.

2 words for you. splash bros.

the FO is predictable.

pick low hanging fruit and mimic the franchise you just left.

If that's the case, wouldn't we need a Curry clone as well? lol am i missing something,
because we clearly don't have that

 

[Mike0476]

James Ham ‏@James_Ham 58s
Kings brass have funneled back into the war room. Wouldn’t be shocked if they acquire another pick in the late first/early second.

No name bloggers don't have sources to break news. They just regurgitate what has already been reported or click refresh for that press release to arrive in their email box so they can "break news."

 

[NewArena]

Stauskas can really shoot it. watching highlights now, and the only thing i can say about it, is it seems to be pretty damn slow

The release of his shot, i mean.

 

[NewArena]

i'm envious of philly's gm. he got his s*** together. he knows they will be bad so what do they do? prep for it. grab as much talent as possible.

he scored nerlens noel, mcw, embiid and saric in 2 yrs time. what is gerbil doing? he's like a dog in heat trying to hump anything that becomes available with no real plan.

You don't know that, though. And it's cute that philly is making all of these moves, but how will they score? they have holes they need to address as well

And stockpiling a bunch of young players, guarantees nothing.

 

[Mike0476]

Read through most of the comments on these 35 pages.

Good to see the passion for our team is strong. We all don't have to agree on the moves or lack thereof from today but keep this in mind...

There's still July through opening night. That's where free agents and/or trades will happen.

If there is at least one positive, we should win the Summer League title.

Oh and no more relocation threats to discuss. I really miss those talks. I really do.

 

[NewArena]

Man his passing skills are nice... We needed a High IQ guy on this team.

WOW

Im impressed. this is one of those highlight reels that actually gets me excited. Not just a bunch of dunks and flashy mess

He seems to be a smart, smart player.

 

[NewArena]

Philly defensively stacked. Going to be terrible offensively though.

Right. Everyone talking about what our plans are, but what is their plan? You could argue
they don't necessarily look a whole lot smarter, IMO.

Chicago proved you absolutely need some type of consistent shooting/scoring. Washington
embarrassed them game after game, because they couldn't get it in the bucket.

 

[jcwkings]

I like the pick if nothing else is taken into account. Stauskas is a great shooter(both spot up and off the dribble), has a very good handle, good court vision, plays with a swagger and apparently is a gym rat. Just blows my mind that leading up to the draft we were speculated to be trading for picks, veterans, second round picks, yet we end up doing nothing. So many unanswered questions with this team that I thought would begin to be answered tonight.

Does this mean IT is coming back?
What happens to McLemore?
Frontcourt help?
Defensive coach that is loaded with offensive weapons?
Is there a rift between coach and GM?