I'm not so sure you want a guy like Barnes on this team, not sure he is a good influence. 
I thought we were trying to not have so much drama next year.
I thought we were trying to not have so much drama next year.
Under the radar players worth a look
- Thread starter KingsFanGER
- Start date
Your mistaken about Barnes. He's a player you love when he's on your team, and hate when he's on the other team. I know Matt personally, he's a good guy.
Norris Cole looks like he might be a good pickup:
- soon to turn 28 y.o., so a 3-year contract would go through his prime, though 4th year might see some decline. Played 75+ games each season of his career, until this season, when he missed some early games after an ankle sprain in one of pre-season games; March/April games were missed due to stealth tanking/desire to give minutes to Tim Frazier
- not a playmaker, but rather a game manager - not perfect, still something your backup PG you can live with in
- decent defender, who can function in a good system
- here's potentially the best thing: last couple of years Cole is 42% on jumpshots from 15 feet out (most of them off-the-dribble); since coming to New Orleans he's 45% on corner 3s (Pelicans really failed to set him up for those). All point to him being much better outside shooter, than 32% from 3 would indicate.
- his overall profile looks like worse version of Darren Collison, so Kings can potentially run the same plays with Cole replacing Collison
I think Jordan Hamilton is an interesting option as a cheap wing player if we need to add somebody on a room exception type of deal to fill out the rotation. He only played in 11 games with New Orleans this year but they gave him more minutes than his previous three teams and he responded with steady production (11.4 pts, 5.6 rebs, 2.3 asts in 27.6mpg). The 29% three point shooting is ugly but he's been a good 3pt shooter before that so I'd write that off as a fluke. Small sample size and everything with these end of the year call ups, but the per36 numbers are in line with the rest of his career. He's been hanging around on the fringes of the NBA for a few years waiting for a chance. He actually played in 27 games for the Reno Bighorns a year ago. Maybe he'd just be another James Anderson, but I liked his potential coming out of Texas in 2011 and he could be worth a shot.
K
If the Thunder do end up going down to the Warriors and Serge keeps up his mediocre play I would be interested in trading for him. While I have had many arguments on here with a few people cause I personally have always thought he's so overrated and soft I think fit wise next to WCS or Cousins he's great. The big risk in trading for him is I don't know if we can pick up his option cause he's a FA after next season meaning we could trade assets like the 8th pick/Rudy for virtually nothing after this season. I guess a ton depends on how the Thunder do and where KD ends up going but he might be on the table just an idea I'm throwing out there and the other factor as mentioned before is his contract.
I liked Hamiliton coming out of Texas. His problem is that his game doesn't fit the way the new NBA is playing. His bread and butter is his turnaround stepback midrange jumpshot. He's especially lethal from the right baseline. So far, he hasn't been able to extend his range out to the three. He's a good rebounder and he's tough. He's not afraid to bang with anybody. I always thought he was a PF in a SF's body because has a pretty good post game. I think he has a place in the NBA on the right team. Don't know if that team is the Kings.
The Kings have the 8th and the 59th picks in the draft. It would be nice if they could acquire a late first, or early to mid 2nd round pick. While this draft has been labeled as a weak draft, I think that's a bit of a misnomer. I agree that it's not very deep in potential all star candidates (two). The next tier of players that might be considered starter potential runs from 3 to maybe 14/15. It's from this point on that the draft gets interesting. To some extent, you can take players from 16 to 45 or so, and almost interchange them. There's not a lot of difference between the player projected at pick 25 and pick 45. And in this case, that's a plus.
What I'm saying, is that your chances of acquiring a potentially solid rotational player, is just as good drafting all the way down to the 45th or 46th pick in the draft. So while this draft isn't deep in stars, it's very deep overall. Therefore, having a second round pick between 30 and 45 could net you a future rotational player, and if your lucky, as future starter. Better yet if you can acquire a pick from 15 to 30. Not because your higher and therefore the talent is better, but because you get to pick from a bigger pot.
I believe that building a team requires having experienced, and talented players that fit together properly. I also believe that if you want to build a team that has staying power, similar to the Spurs, you must have a certain amount of talented young players your developing. Not necessarily playres your expecting immediate results from, but players that will be ready to step in in a couple of years. Players you can stash on your D-League team and let them get the minutes they need. So I thought I would suggest a some names with a brief description.
Thon Maker: PF/?, 7'0.5" w/shoes, 216 lbs, 7'3" wingspan, 9'2.5" standing reach, 36.5" max vert.
I believe that Maker's max vertical is the highest ever recorded at the combine for a player over 6'11". Maker is the biggest mystery man in the draft. He comes straight out of highschool, and is the king of youtube video highlights. One thing we do know, and that he's been blessed with great physical attributes. Most scouts think that he has the biggest gap between his floor and ceiling of any player in the draft. All I know from seeing him play in a couple of highschool all star games is that he runs the floor well, he blocks shots, he can shoot the 18 footer, and he can put the ball on the floor. Actually, he has very good handles for a player his size.
What drives the scouts crazy is that in one of the highschool all star games he got outplayed by Skal Labissiere, who had a miserable year at Kentucky this past season. On the other hand, Maker made DeAndre Ayton look bad in another such game. Ayton is one of the top highschoolers this year. So which is the reall Maker? He'll probably go somewhere between 25 and 40.
Malik Beasley: SG, 6'4.5" w/shoes, 190 lbs, 6'7" wingspan, 8'4.5" standing reach.
Beasley can really shoot the ball. He shot 47.1% overall and 38.7% from the three. He's a very good athlete who can play above the rim, and who shows potential to be a good defender. However that's one aspect of his game that needs some work. He has average handles, which hampers him a little when trying to create for himself. But he's young, and with some work, he could develop into a solid backup SG. Or, if you get lucky, a starter. It's also possible at this point in time that he'll return to college.
A. J. Hammons: Center, 7'0" w/shoes, 278 lbs, 7'3" wingspan.
Hammons is projected to go somewhere between 35 and 45 in the draft, and I think he could end up being one of the biggest steals in the draft. He's a very talented player with a very good post game. He's also a very good post defender who also blocks shots, averaging 2.5 blocks this past season. He rebounds well averaging 8.2 boards in 24.6 minutes a game. So, why you ask isn't he projected higher. Inconsistency is the word that leaps out at you. He simply disappears in games. If it matters any, he seems to play his best games against his toughest competitors. So maybe he just becomes disinterested at times.
If whoever drafts him can light a fire under him, they'll have themselves on hell of a player. Hammonds also has a very deadly 15 to 18 foot jumper, and while he seldom takes a three, I think he took something like 14 or 15 all season, he did shoot 54.5% from there, while shooting 57.2% overall. He can be a frustrating player to watch at times, but when you get those games where he outplays and overpowers the other player, you wonder why he doesn't do it every night.
Joel Bolomboy: PF, 6'9" w/shoes, 225 lbs, 7'1.75" wingspan, 8'7.5" standing reach, 40.5" max vertical.
Bolomboy is one of those players that you draft, or sign if underafted, and stash on your D-League team to see if you can develop him. He's a terrific athlete as you can see with his 40 inch vertical. He runs the floor like a deer. What he seems to lack is, yes, you guessed it, BBIQ. or feel for the game. Nothing seems to come to him instinctively. When you look at his athleticism, you have to wonder if you can't mold that into a serviceable playr. right now he projected somewhere between the 55th pick and being undrafted. If undrafted, it would be nice to get him on your summer league team, and see if you want to sign him beyond that.
Jake Layman: SF/PF, 6'9.25" w/shoes, 209 lbs, 6'9.25" wingspan, 8'6" standing reach, 39.5" max vertical.
Yep, this is another shameless plug for Layman. Layman is another player that could end up being a giant steal in the second round. His problem has been, that you have a player with first round talent that, that gives you 2nd round results. The question is why. For starters some of the blame has to leveled at Maryland. I think the team was poorly coached, and had a SG doing his best imitation of a PG running the team. Layman shot 50.0% overall, and 39.6% from the three. Maryland was a team that struggled to score at times, and yet maybe their best shooter only took just a shade over 7 shots a game. I think Layman, if he adds some muccle, could develop into a prototypical stretch four. He has the size and length, he can certainly shoot the ball, and he also has a decent to good post game. He's projected to go somewhere between 45 and 55. If he develops, he could be a possible starter in the future, and at worse, a solid bench player. He's an elite athlete as well.
Robert Carter: PF, 6'8.5" w/shoes, 251 lbs, 7'3.25" wingspan, 8'10.5" standing reach, 30.5" max vertical.
I had to follow Layman with Carter since they both played for Maryland, and in my opinion, they both suffered the same fate. Carter, who as a very efficient player offensively shooting 55.4% overall, and 33.3% from the three, only took a whopping 8.7 shots a game. While his three point percentages aren't overwhelming, he shot the ball from there better toward the end of the season, and then at the combine, shot lights out from the three. Carter has transformed his body since arriving at college from around 280 pounds to his current weight. I think he can afford to lose another ten pounds or so, and it will improve his mobility even more. He played solid defense, and has a very solid lower body. He has a build like Cousins, but with more athleticism. He has shown the potential to play the stretch four, and can also move over and play the center position if needed. He's an absolute steal in the second round.
More later:
What I'm saying, is that your chances of acquiring a potentially solid rotational player, is just as good drafting all the way down to the 45th or 46th pick in the draft. So while this draft isn't deep in stars, it's very deep overall. Therefore, having a second round pick between 30 and 45 could net you a future rotational player, and if your lucky, as future starter. Better yet if you can acquire a pick from 15 to 30. Not because your higher and therefore the talent is better, but because you get to pick from a bigger pot.
I believe that building a team requires having experienced, and talented players that fit together properly. I also believe that if you want to build a team that has staying power, similar to the Spurs, you must have a certain amount of talented young players your developing. Not necessarily playres your expecting immediate results from, but players that will be ready to step in in a couple of years. Players you can stash on your D-League team and let them get the minutes they need. So I thought I would suggest a some names with a brief description.
Thon Maker: PF/?, 7'0.5" w/shoes, 216 lbs, 7'3" wingspan, 9'2.5" standing reach, 36.5" max vert.
I believe that Maker's max vertical is the highest ever recorded at the combine for a player over 6'11". Maker is the biggest mystery man in the draft. He comes straight out of highschool, and is the king of youtube video highlights. One thing we do know, and that he's been blessed with great physical attributes. Most scouts think that he has the biggest gap between his floor and ceiling of any player in the draft. All I know from seeing him play in a couple of highschool all star games is that he runs the floor well, he blocks shots, he can shoot the 18 footer, and he can put the ball on the floor. Actually, he has very good handles for a player his size.
What drives the scouts crazy is that in one of the highschool all star games he got outplayed by Skal Labissiere, who had a miserable year at Kentucky this past season. On the other hand, Maker made DeAndre Ayton look bad in another such game. Ayton is one of the top highschoolers this year. So which is the reall Maker? He'll probably go somewhere between 25 and 40.
Malik Beasley: SG, 6'4.5" w/shoes, 190 lbs, 6'7" wingspan, 8'4.5" standing reach.
Beasley can really shoot the ball. He shot 47.1% overall and 38.7% from the three. He's a very good athlete who can play above the rim, and who shows potential to be a good defender. However that's one aspect of his game that needs some work. He has average handles, which hampers him a little when trying to create for himself. But he's young, and with some work, he could develop into a solid backup SG. Or, if you get lucky, a starter. It's also possible at this point in time that he'll return to college.
A. J. Hammons: Center, 7'0" w/shoes, 278 lbs, 7'3" wingspan.
Hammons is projected to go somewhere between 35 and 45 in the draft, and I think he could end up being one of the biggest steals in the draft. He's a very talented player with a very good post game. He's also a very good post defender who also blocks shots, averaging 2.5 blocks this past season. He rebounds well averaging 8.2 boards in 24.6 minutes a game. So, why you ask isn't he projected higher. Inconsistency is the word that leaps out at you. He simply disappears in games. If it matters any, he seems to play his best games against his toughest competitors. So maybe he just becomes disinterested at times.
If whoever drafts him can light a fire under him, they'll have themselves on hell of a player. Hammonds also has a very deadly 15 to 18 foot jumper, and while he seldom takes a three, I think he took something like 14 or 15 all season, he did shoot 54.5% from there, while shooting 57.2% overall. He can be a frustrating player to watch at times, but when you get those games where he outplays and overpowers the other player, you wonder why he doesn't do it every night.
Joel Bolomboy: PF, 6'9" w/shoes, 225 lbs, 7'1.75" wingspan, 8'7.5" standing reach, 40.5" max vertical.
Bolomboy is one of those players that you draft, or sign if underafted, and stash on your D-League team to see if you can develop him. He's a terrific athlete as you can see with his 40 inch vertical. He runs the floor like a deer. What he seems to lack is, yes, you guessed it, BBIQ. or feel for the game. Nothing seems to come to him instinctively. When you look at his athleticism, you have to wonder if you can't mold that into a serviceable playr. right now he projected somewhere between the 55th pick and being undrafted. If undrafted, it would be nice to get him on your summer league team, and see if you want to sign him beyond that.
Jake Layman: SF/PF, 6'9.25" w/shoes, 209 lbs, 6'9.25" wingspan, 8'6" standing reach, 39.5" max vertical.
Yep, this is another shameless plug for Layman. Layman is another player that could end up being a giant steal in the second round. His problem has been, that you have a player with first round talent that, that gives you 2nd round results. The question is why. For starters some of the blame has to leveled at Maryland. I think the team was poorly coached, and had a SG doing his best imitation of a PG running the team. Layman shot 50.0% overall, and 39.6% from the three. Maryland was a team that struggled to score at times, and yet maybe their best shooter only took just a shade over 7 shots a game. I think Layman, if he adds some muccle, could develop into a prototypical stretch four. He has the size and length, he can certainly shoot the ball, and he also has a decent to good post game. He's projected to go somewhere between 45 and 55. If he develops, he could be a possible starter in the future, and at worse, a solid bench player. He's an elite athlete as well.
Robert Carter: PF, 6'8.5" w/shoes, 251 lbs, 7'3.25" wingspan, 8'10.5" standing reach, 30.5" max vertical.
I had to follow Layman with Carter since they both played for Maryland, and in my opinion, they both suffered the same fate. Carter, who as a very efficient player offensively shooting 55.4% overall, and 33.3% from the three, only took a whopping 8.7 shots a game. While his three point percentages aren't overwhelming, he shot the ball from there better toward the end of the season, and then at the combine, shot lights out from the three. Carter has transformed his body since arriving at college from around 280 pounds to his current weight. I think he can afford to lose another ten pounds or so, and it will improve his mobility even more. He played solid defense, and has a very solid lower body. He has a build like Cousins, but with more athleticism. He has shown the potential to play the stretch four, and can also move over and play the center position if needed. He's an absolute steal in the second round.
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Beasley has no clue, how to defend, might as well just pick up PJ Hairston.
At almost 24 y.o. Hammons doesn't project to be anything special, considering he'll find himself next to Boogie, WCS, KK on this team. Kings will struggle to fit Kosta into rotation; no chance for old, offensively low-skilled rookie to find minutes on this roster.
Bolomboy can't really shoot, dribble or pass, and for a 22.5 y.o. forward prospect it's big no-no.
Layman can at least shoot, but still nothing exciting.
Now Carter does look like almost guaranteed "steal":
At almost 24 y.o. Hammons doesn't project to be anything special, considering he'll find himself next to Boogie, WCS, KK on this team. Kings will struggle to fit Kosta into rotation; no chance for old, offensively low-skilled rookie to find minutes on this roster.
Bolomboy can't really shoot, dribble or pass, and for a 22.5 y.o. forward prospect it's big no-no.
Layman can at least shoot, but still nothing exciting.
Now Carter does look like almost guaranteed "steal":
- this was his first season of playing with reduced weight, and I'm pretty sure, even by March he was still not fully accustomed to what his body is capable now, and Carter can still drop 10-12 more pounds (Millsap and D.Green went through similar body transformation, while in the NBA)
- a year off allowed him to work on his shooting, and Carter is at least a good set shooter by now, regardless of position. Carter also made 53.4% of his non-rim 2s (133 attempts), of which only a quarter was assisted, so he seems to have ability to shoot off-the-dribble as well
- back to dropped weight, this was first time in college he could effectively used his handles to drive from outside. His drives produced a lot of TOs, but some DLeague time should iron out the kinks. He seem to even have some wiggle in his dribbling, and not afraid to drive into traffic.
- this year he was able to show off his passing (bigs take time to develop this aspect of the game), including a few outlet passes. Actually I saw only 3 bigs make multiple outlet passes this season: Carter, Ellenson and Onuaku
- being perimeter triple-threat is what makes D.Green/Millsap such valuable offensive players, and Carter might be able to replicate that to some degree.
- defensively game was just as new to him as on the other end: he went from paint space eater to being able to defend in space. Carter often made mistake due to lack of experience, but also managed to produce quite a few defensive plays, which suggests he's probably end up being above average defensive player. Wouldn't expect more than that, since Millsap always had great defensive stats, and Green, while closer statistically, anchored an excellent defensive team in college.
- based on their college profile, Andrew Nicholson looks like a similar player coming out, except he has never showed as much ability to pass/dribble or defend outside as Carter, and again Carter completely changed playing style this season.
Maker i would bet will go top 15. Intellligent, passionate, and hard worker to go with his skill set. At 7 foot can shoot, handle the ball and block shots with the work ethic to improve. More than willing defender, wants to be next Garnet. Too much upside for a team to not roll dice with him. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go in lottery as there are not many potential super stars in draft and he is one of them.
Last year i adamently wanted Porzingus. Maker is similar prospect in my opinion. I would not be upset at all if Kings picked him at 8. He can play the SF spot with WCS at the 4 for some very interesting defensive lineups.
Last year i adamently wanted Porzingus. Maker is similar prospect in my opinion. I would not be upset at all if Kings picked him at 8. He can play the SF spot with WCS at the 4 for some very interesting defensive lineups.
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Forgot to comment on Maker:
he could have come over to USA and play in college as he was heavily recruited, but preferred to stay and abuse Canadian high schoolers. Essentially you are buying someone like Milicic, Vecely or Tskitishvili - not saying a bust, though only those guys come to mind as being drafted with the same fog of uncertainty. Just to further my point Skal thoroughly outplayed Maker in 1-on-1 scrimmages in Hoop Summit 2014, and we all saw, how underwhelming Skal was this year in college.
Maker has no advanced dribbling, so he certainly doesn't have Giannis written all over him. Seeing his shots go in is nice, but he might be shooting at 20% from 3 and you wouldn't know about it. If you just isolate him, he might survive with his length, but when you put him through a series of screens and bumps, he's bound to stuck. No one knows, how well he sees/reacts on D.
Maker also weighs 216 pounds and lacks agility to defend 3s as his hips are too stiff. I know, it sounds stupid, but that's the only type of judgement you can pass on him at the moment.
Wouldn't touch him with #8 for sure.
Edit: just watched short WCS' highlights, and one thing you notice pretty quickly - ball rarely goes out of bounds after blocks. I don't think, I saw one time Maker managed to keep the ball in after the block - he's playing volleyball.
he could have come over to USA and play in college as he was heavily recruited, but preferred to stay and abuse Canadian high schoolers. Essentially you are buying someone like Milicic, Vecely or Tskitishvili - not saying a bust, though only those guys come to mind as being drafted with the same fog of uncertainty. Just to further my point Skal thoroughly outplayed Maker in 1-on-1 scrimmages in Hoop Summit 2014, and we all saw, how underwhelming Skal was this year in college.
Maker has no advanced dribbling, so he certainly doesn't have Giannis written all over him. Seeing his shots go in is nice, but he might be shooting at 20% from 3 and you wouldn't know about it. If you just isolate him, he might survive with his length, but when you put him through a series of screens and bumps, he's bound to stuck. No one knows, how well he sees/reacts on D.
Maker also weighs 216 pounds and lacks agility to defend 3s as his hips are too stiff. I know, it sounds stupid, but that's the only type of judgement you can pass on him at the moment.
Wouldn't touch him with #8 for sure.
Edit: just watched short WCS' highlights, and one thing you notice pretty quickly - ball rarely goes out of bounds after blocks. I don't think, I saw one time Maker managed to keep the ball in after the block - he's playing volleyball.
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If you can get Maker in the second round, he's a nice gamble. High reward, but high risk as well. He probably has the biggest gap between his floor and his ceiling. He is a pretty good athlete. He posted the highest vertical in the history of the combine by a player over 6'11". He has better ball handling skills than you credit him with. I'm talking about the ball handling skills of a 7 foot player, and not comparing him to a SG. He's grown 6 inches in the last two years, so as a result he appears to lack coordination at times. But I think he's till adjusting to his body. I saw the game against Labissiere, and I agree, he struggled. But then in another highschool all star game, he totally out played DeAndre Ayton.
Bottom line is, if you draft him, you have to be thinking long term. He needs to get srtonger, and hone his skills. If you get lucky, you might have a future star. Or, you might have a player that's out of the league in a few years. By all accounts, he's a very hard worker, and that usually pays off.
Bottom line is, if you draft him, you have to be thinking long term. He needs to get srtonger, and hone his skills. If you get lucky, you might have a future star. Or, you might have a player that's out of the league in a few years. By all accounts, he's a very hard worker, and that usually pays off.
I can always count on you to come in and disagree. Sometimes I think I'm wasting my time watching all these games. You know what, I can find fault with just about any player out there. It's easy to criticize. The people I'm talking about are likely 2nd round picks. There's a reason they're projected in the 2nd round. OK? Beasley equals Hairston to you? Beasley is a freshman for god's sake. He's twice the athlete that Hairston is. Plus, Hairston will cost a lot more money. Is Beasley raw? Sure he is, but in the second round, he's a good choice. In the first round, if someone wants to gamble on him, I'm not on board. The kid can shoot the ball. The rest of his game needs some work.
Just for the record, I was speaking in general terms, and not specifically about the Kings. Hammons is a very very skilled player. I've watched him play for four years, and I'm seen flat out dominate other players his size. And I've seen him disappear. To his credit, I thought this was his best year overall, so maybe he's seen the light. If he had a fire in his belly, he could be a starting center in the NBA. That's a big if however.
Just for the record, I was speaking in general terms, and not specifically about the Kings. Hammons is a very very skilled player. I've watched him play for four years, and I'm seen flat out dominate other players his size. And I've seen him disappear. To his credit, I thought this was his best year overall, so maybe he's seen the light. If he had a fire in his belly, he could be a starting center in the NBA. That's a big if however.
I'm happy to oblige : sorry, my perspective on this is to aim for guys, who, if they pan out, can be starters or at least key contributors:
Biyombo was available for $3M and Cole Aldrich could be had for minimum last summer. I know, that Hammons is a bit different, since he can stretch the floor, at least out to 15 feet, but he's also gonna be killed outside the paint on D, and that's where most action happens in current NBA.
I mentioned Hairston, because that's the vibe I got from Beasley - gunner with little defense. While Beasley finds it easier to get to the rim, Hairston was very crafty in college already and draw a lot of fouls with almost 80% FTs/2ptFGs rate.
Personally I don't see a big difference between Layman and, say, Ennis, who was available for peanuts mid-season. Now versatile wings, who can defend in space and go up a position, are valuable. It's big part of what's going to earn Barnes max money this summer. And if you can put Layman into PF slot, at least in stretches, all of a sudden he becomes pretty skillful for his position. Given his excellent vertical numbers, Layman probably took a couple of inches off of his reach, but even 8'8" is at the very low end in PF length. Weighing just 209 pounds is much bigger problem though.
Bolomboy is in the same boat as Singleton or Roberson: athletic PF, who looks like NBA wing, but doesn't have skills. Roberson lucked out to sneak into one NBA roster, who can survive with his lack of offensive production due to heavy ISO tendencies, but put him on a team like Hawks or Celtics, and he would kill them despite stellar defensive production. When Roberson will become RFA in 2017, no one will rush to sign him, unless he drastically improves his shooting by then. James Johnson is on a $2.5M contract this season, and he can actually handle and pass, though that comes with a few boneheaded plays.
There is a reason I constantly mention McCaw, Onuaku and Carter:
McCaw finished growing in his last year of HS, so he will fill out within a couple of years and is only starting to fully utilize his expanded body; very skilled on both ends of the floor: McCaw is a coach's son, who played PG in HS and being small had to rely on crafty finishes, so he has an excellent floater game; he is a pesky, annoying defender with excellent anticipation. If everything goes right, you are getting someone like Lance Stephenson with shooting ability and no superstar illusions or Dion Waiters with unselfishness and better defense.
Onuaku has great all-around defensive potential, while having nice passing game and flashing some shooting potential. And if he's well developed, you might get someone like Noah. Joakim obviously looked great leaving Florida as a junior, but he also started his freshman season, when he was barely playable, being almost 20. Onuaku won't turn 20 until this November after huge frosh-soph improvement, so basically he has almost 3 years to reach the level of offense, Noah had entering the NBA. Still big part of Noah's skillset was excellent dribbling for a center, something that big guys have trouble defending, and it's hard to envision Onuaku reaching that level, but 'Nanu has reasonable chance to develop effective jumper to off-set being just an average ball-handler.
Carter's potential got extended analysis in my previous post, and again we are talking about starter as a high-end result.
: sorry, my perspective on this is to aim for guys, who, if they pan out, can be starters or at least key contributors:Biyombo was available for $3M and Cole Aldrich could be had for minimum last summer. I know, that Hammons is a bit different, since he can stretch the floor, at least out to 15 feet, but he's also gonna be killed outside the paint on D, and that's where most action happens in current NBA.
I mentioned Hairston, because that's the vibe I got from Beasley - gunner with little defense. While Beasley finds it easier to get to the rim, Hairston was very crafty in college already and draw a lot of fouls with almost 80% FTs/2ptFGs rate.
Personally I don't see a big difference between Layman and, say, Ennis, who was available for peanuts mid-season. Now versatile wings, who can defend in space and go up a position, are valuable. It's big part of what's going to earn Barnes max money this summer. And if you can put Layman into PF slot, at least in stretches, all of a sudden he becomes pretty skillful for his position. Given his excellent vertical numbers, Layman probably took a couple of inches off of his reach, but even 8'8" is at the very low end in PF length. Weighing just 209 pounds is much bigger problem though.
Bolomboy is in the same boat as Singleton or Roberson: athletic PF, who looks like NBA wing, but doesn't have skills. Roberson lucked out to sneak into one NBA roster, who can survive with his lack of offensive production due to heavy ISO tendencies, but put him on a team like Hawks or Celtics, and he would kill them despite stellar defensive production. When Roberson will become RFA in 2017, no one will rush to sign him, unless he drastically improves his shooting by then. James Johnson is on a $2.5M contract this season, and he can actually handle and pass, though that comes with a few boneheaded plays.
There is a reason I constantly mention McCaw, Onuaku and Carter:
McCaw finished growing in his last year of HS, so he will fill out within a couple of years and is only starting to fully utilize his expanded body; very skilled on both ends of the floor: McCaw is a coach's son, who played PG in HS and being small had to rely on crafty finishes, so he has an excellent floater game; he is a pesky, annoying defender with excellent anticipation. If everything goes right, you are getting someone like Lance Stephenson with shooting ability and no superstar illusions or Dion Waiters with unselfishness and better defense.
Onuaku has great all-around defensive potential, while having nice passing game and flashing some shooting potential. And if he's well developed, you might get someone like Noah. Joakim obviously looked great leaving Florida as a junior, but he also started his freshman season, when he was barely playable, being almost 20. Onuaku won't turn 20 until this November after huge frosh-soph improvement, so basically he has almost 3 years to reach the level of offense, Noah had entering the NBA. Still big part of Noah's skillset was excellent dribbling for a center, something that big guys have trouble defending, and it's hard to envision Onuaku reaching that level, but 'Nanu has reasonable chance to develop effective jumper to off-set being just an average ball-handler.
Carter's potential got extended analysis in my previous post, and again we are talking about starter as a high-end result.
I'm happy to oblige : sorry, my perspective on this is to aim for guys, who, if they pan out, can be starters or at least key contributors:
Biyombo was available for $3M and Cole Aldrich could be had for minimum last summer. I know, that Hammons is a bit different, since he can stretch the floor, at least out to 15 feet, but he's also gonna be killed outside the paint on D, and that's where most action happens in current NBA.
I mentioned Hairston, because that's the vibe I got from Beasley - gunner with little defense. While Beasley finds it easier to get to the rim, Hairston was very crafty in college already and draw a lot of fouls with almost 80% FTs/2ptFGs rate.
Personally I don't see a big difference between Layman and, say, Ennis, who was available for peanuts mid-season. Now versatile wings, who can defend in space and go up a position, are valuable. It's big part of what's going to earn Barnes max money this summer. And if you can put Layman into PF slot, at least in stretches, all of a sudden he becomes pretty skillful for his position. Given his excellent vertical numbers, Layman probably took a couple of inches off of his reach, but even 8'8" is at the very low end in PF length. Weighing just 209 pounds is much bigger problem though.
Bolomboy is in the same boat as Singleton or Roberson: athletic PF, who looks like NBA wing, but doesn't have skills. Roberson lucked out to sneak into one NBA roster, who can survive with his lack of offensive production due to heavy ISO tendencies, but put him on a team like Hawks or Celtics, and he would kill them despite stellar defensive production. When Roberson will become RFA in 2017, no one will rush to sign him, unless he drastically improves his shooting by then. James Johnson is on a $2.5M contract this season, and he can actually handle and pass, though that comes with a few boneheaded plays.
There is a reason I constantly mention McCaw, Onuaku and Carter:
McCaw finished growing in his last year of HS, so he will fill out within a couple of years and is only starting to fully utilize his expanded body; very skilled on both ends of the floor: McCaw is a coach's son, who played PG in HS and being small had to rely on crafty finishes, so he has an excellent floater game; he is a pesky, annoying defender with excellent anticipation. If everything goes right, you are getting someone like Lance Stephenson with shooting ability and no superstar illusions or Dion Waiters with unselfishness and better defense.
Onuaku has great all-around defensive potential, while having nice passing game and flashing some shooting potential. And if he's well developed, you might get someone like Noah. Joakim obviously looked great leaving Florida as a junior, but he also started his freshman season, when he was barely playable, being almost 20. Onuaku won't turn 20 until this November after huge frosh-soph improvement, so basically he has almost 3 years to reach the level of offense, Noah had entering the NBA. Still big part of Noah's skillset was excellent dribbling for a center, something that big guys have trouble defending, and it's hard to envision Onuaku reaching that level, but 'Nanu has reasonable chance to develop effective jumper to off-set being just an average ball-handler.
Carter's potential got extended analysis in my previous post, and again we are talking about starter as a high-end result.
: sorry, my perspective on this is to aim for guys, who, if they pan out, can be starters or at least key contributors:Biyombo was available for $3M and Cole Aldrich could be had for minimum last summer. I know, that Hammons is a bit different, since he can stretch the floor, at least out to 15 feet, but he's also gonna be killed outside the paint on D, and that's where most action happens in current NBA.
I mentioned Hairston, because that's the vibe I got from Beasley - gunner with little defense. While Beasley finds it easier to get to the rim, Hairston was very crafty in college already and draw a lot of fouls with almost 80% FTs/2ptFGs rate.
Personally I don't see a big difference between Layman and, say, Ennis, who was available for peanuts mid-season. Now versatile wings, who can defend in space and go up a position, are valuable. It's big part of what's going to earn Barnes max money this summer. And if you can put Layman into PF slot, at least in stretches, all of a sudden he becomes pretty skillful for his position. Given his excellent vertical numbers, Layman probably took a couple of inches off of his reach, but even 8'8" is at the very low end in PF length. Weighing just 209 pounds is much bigger problem though.
Bolomboy is in the same boat as Singleton or Roberson: athletic PF, who looks like NBA wing, but doesn't have skills. Roberson lucked out to sneak into one NBA roster, who can survive with his lack of offensive production due to heavy ISO tendencies, but put him on a team like Hawks or Celtics, and he would kill them despite stellar defensive production. When Roberson will become RFA in 2017, no one will rush to sign him, unless he drastically improves his shooting by then. James Johnson is on a $2.5M contract this season, and he can actually handle and pass, though that comes with a few boneheaded plays.
There is a reason I constantly mention McCaw, Onuaku and Carter:
McCaw finished growing in his last year of HS, so he will fill out within a couple of years and is only starting to fully utilize his expanded body; very skilled on both ends of the floor: McCaw is a coach's son, who played PG in HS and being small had to rely on crafty finishes, so he has an excellent floater game; he is a pesky, annoying defender with excellent anticipation. If everything goes right, you are getting someone like Lance Stephenson with shooting ability and no superstar illusions or Dion Waiters with unselfishness and better defense.
Onuaku has great all-around defensive potential, while having nice passing game and flashing some shooting potential. And if he's well developed, you might get someone like Noah. Joakim obviously looked great leaving Florida as a junior, but he also started his freshman season, when he was barely playable, being almost 20. Onuaku won't turn 20 until this November after huge frosh-soph improvement, so basically he has almost 3 years to reach the level of offense, Noah had entering the NBA. Still big part of Noah's skillset was excellent dribbling for a center, something that big guys have trouble defending, and it's hard to envision Onuaku reaching that level, but 'Nanu has reasonable chance to develop effective jumper to off-set being just an average ball-handler.
Carter's potential got extended analysis in my previous post, and again we are talking about starter as a high-end result.
With that approach in mind, I'll suggest players that I think long term could meet those expectations. If I had to exclude all the players that I don't think could ever be starters, the list would shrink dramatically. That doesn't mean I won't include players that I think could become starters, like Carter. Obviously I like Layman's potential more than you do, and perhaps I'm weighing his potential too highly against his results. But I also take into consideration how he was coached, and wonder what kind of player he might have been is he had gone to Kentucky or Michigan. Maryland isn't know for developing players.
I would compare it to Georgia Tech, which is where big men go to die. Layman is close to being a freak athlete, who can shoot the ball. He can score in the post, and he's a good defender, when focused. He needs to rebound better and get stronger, but if he could put it all together, he could be a solid player in the NBA. Now whether or not he'll do that is another matter. But in the 2nd round, he's worth the gamble. I agree on Bolomboy. He's a total project. You stash him in D=League and hope for the best. Great athlete though.
If guys I've chosen to write about were destined to become starters, they would be lottery picks. But I look at players, and try to find any extenuating circumstances:
- you're right, that coaching is one of those
- if a guy was playing in the best physical shape he could have, that was probably the best performance he's able to master with his current skill-set, so you're not likely to find an underappreciated talent
- maybe there was recent change in playing style: basically new body like Carter, maybe position change, maybe late growth spurt potentially changes player's skill-set from solid to excellent
- I think, there are also some misconceptions about the value of certain skills: guys, who can shoot, instantly get "skilled" label, when, in fact, having good dribbling and passing for his position gives player better chance to be a productive (see Bembry, Deandre). Now lack of shooting will probably stop such a player from being a long-term starter, but betting on a player acquiring passable shot is probably one of the best gambles in NBA development. Bembry's stock seems to be getting a head of steam, so picking him is not such a good investment anymore, since Bembry will likely end up around #20. At the same time players with decent spot shooting and good defense, but basically non-existent all-around game find it difficult to find NBA role (see, Snell, Tony). Draymond's success on offensive end is part of this misconception as well. Yes, shooting helps, but it's his dribbling and passing, that NBA bigs are just not accustomed to seeing. Noah was playing like Draymond before Draymond, but he couldn't shoot. McRoberts was pretty impactful player before injuries even lacking shooting and defensive ability.
- That's why I just don't like bigs, who can't pass: yes, there is a place for Biyombo and similar players, but you better defend, rebound and finish out of your mind. Perimeter players, who don't pass enough compared to their usage also get downgraded, unless they have absolutely no one to pass to, but even Lillard on his one of the worst Division I team found passing targets.
- obviously, not going to get the same level of information as NBA teams, but it's possible to get little clues from player's behaviour: Rashad Vauhn on McCaw - "He's most smart and unselfish player I've ever played with", Onuaku answered "Yes, coach!", when Pitino suggested hitting FTs underhand. Playing unselfishly in a team concept and doing everything to help his team win is something every team can use.
We generally do have a free agent thread each year, which has been started either by myself or Bricklayer (and maybe somebody else - I forget). Since free agent contracts don't expire until June 30 and there's a moratorium after that from July 1 through July 6, it's not quite time to start that particular thread.
The thread you're talking about would take a LOT more work. If you would like to tackle it, feel free to give it a shot.
The thread you're talking about would take a LOT more work. If you would like to tackle it, feel free to give it a shot.
Kings have a surplus of bench guards, despite a couple of opt-outs. Anyway I personally would like for Kings to start off-season for once with short open message to NBA FAs: "If you can't defend or play smart and unselfish on offense, please do not apply for the job!" And Crawford would be one of the first to turn around and look elsewhere.
Unless the Kings draft a Shooting Guard, the most important position in FA will be the SG.
For the Shooting Guard position, I think Gearld Henderson would be a nice pick up and potential long term starter at the Shooting Guard for the Kings.
The Kings should be targeting for Shooting Guard (in this order):
1) Courtney Lee (eases the Joerger transition)
2) Gearld Henderson
3) Aaron Afflalo
in Free Agency, IF they do not draft one at #8.
For the Shooting Guard position, I think Gearld Henderson would be a nice pick up and potential long term starter at the Shooting Guard for the Kings.
The Kings should be targeting for Shooting Guard (in this order):
1) Courtney Lee (eases the Joerger transition)
2) Gearld Henderson
3) Aaron Afflalo
in Free Agency, IF they do not draft one at #8.
People are quick to dump Rondo for inability to score better than 1 PPP (points per possession), but we are ready to embrace a guy, who can't get over 0.9 PPP in his career, right?
Between Smith and Curry, even if the latter costs $2M more, it's Seth all the time. Now Kings might want a more proven backup PG, if Rondo walks, but Smith certainly doesn't fall into that category.
Between Smith and Curry, even if the latter costs $2M more, it's Seth all the time. Now Kings might want a more proven backup PG, if Rondo walks, but Smith certainly doesn't fall into that category.
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Sometimes finding a diamond in the rough (especially via the draft) requires looking whether guys could take on a different role. Football wise I think of Bruce Miller of the 49ers who played defensive end in college but was drafted in the NFL with the hope he could convert to fullback. And of course, he not only made the switch but played really well.
Likewise, Andre Roberson was a PF in college and three years into his career he's the starting SG for the Thunder. Sometimes it's about seeing what other people can't or won't.
Does IT's success make it easier for a team to have faith in Kay Felder? I see Cat Barber ahead of him on most mock drafts despite Felder clearly looking like the better player at the Combine. His stats are better too but that doesn't mean much with the gap in the level of competition but with Felder I saw a better playmaker, stronger defender and just as good a scorer. Barber comes from a bigger conference and is taller. I can't see any other rationale for taking him higher.
Likewise, Andre Roberson was a PF in college and three years into his career he's the starting SG for the Thunder. Sometimes it's about seeing what other people can't or won't.
Does IT's success make it easier for a team to have faith in Kay Felder? I see Cat Barber ahead of him on most mock drafts despite Felder clearly looking like the better player at the Combine. His stats are better too but that doesn't mean much with the gap in the level of competition but with Felder I saw a better playmaker, stronger defender and just as good a scorer. Barber comes from a bigger conference and is taller. I can't see any other rationale for taking him higher.
I'd rather have Curry than Smith. And that'd be the case whether Rondo is re-signed or Kris Dunn falls to the Kings on draft night. To me Ish Smith is best served by being a starting PG but I don't see him ever being a high level starting PG. Curry is best served as a backup PG and his shooting/scoring could make him quite good in that role.