Thoughts on DaQuan Jeffries?

[bajaden]

Another journeyman player in the NBA. The Kings have lots of those.
What they are lack are outstanding players that can lead the team. Fox has the talent, but not much leadership so far.
They need two more guys with his kind of talent to be competitive.

This isn't either/or, we need both. And if you can pluck a diamond out of a coal mine that fits one of those needs, then that's a big plus. As I point out, the Heat are in the playoffs and very competitive with a team made up of un-drafted and 2nd rd picks and they have one star in Butler. The trick is that they all play the same style and they're very well coached. Everyone on that team fits. The Kings to some extent, are made up of misfitting players. Fox is fast, Joseph is slow etc. What's our identity? What style do we play?

Those last two are determined by your coach, and the players he has to work with. When Pat Riley coached the Lakers it was Showtime. When he went and coached the Knick's, it was slow it down and get physical. In my opinion, if Fox is the player you want to build around, then put players around him that fit his style of play.

 

[jcassio]

Well I think how we handle Bazemore vs Jeffries this off-season is going to be very telling. Baze likely costs at a minimum 5mil a year and I think Jeffries can give you his 90% of his impact on the court for a fraction of the cost.

I agree. I like Baze, but he's a "win now" veteran who will keep James on the bench and limit Jeffries' minutes. As I posted previously in this thread, I think Jeffries could eventually become our starting small forward if given a chance to develop and grow into it over this next season. Maybe this is more hope than wager. But I see him coming from the same mold as PJ Tucker. Sign him up.
I wouldn't sign Baze for more than $4 or $5 million. But even if he'll play for us on a reasonable contract (and not a "Sactown will pay me more than anyone else" type contract), I still have concerns about how this affects our ability to develop the next generation. We need a few guys like Jeffries and James to become valuable contributors to keep the books balanced.