With the 2020 NBA Draft order now officially set, we can finally get a clearer picture on who the Kings might draft with the 12th pick. Here’s what the latest mocks are saying:
Saddiq Bey, F, Villanova
Bey is a competitive, efficient two-way player who made 45% of his 3-pointers this past season and showed at Villanova he knows how to play a role and make winning plays. Like every NBA team, the Kings could stand to add more options on the wing, and Bey can fit into any almost any lineup with his versatility and decision-making.
12. Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
We’ve had Nesmith dropping to No. 13 to the New Orleans Pelicans for a while, but with Kings could use another floor spacer on the wing thanks to Buddy Hield’s uncertain future in Sacramento. The Vanderbilt product shot 52.2 percent on 8.2 3-point attempts per game last season. He is an elite marksman capable of moving without the ball and finding openings. With De’Aaron Fox breaking down defenses, the Kings need as many shooters on the floor as they can find.
12. Patrick Williams, F, Florida State
Williams was a bench player for Florida State this year, but he’s rising up draft boards the more teams go back and watch what he showed this year and in his AAU days. He has very real upside and instinctual awareness on defense mixed with a frame that should allow him to take on tough defensive assignments. His frame should allow him to play relatively quickly in the NBA on that end of the floor.
At 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, with barrels for shoulders and a strong core, Williams looks like he’s going to fill out and become one of the stronger players for his size in the NBA. Having said that, the next key for him will be ironing out the offensive skill set. It’s all flashes right now versus any sort of real consistency. He can occasionally knock down shots, but is streaky. He showed some point forward abilities on the AAU circuit, but hasn’t shown them against higher level competition. Williams is a bit of a project, but he profiles into a high-level role player if the team that picks him takes its time and just irons out what we’ve already seen. The Kings could use more help on the wing, and Williams would be an interesting player to take a shot on.
Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
A powerfully built 6’6 wing, Isaac Okoro was a shutdown defender from the moment he entered Auburn. He displayed rare defensive versatility in his freshman season, preventing penetration when guarding the ball, making crisp rotations off the ball, and even flashing some signs of rim protection when he’d wall up in the paint. Okoro’s offense remains a mixed bag at best, with encouraging playmaking flashes being overshadowed by his struggles to shoot from three-point range. A team would do best to be creative offensively with Okoro early in his career rather than letting him sit out on the perimeter where opposing teams will likely ignore him. If his outside shot eventually comes around, he would be the type of two-way wing every team covets.
Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
It remains unclear how Vlade Divac’s ouster might affect the current roster in Sacramento, but Cole Anthony could theoretically be a part of a rebuild or a decision to stand pat. He can make shots in a variety of different ways and is creative as a finisher, too. At the very least he gives the Kings a backup lead guard, and a lethal off-the-bench scoring option.
Patrick Williams, SF/PF, Florida State
The draft’s youngest NCAA prospect, Williams flashed unique versatility fueled by 6’8″ size, power, touch, pick-and-roll passing and defensive playmaking. The forward spots are Sacramento’s weakest, and Williams may eventually be able to log minutes at both, depending on how his perimeter skill develops.
***
The NBA Draft is still months away with no actual official date in place. We still don’t know who is going to be running the Kings front office, or how the pre-draft process will look in a Covid-19 world. Needless to say, these projections will likely change a lot over the coming weeks.
Isaac Okoro should be on the list at 12. He plays both sides of the court. Especially needed on the D side.
Spot on – biggest question is if he will be available at #12.
He does seem like the kind of strong, versatile, shut down wing defender who could raise up draft boards a bit.
I really go back and forth on him. His dedication and ability on defense is great. I love his aggression going to the basket and has upside as a playmaker. But he looks like he has absolutely zero touch or consistency on his shot, and it doesn’t give me much faith it will every become a weapon.
That’s very fair. In this draft though, the upside is there that he makes sense around 12 I think (still going through analysis and tape). At worst, he seems like he could be another Anunby if his head is on straight. And we could use a ferocious wing defender.
Really depends who is there, what we do with Buddy / Bogi, and what our team strategy is from the new GM. Our system and required roster construction means a bit more in this draft as I think it’s flat enough, there’s a bit more room to get who you need while staying within a draft tier.
At this stage, there seems like a case for Vassell, Okoro, Nesmith, and Williams from the wings alone.
Yeah, I think he makes perfect sense as a target at 12.
Though without Anunoby’s length I don’t think he has the same defensive versatility. Okoro will be able to defend 2s and most 3s. But I don’t think he’ll be able to stretch to 4s.
I disagree 100%. Isaac Okoro should return to college to work on his game. He might be able to defend decently but there is nothing that jumps off the charts. 1 steal pg. 1 block pg. 4.4 rebounds pg. he shot 28% from 3. he is not a ball handler yet. not a real playmaker yet. At this point, I think he’s a 2nd rounder.
I think there are A LOT of guys that should return to college to work on their game if we’re talking about readiness to contribute in the NBA. Everyone from Edwards and Wiseman to Okoro, Williams, Anthony, etc. That said, guys that can defend at a high level tend to be able to contribute the quickest.
I’ve got another surprise player in my top 12. I’ve already mentioned Saddiq Bey and Xavier Tillman being in there. Here is the other. Malachi Flynn. I have him ranked over Killian Tillie and maybe over Lamelo Ball. As a rookie he could take Yogi Ferrell’s spot. As a second-year player he could take Corey Joseph’s spot. He is a pure PG with a good assist to turnover ratio, also an elite shooter, really gets teammates involves, a coach on the floor. The main knock against him is his size, 6’1″. Well, despite his size, he earned defensive player of the year in the Mountain West Conference. He is NBA ready. He can improve the team. Pick #12, great spot to be in.
Typo. I meant to say I have him ranked over Killian Hayes.
I think he’d be a reasonably good pick anywhere after 20 or so.
For what it’s worth (aka nothing), Vecenie has Flynn going to the Kings at 35 in his mock released post-lottery last night.
For what it’s worth Fred Van Vleet went undrafted.
As did other useful players. My point was that if you want Flynn, there’s a decent change you can get him without spending the #12 pick on him.
True. However I don’t have a long list of players who I would take at 12. I see a lot of interesting prospects who probably won’t earn their salary and who I think should return to college for another year to work on their game. That’s just how I see this draft class. Reasonable minds can disagree on player rankings. I would like to see the Kings use the #12 pick on a guy who they believe in, a guy who will contribute now and who could stick around for a long time. Then maybe take a Dave Kingman swing on a guy in the 2nd round.
I would like to see the Kings do a savvy job of reading the market and, if they guy they want can be had later, make a move to be able to get that guy AND pick up additional assets.
maybe Boston’s #14 plus another 1st rounder. For Boston, I think Xavier Tillman would be an upgrade over Theis.
I like Flynn too. 5.1 assists/1.8 TOs, 4.5 rebs and 1.8 steals last season.
Penetrates the lane ala Lillard. And I think he has IT too despite his size.
He sure will be better than Joseph, Yogi or Kyle Guy.
This draft is loaded with gems after the first 10 picks . Maybe it’s Okoro, Tillman, Bey, et al.
It’s up to that gem to be selected by a team with a system that he can thrive in, and with a coach that is willing to develop and trust him early.
I just hope that the Kings scouting dept (if they really have one) could vet deeper into their backgrounds and character just like how the Spurs do it. This is to avoid a cancer player like we had a few years ago.
Remember the Spurs motto? Player A is a lot better than Player B, but he isn’t a Spur.
Even weeks prior to draft day, the Spurs FO have two columns on their board:
Spurs. non Spurs. That speaks colume on how they maintain the culture which is the envy of the league.
Goodluck Kings on the draft whoever is calling the ahot. With due diligence and thorough personal vetting, I predict that this 12th pick (unless traded for better value) will be a key part of the roster when we sniff the playoffs 34 years from now.
Ooops…that should read 3-4 years feom now.
Should it?
BHE,
Well, I boldly predict that in 34 years, His Airness will long be forgotten coz the Kings drafted a player considered to be the greatest of all time. In all of sports! And we’ll have 12 championships to beat Bill Russel’s record.
Too bad mny creator has gotten me back when that happens.
I LIKE IT AND I WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSLETTER!
It’s free. Sucktown Fealty.
That sounds like something I shouldn’t Google at work.
And 1!!!!!
Great one Eddie 41. Flynn is a big time sleeper I think. Good call
Indeed! Better than recalling David Stockton too many times, or drafting Ray McCollum. Better than Frank Mason who always dribbles with his head bowed and not looking around and surveying the floor.
Just curious but has drafting a player in the lottery who was a backup in college ever worked out? Im struggling to think of a player who’s been a successful pro that was a backup in college.
Devin Booker, picked at #13, did not start on a loaded Kentucky team.
There are a number of players drafted as upper classmen that didn’t start as freshmen. For example, Donovan Mitchell wasn’t a college starter when he was Patrick William’s age.
Also, Duje Dukan.
Although not a lottery pick. Just Vlade’s buddy who got to be on the team for a year.
So that’s a bit of a complicated question. Here’s my 2 cents from a mix of fading memory and a quick spin through basketball reference.
As Jman noted, Devin Booker is the best, recent example. There are a few others who have worked out, but were over-drafted like Marvin Williams and Corey Maggette. Neither of the later two were stars; however, both had solid careers and setting aside playing style – we would be lucky to land a player of their caliber at #12.
If we let go of the nuance of starting versus backup – another recent example would be Jaren Jackson Jr. He started for Michigan State, but only played 22mpg – partially due to his high foul rate and partially due to him being more raw and Izzo playing “veterans” more down the stretch of key games. Williams played 23mpg, so while he may not have been a starter, that was the 4th highest on the team and more than JJJ.
Additionally, as others Jman alluded to – maybe Williams stock would have been better if he stayed in school (if there was guaranteed to even be a season). However, there are a lot of very good players who were backups as freshman, but who were starters before they entered the draft. For example, Russell Westbrook was a backup as a freshman at UCLA and Gilbert Arenas at Arizona.
The one caveat for some of the actual backups listed is that their teams were more stacked from a talent perspective. Now, Florida State was a great team this season, so it’s not like Williams was a backup on a losing team, but of their starting lineup – Devin Vassell is the only one who will likely go in the first round and maybe Trent Forrest in the 2nd.
On the other hand – when Devin Booker was a backup at Kentucky, he was behind Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Tres Lyles, WCS, and KAT. That’s 3 lottery picks, a 2nd round pick, and a player who played 3 years in the NBA as an undrafted FA.
The Duke team Maggette was a backup on had 3 other lottery picks (Brand, Avery, and Langdon) and a strong junior guard at a different position.
And Marvin Williams was behind 3 lottery picks (Kings legends McCants & May and Felton), an undrafted guy who played 3 years in the league, and a guard which was a different position.
So I do think there is some reason to question why Williams wasn’t good enough to start in front of at least one non-prospect.
Linking to the SB Nation draft? That’s very gracious and forgiving, Aykis.
Ricky does great work for them. I consider his to be one of important mocks for any roundup.
What Greg said. Whatever my thoughts on Vox and SB Nation, they still have some wonderful people working for them like Ricky, who in my opinion is one of the better basketball and draft writers out there.
I think the Ringer had us taking Saddiq Bey as well. If we are going to keep the pick (I’d either trade back or trade out personally) I think they need to take a wing or at least someone who can guard a wing. I also think they should prioritize a play maker but given that I don’t really see any available at 12, next on my list would be a big wing who can hopefully shoot a little bit and has the potential to be a great defender.
Yep, which, if the draft plays out the way they outline, would be a fine pick. It would get a shrug out of me. I don’t think Bey is going to move the needle a ton for the Kings, but I think he’ll be useful. There aren’t a whole lot of non-one-position PG playmaker prospects out there in that range. The closest things are probably guys like Poku, Bolmaro, and Maledon, but they’re all projects.
So what’s the deal with Poku? I’ve watched some of his tape and it sort of looks like Giannis’s tape from back in the day because he’s playing in tiny gyms against dudes that look like junior highers. But I will say, he sure looks like he can stroke 3’s with the best of them.
Yeah, I think the big question will be his ability to add enough strength and, as with all lower-exposure guys, getting a good feel for his mentality.
If we get a decent front office implemented and they were to take him I wouldn’t hate it. The Kings aren’t close to competing for anything and I’d be fine with them taking swing on a guy with big upside.
No. Me neither.
Saddiq Bey can guard the wing. He does not get a lot of steals and block and I don’t think he’ll ever be a lockdown defender, but he has good footwork and is dedicated on both ends of the floor. Villanova put him on the Kansas point guard on the last possession of the game, intentionally. If you are looking for an elite defender on the wing who also shoots the three, Devin Vassel is the only player on my list who fits that category.
Personally, I would take a look at all the available prospects and draft whichever one is going to be the best NBA player, but that’s just me.
Yeah I’m on board with this strategy. The Kings usually don’t try to do this so maybe this time, they could try this out.
I’m on board with that too.
There’s a lot of good players (some became the All Stars) taken late in the draft,
Ans you don’t pay them a lot.
This trade scenario from the B/R mock draft would be scary if it actually happened:
The Knicks seem like the type of team that would want a player like LaMelo. If the Warriors walked away from the draft with Robinson and one of those interesting wings available in the first round? Watch out. That just makes too much sense for them for both the long and short term.
True, although I don’t think we even have a remote chance at being a contender for at least 3 years. And frankly, I am more afraid long-term of a Warriors team with a 22 year old star (if they hit a HR) than one with a 34 year old+ Curry, 32 year old+ Draymond (who could age badly), and 31 year old+ Klay along with say Vassell and Robinson.
Don’t worry, they’ll turn around and trade the 8 + Draymond + their 2021 1st for Simmons. Then draft a stud with the MIN pick next season and they’ll have Curry and Klay in their 30s, but Simmons in his mid-20s and Cade Cunningham at 19/20 years old to carry the torch.
Yeah, that’s the real fear. Although, [whispers] their FO hasn’t seemed quite as scary since Jerry West went to the Clippers.
Thanks a lot for providing a prebuttal to my brain trust argument!
For whatever reason, this got me thinking about the Kings GM search. The theme of this whole ordeal has been having the ability to “have final say”. That’s why Vlade decided to resign, and that’s the carrot most folks believe needs to be dangled in order to get a competent replacement. It just seems like the best teams have more of a “brain trust” that isn’t exactly linear w/r/t the chain of command. Obviously, someone ultimately is the one that has to sign the checks, but there’s a collaboration that always seems to be missing in Sacramento.
My actual point with all this is that I hope Vivek’s goal with bringing in Forde to run this search is to have people pitch them on their vision on how they’d put together a front office that can implement a winning strategy moving forward, and how much they envision that strategy will cost. There’s no point in paying some blue chip GM a ton of money, if that leaves nothing in the budget for a competent, fully-staffed front office.
For example, if Dumars was kinda left in his Emeritus role, could he put together a front office of himself, John Hammond, Scott Perry, Ken Catanella and say Anthony McClish (I call this gettin the ol Motown band back together plan)? How does that compare to the type of front office that the other candidates envision?
I only say this because we don’t really think about these things when comparing one candidate to another. But, I remember back when Vlade first got the job David Morway declined an offer to work for the Kings because he couldn’t get a commitment from ownership to expand the scouting department. It just seems like that type of thing needs to be a part of the GM search process. My hope is that Forde pushes Vivek in a direction that empowers a collaborative team of experts versus just hiring a guy with the best individual resume willing to take the job.
Agreed
Agree. If we start seeing the top guys refusing this position, I think you’re right about ownership still wanting to run this team on a skeleton crew.
Excellent stuff right there.
In our range, I really like Aaron Nesmith. While we need better defenders, you can never have enough shooting around a PG who is’nt a great shooter.
I think he would fit very well with Fox, as a low-usage, high volume 3-point shooter. He can play both 2 and 3, which would make him a better fit next to Bogi (if we keep him). He would also make Hield expendable, although I think he already is.
I saw a scenario discussed today that would send Hield to Atlanta for their 6th pick. To me, that would be a worthy trade. Then we can target Vassell with that pick. Now our wing depth looks a lot better.
I would not mind this trade at all. Unfortunately I’m not sure I would mind any trade that involved Buddy. I am really down on him and just want him gone. We gave him a shot and besides his shooting he failed miserably.
The things I like about buddy the most are his work ethic and shooting. I thought that would work well next to fix and that his work ethic would see him making major improvements in other categories like defense and passing. Sadly that has proven to not be the case. I can’t handle at minimum 2 times a game losing a possession over being not smart on the court. I’m so tired of him making mind numbing mistakes that cost the team. Several times I watched those mistakes cause conflict and crush morale during these last two seasons. I’m done.
I did my extensive draft reasearch last night of watching 5 minutes of draft videos of the top 30 prospects. I’m basically an expert now.
my new thoughts as an expert:
I no longer want to trade up in this draft. It doesn’t feel like it would be worth the price. I think Ball might be the best prospect in the group. There really isn’t a huge difference from pick 3-pick 30. This is what stood out to me the most. There were several guys I like in the 10-30 range that feel qual to or even better than the current and wildly inconsistent top 10 projected. 12 is good to stand pat or even trade back. I think I’d stand pat though and just pick my favorite wing player still available. It’s what the King’s need, it’s the deepest position in this draft and it’s the most valuable asset position wise in the NBA. Trading a bunch of seconds and Corey Joseph for example to move up in to the late first is worth exploring as well. There are several gems in this draft I think. We just need a front office to find the ones they like and then do what they need to do to draft them. To our advantage, I actually think this is an exceptional draft to have multiple seconds in. Players to be had there or used to move up a handful of spots to get your guy!
my current draft crush: There is this dude Leandro Bolmaro who I fell in love with last night. Currently ranked in the mid 20’s right now. With how the skill level is so evenly distributed in this draft, I’d be totally fine with And even happy about the Kings just taking Bolmaro at 12. That’s how much I like him. Check out this break down.
The thing that stood out to me which is totally random and different than any other player I looked at so far is his composer. Watching his highlights there’s something about how he plays that feels calm and completely in control. Which translates in to a strong basketball IQ. This is arguably the biggest factor for any player I like. IQ, vision, creativity all go hand in hand. Bolmaro appears to have loads of all that. I also like the fact that he could come in day one and be a solid back up SG to Bogi who I think we should try to retain with Fox and MBIII and Giles. Those are my keepers. They aren’t un tradable, I just think they are worth building around and with.
Trade buddy soon. Trade him for an aging vet that still has fuel in the tank with 2-3 years left and a future first round draft pick. Or trade him for some expiring contract vets and future picks in 2021 and 2022.
curious if anyone else sees a currently ranked Bolmaro at 25 as not only a steal but a solid pick at 12. I like Okoro at 12 also for his defense but Bolmaro feels like an equal too if not better player with more tools and more upside.
this may be a bit too bold but my comp is Luca. A less developed Luca. I say Luca for what I expressed earlier, he has that composer, that smooth pace to his game and his decision making. Like Luca he is not exceptionally fast or athletic. However he looks crafty as hell and appears to have that gift of somehow being able to control defenders similar to what we see with Luca.
Always falling in love with guys last night.
Besides being really good at basketball he’s also really good at snuggles. ð
I really like this kid too. From what I’ve seen I actually think there’s a lot of guys who will be good NBA players from this draft even if they’re not “stars”. Bolmaro is one of those guys I think could be a really solid rotation player. He’s a good ball handler and more explosive than you think. Not sure what his numbers are but he looks comfortable in catch and shoot situations. I really like this foreign class of players. Hayes, Bolmaro, and Maledon all show some real promise as NBA players if you ask me.
The percentages haven’t really been there on his shooting, but I’m a believer in it coming around. He’s has a smooth easy motion and good touch.
I’ve been pushing Bolmaro for a while now. I think taking him at 12 is a reach. I’d much rather trade down and get him later. But I wouldn’t be angry if they took him there. Part of his allure to me, because I see next season as a rebuilding year, is that he just signed a new deal with Barca so he’s a good candidate to stash.
I agree with trying to trade to add another pick in the late teens/ early twenties range. There are a lot of players that could fit into roles that the Kings need.
If the Kings could trade back into the first and keep the 35th pick, they could come away with three useful, cost-controlled players. Or at least one useful player and two that don’t cost the franchise more than a roster spot.
I like Balmaro as well, like a few people mentioned he has the bbiq, playmaking ability, and he would be able to be a rotational contributor off the bench pretty quickly. But like BHE mentioned he signed a new contract and will most likely not be playing in the NBA next year, which may not be a bad thing.
After watching a lot of the videos available for him some of his weaknesses I started noticing more and more is how limited he is athletically, he barely has any airtime and he’s not quick enough to get by most guards consistently, along with a shot that needs quite a bit of improvement. That said a trade down for him would be worthwhile imo.
I don’t have concerns with his athleticism. Honestly, I think athleticism is a bit overrated in ballhandlers. Guys like Doncic and Young and Curry and Harden go by guys just as often as guys like Fox and Westbrook. I think Bolmaro has a good fee for changing speeds which is often the key in those cases. His biggest issue IMO is some questionable decision making. He tends to take some ill advised chances and not take care of the ball. Now, at his age I’m fine with that, but it doesn’t always come around.
Bey is certainly worth a hard look if he’s available. Plus, Villanova seems to produce a lot of smart players that adapt quickly to pro hoops.
I think people are really sleeping on Kira Lewis Jr. I plan on doing a lot more research in the coming days and weeks, but I really think this kid is special. I think he’ll rise up draft boards as we get closer to the draft and don’t think he’ll be there at 12, but if he is, I think we have to jump on him. I think this kid can contribute right away and him and Fox would be electric next to each other. Defensively they don’t really match up with the length of most SG’s but they could push the pace and really get up in guys to the point I don’t think that would matter.
A lot of people like Kira Lewis and have him going in the mid-first round. He has a lot of talent and athleticism. I have been comparing him with about 10 other PGs in the draft, and he is pretty high on my board compared to the others. Ultimately, however, I prefer what Malachi Flynn brings to the table and think he is more NBA ready.
He’s the ever so slightly poorer man’s version of Fox. Except the player maker traded some vertical pop for more shooting ability. Does that subtle shift pay off in the NBA? Let’s watch!
I was thinking similarly about his speed. He is a nice prospect that gets some Dennis Schroeder comps. Definite first rounder.
I feel that way about Tyrell Terry. When I started looking over his videos he has a great shot and has high bbiq,and he makes defensive plays even though he has a slight frame. All these guys have weaknesses but I feel he would be the type of player who makes a lot of people look dumb in a couple years.
Tankathon has us taking Precious Achiuwa. Didn’t see that one on there, but just another name we’ll probably be looking at in the coming weeks.
First impressions of Saddiq Bey and Patrick Williams is that they are different types of wings. I think the Kings should target wing players.
Saddiq’s play reminds me of Robert Covington and Harrison Barnes. A spacer with great size and hopefully could shoot.
Williams’ reminds me more of a PF/SF. The likes of Rui Hachimura and Aminu come to mind. I also love that most of his highlights are scrappy/defensive.
Maybe Atlanta (6), Detroit (7), and New York (8) could be a destination for Buddy. Would be amazing to have two wing players. I am tired of always having smaller players in the SF spot.
Bey scares me a bit. I’m really not sure what he hangs his hat on in the NBA. He’s a solid shooter; however, his applied athleticism numbers aren’t very impressive (0.9 stls / 0.5 blks per 40) and he’s not really a shot creator or a lockdown defender. Kinda seems like he could be a poor man’s version of Harrison Barnes, but with less ability to create his own shot.
Williams at least seems like a big swing on his upside, while Vassel and Nesmith have NBA level skills to carve out a role with some upside as well (though arguably lower overall ceilings).
This is a good analysis, I feel the same about all four players mentioned. I would stay away from Bey, he had a good college season, but players who have played college a few years and have a size advantage like him without good applied athleticism numbers is a red flag for me. If we moved down to say 20, then I would consider him more worth the pick.
Patrick Williams has been my guy at 12, but he really needs quite a bit of development. When I watch him he seems to have a lot of room for improvement, he has shown an ability to dribble/straight line driver level, I am hopeful his shooting numbers can improve, and his defense looks good although a little heavy footed and is more of a 4/3. He shows a little tertiary playmaking versatility as well. All in all if given a role player level similar to Barnes, he might be able to be like a 4th option type. This draft is filled with role player guys so I am interested in the role player type that are hardest to find, which is the 6’8 powerful athlete type.
To add, Williams has real downside too if he doesn’t improve in a few areas, like a worse AL Farouq Aminu.
A sleeper guy I like is Tyrell Terry. This draft is tough because a lot of the guys have flaws and serious downside.
Of the “6’3 and under” crowd, he’s probably my 3rd or 4th favorite overall.
Lewis Jr.
Flynn
Riller
Terry
Yes, above guys like Anthony and Maxey.
I like Lewis a lot too, but his game is so similar to Fox’s. Personally I feel these guys are all in the same tier, just different style of play for each. I think Terry would fit better on this team, but I wouldn’t mind either of them.
Oh yeah, I’m not saying for the Kings. Just overall. The most similar of that group are probably Terry and Flynn. I’d say Terry has a slight edge as a shooter. Flynn (maybe because of age) has a slight edge in passing and defense.
I’m becoming convinced that a trey and buddy pairing is happening. I could see that being insanely fun in Atlanta!!!
I dunno, I cant see it. Kevin Huerter is nice developing player. Also they have a soon to be 2nd year player Cam Reddish who had a promsing rookie season for the 2 spot.
Yeah, Buddy doesn’t do a ton for them. They actually had a decent to good offense when Trae was on the floor. What they need is a versatile guard defender that can take a little playmaking off his shoulders. And a decent back up PG.
So Halliburton to Atlanta
He would make the most sense to me if I were them. Okoro or Vassell would also work as a foil to Young.
What do you guys think of Udoka Azubuike with the #35 pick? Tankathon has him projected right around that range. Looks like a Clint Capela clone, which isn’t bad for a backup center.
Pass. The guy can’t shoot beyond 5 feet. I’d prefer Daniel Oturu at 35 if you are looking for a big man there, although he may not fall to the second round.
I’d also keep an eye on Paul Reed there. Wish his shot was a bit smoother give his age, but I’ll gamble on a skilled, athletic big at 35.
He certainly pops on the tape with his fluidity and athleticism.
Part of Capela’s major strength was being a switchable defender. Azubuike is more of paint bound type.
I tried watching some Patrick Williams tape. Kind of a weird player. He has a quick first step for a big dude, but basically just settled for a lot of long 2PAs. It was like watching Roided Out Rudy Gay. I did like that he seems capable of being a secondary playmaker out of the PnR and drive and kicks. He looks like he probably can be a threat to catch and shoot as well. His release is a little slow but there’s not a lot of wasted motion and the shot looks repeatable. My opinion is he’d bring some offensive diversity the Kings are missing. I’m not really great at understanding defensive ability all that well, but he seems like he tries hard and has the proper dimensions to be a net positive on that end of the court.
Also what’s up with FSU’s blue jerseys? That shit’s confusing.
Patrick Williams? I think he needs more time to develop. He reminds me of Marquese Chriss. With improvements, I can see him being a decent player in the nba, but I’m not sure he would help a team like the Kings while on his rookie contract. It’s tempting, but I would not take him at #12.
I will say, I find myself leaning more and more away from non-elite one-and-doners. For that exact reason. The ability to contribute one their first contract. If you look at the top 30 or so NBA players, only a handful of them are NCAA one-year guys (and I’m including LeBron because he clearly would be now). This is one reason why I’m leaning towards trading down and targeting Euro stash candidates (the ability to have them develop elsewhere without burning team control years) and upperclassmen like Tillman and Bane.
actually, I’m looking at Patrick Williams more right now. He’s not a bad prospect and I can see him playing in the NBA. He might have a little more upside than I thought. I would not be mad if the Kings drafted him. For now, I’ll keep him somewhere in my top 12. Although it would be nice to see what he could do in another year of college.
Euro draft n stash? how about with a second round pick?
Sure, if there’s somebody there they think is worth it. Bolamaro and Poku are the only one’s I’m really interested in that seem like stash candidates. I suppose I wouldn’t be against N’Doye or Eboua with the 53rd pick.
But I’m also not at all against using 1st round picks on stashes. The benefit is also putting off paying that 1st round contract.
EDIT: Oh, Jokubaitis could also be an interesting choice to stash. But I’m not sure if he’s entering. Maaaybe Madar, but I haven’t researched him enough yet.
I totally agree. Especially for those upperclassmen that have exhibited the ability expand their game each year they’re in college.
That being said, I realized after writing that thing on Williams that he is probably getting drafted by the Spurs, and they’ll develop the shit out of him.
I don’t know. So much of the Spurs scouting thing is about player mentality. And as a guys that just watches these guys play, but doesn’t see them practice or interact in the lockerroom/weightroom, etc. it hard for me to say from afar who is and isn’t a Spurs player.
I will say, I think the Spurs superpower is more in scouting than in development. I think the Spurs success is mostly identifying a player’s strengths and building a system and role that accentuate them. Rather than helping players develop new strengths.
Ha! Who knows. Here is another player I am comparing to Patrick Williams: Tyler Bey. He earned Pac 12 Defensive Player of the year. really athletic, long, high motor. At the college level he played in the post, sort of like DeAndre Hunter did for Virginia. In the NBA, might have to primarily play on the wing. But he projects to develop the 3. If someone is looking at Patrick Williams in the 10-15 range, shouldn’t they also look at Tyler Bey? Who is the better prospect?
Sorry. Tyler Bey appears to be a liability on offense right now. love his defense though. 2nd rounder.
His skills and decision-making are rough. He’s also pretty undisciplined on defense. Lots of steals and blocks. But also lots of lost men and missed rotations.
That’s not to say he’s bad. He’s got great length and athleticism, but I expect upper classmen to be more polished.
okay. I’ve watched about 40 minutes of Patrick Williams. I wouldn’t take him at 12. I don’t think he’ll ever be a dominant player and he will need a few years to develop into a role player. still a clear first rounder. not bad. At this point I only have a top 11, of which at least 2 or 3 will be available at #12.
I don’t follow college basketball closely, but I really like the footage I’ve watched of Precious Achiuwa. I’d love to see him in a King’s uniform.
I agree. He’s a beast. If you want toughness, force and defense I’m pretty sure his physicality will translate.
If you want awareness and skill, not so much.
if he lacks awareness and skill … 2nd rounder
The Kings need to simply draft the best all around player. They need players with a high IQ and multiple skills on their roster because no current player on the roster has that pedigree, except maybe Bogi.
I don’t know who that player is in this draft
Badge Legend