We should have taken Wade Baldwin. I love the trades but taking a project center at 13 was a terrible move. Hopefully we can get a PG in free agency. Unfortunately, even though I like Rondo, I don't feel he is a good fit for this team. We need two scorers at PG and SG. Because we took a bad pick at 13 --now we either have to trade Rudy Gay or overpay in free agency.
Gotta love the post draft reaction. I was as guilty of it on draft night as anyone. But if the GM drafts for need then fans cry out that drafting for need is a terrible strategy. But if they draft whoever is at the top of their board regardless of position then fans cry out that they didn't fill a need.
I was a Wade Baldwin fan. But he projects out as a better shooting Marcus Smart who lacks Smart's toughness and ability to finish inside. Or as a poor man's George Hill. Wade Baldwin will likely be a solid backup PG/combo guard in time, IF he develops.
Baldwin might be raw but he is better than what we drafted at 13. Have you seen Papas stats?? The guy averaged like 8 points a game last year overseas? He is a 100% project who will not contribute at all next year. Hopefully Richardson and Skal turn out to be good because our PG situation is terrible right now with no future because of a bad 13 pick
Wade Baldwin won't (or at least definitely shouldn't) be a starting PG next season. He may never be a starting PG in the NBA. And he definitely wouldn't start on the Kings over Collison. My hope was that they drafted him and either re-signed Rondo or another vet PG or traded for a vet PG so that Baldwin could be the third string PG behind Collison and whoever they brought in.
This very weak draft was not how the Kings were going to find their future starting PG unless Dunn fell to them at 8 or they paid the high price (Vlade didn't say what it was only that it was more than they were willing to do) to move up and get him.
And yes, Papagiannis' numbers last season are unimpressive. Low minutes played, low PPG and low RPG. And they are also almost identical to Kristaps Porzingis' numbers in a similar league at nearly the exact same age. That's not to say they are similar players - they aren't - but that using numbers from European leagues to judge a young player doesn't work. It's a different culture where talented youngsters play limited minutes and earn their stripes instead of the NBA where top picks are usually starters and allowed to play big minutes even through mistakes and when their play doesn't help their team.
I won't pretend Papagiannis was who I was hoping the Kings would draft (or that he was even on my radar) but I'm going to wait until at least summer league before forming a judgement on his NBA potential. NOBODY drafted at 13 or later is going to be a difference maker for an NBA team next season. Contributor maybe. Difference maker? No.
The Kings level of success next season is going to be determined by what Vlade does this summer in free agency and with trades. These picks are guys to be developed for down the road and anything they provide in the near term is just gravy.