I'm pretty much winding down my assessment of the talent and I think these will be our options in order of possibility of happening.
1. Draft Emmanuel Mudiaye if he falls to 6. Plain and simple you have to take him if he's there at 6, he could end up being one of the top 2 or 3 best players in this draft when its all said and done. At worst he is Tyreke Evans, at best maybe a mix of Tyreke and John Wall. Also he is not a project, he will be able to contribute right away, physically he is as ready as any player in the draft, and his game, early on at least, will mainly involve him pushing the pace and attacking the defense. He should be able to back up Collison or play alongside him for stretches and be that change of pace X factor off the bench his rookie year imo, much like Tyreke was. Unlike Tyreke his jumper isn't fundamentally flawed, so imo it is something that will get better as he gets older. By all indications he is a gym rat that loves the game, and is mature beyond his years, very well spoken for a 19 year old kid and already has experience being a professional athlete. Him falling could all be smokescreen, New York would be stupid to pass on him, but if they do we should pounce.
2. Draft Willie Trill Cauley-Stein, the Kingsfans.com favorite, I like him but I am not as enamored with him as others. My main concern is his basketball IQ and commitment to the game. I will always take the guy that loves the game and is a gym rat over the guy that is physically gifted but is more likely to rest on his laurels once they become pro's and the money starts rolling in and all the distractions that come with being a pro athlete. He could be the next Tyson Chandler or he could be the next Javele Mcgee. His wingspan is underwhelming for a guy his size, and his block numbers are not impressive for a guy you are drafting to be a defensive anchor(aware of minutes, but still an issue imo). What you can't take away from him is his physical gifts, quickness, ability to run and jump are off the charts for a big his size he legitametely will be able to hold his own with any player 1-5 with the exception of the most elite players obviously. My question is still, is he a tall athelte playing basketball or a basketball player that is tall and athletic? Rebounding fundamentals are flawed, and doesn't have the base to indicate he will every be a great rebounder. So in the end what many are viewing as the most safe pick is actually one of the riskier picks in my view. He could be the next Tyson Chandler, but theres a stench of Thomas Robinson in there for me(older college player that is ready and will be a solid pro for the next 10 years).
3. Justice Winslow, this guy just oozes winner, its just hard for me to see him being a failure at the pro level. If Mudiaye and WCSt are off the board, Winslow should be the pick.
4. Trade down for Cameron Payne. This is a possibility, if Payne is someone the Kings want you can afford to trade down 4 or 5 spots to get him and another asset either a wing or a PF, and maybe a way to rid yourself of Landry.
5. Trade the pick outright. This becomes muddy now that the Gerbil is back in Denver. Who knowas how involved he will be in direct basketball decisions. Many don't want Lawson, but that is a high possibility especially if Karl has a say.
