With 54.7% of the vote, Caleb Wilson is off the board for the Kings Herald Community Draft Board. Since Darryn Peterson received almost the entirety of the rest of the vote (39.1%), I am taking him off the board as well. They join Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa.
This is the readership’s opportunity to create a democratic draft board which represents the order in which we as a collective would like the Kings’ draft board to look like. It does not represent the desires of individual writers or fans, but some semblance of the community’s collective thinking.
When a choice comes up, pick who you’d want the Kings to pick given all the players remaining. Note: THIS IS NOT A MOCK DRAFT. This is a draft board, a ranked list of prospects you’d like to see the Kings pick. In other words, if we were the Kings front office, when our pick came up, we’d take the top name left on our board. So pick your choice, not who you think Scott Perry or anyone else would choose in a slot.
Explain your choice in the comments, and lobby for who should be added to the next pick’s choices. We’ll be doing this every weekday morning over the next few weeks.
Everyone so far has been pretty much a no brainer for me but here’s where it starts to get interesting.
For me, the biggest thing the Kings need is a star and of the remaining players, I do think Darius Acuff Jr. has the highest star potential left even though his issues as a defender are well documented and glaring. What he was able to do on the other end of the court as a freshman is incredible though. 23.5 points a game on 48.4% from the field and 44% from three (on 5.8 attempts no less) to go with 6.4 assists a game in the SEC. He’s not a perfect prospect by any means, but neither are any of the guards from here on out, but he’s the one I’m most confident can turn into a team-leading star.
Players who can shoot in college usually can shoot in the pros.
With that in mind, how does 44% from the college 3-point line compare with success from the NBA 3-point line?
I heard on one of the draft prospect podcasts that Acuff hadn’t really shot that high of a percentage until his freshman season. Did he improve, or was this year the outlier?
44% on 5.8 attempts while being the team’s primary offensive option would be a hell of an outlier. It’s not like it’s a particularly small sample size. This isn’t a Thomas Robinson situation where he didn’t make any threes as a Freshman and Sophomore and then hit 50% of his threes as a junior (on just 0.4 attempts a game)
Ben McLemore shot 42% from 3 on nearly 4.7 attempts in his one year at Kansas. Just saying…
And then there is Jimmer, who we all know could shoot the hell out of the ball, but couldn’t stay on the court in the pros due to his total lack of defense.
I’m not saying Acuff is going to be like those guys, but outliers do happen.
McLemore was a spot up shooter though and famously couldn’t dribble the ball at all. If you watch Acuff, he can dribble very well and took a lot of shots off the bounce. I’m not worried about him as a shooter at the next level.
Oh, I agree. I was just referring to shooting percentages.
well he stunk at the combine
Why not the same concerns for players that shot under 40% like Peterson or Dybantsa ?
for Acuff as a shooter, I it’s a lot about the shot variety, off the dribble, off the catch, movement shooting, and with range. Plus the handles, quickness and craftiness to get his shot off.
Brown Jr. for me. The size and potential to score and create offense for others is something that this team needs. Brown also isn’t a slouch defensively.
The back injury needs to be reviewed and cleared. If the imaging and physical testing shows some issues, then I would go Flemings.
Brown Jr. has now worked out with Utah (#2) and Clips (#5). I wonder if he’s out there trying to prove he is healthy.
I hope he is healthy. He could be really electric. Some fine tuning and discipline with his shot selection will put him on a different level.
My gut tells me that there will be a player that jumps (Burries, Brown, Mara, maybe even Yaxel) and that at least one of Wagler or Acuff will be there at 7. I think that the link between Acuff and Perry is strong to the point that if he falls to 7, that’s the pick. I just hope that Perry doesn’t do anything stupid to jump up and take Acuff earlier.
I really hope they just stick at 7 and takes one of the guys that’s there. Moving up by sending out draft picks for a team that needs all the picks they can get, would be a bad decision.
Yeah, this team as of now has an overpaid wing who can only shoot when open and assisted as a fifth starter, an offense-first backup big and NOTHING else for the future.
That of course assumes they’re building for the future and not content to win 20-35 games, which actually, they’ll probably just sign every has- been vet at the end of their career, forever.
If we trade up I hope it’s for Wilson. I hope we call the Clips and Nets bluff (if the rumors are true) and let Acuff fall to us, but even if we traded up for Acuff I would support it. Not the ideal scenario but in the end we get Acuff and I can’t imagine we’d have to give up anything substantial to move up two spots when the second tier of talent opens up the draft.
….And add the Bulls (#4) to the list Brown Jr. has worked out for. He’s definitely making the rounds.
Brown Jr.
tough call. It’s either Peterson, Wagler or Acuff. Since the Kings are picking 7, I haven’t really sorted out the order of those three. I’ll go Wagler.
I’m on Kingston Flemings here. I just get the vibe that he is the strongest mentally of the remaining prospects, and you need that (and then some) if you are exiled to the Kangz. He also strikes me as the guy that will do the best job of getting the most out of / from his teammates.
No arguments for anyone that prefers Wagler or Acuff or Brown here, or perhaps even Burries. But if Flemings hits, we have the Sacramento Kingstons. And if he misses, he becomes known as Kangzton Flemings. Count me in either way.
Kangzton Flamings.
I still don’t get why people have Flemings ranked so high. 2-way player, yes and that’s good. I like the fact that he’ll take responsibility for guarding the other team’s point guard, but I don’t see him stopping a bigger initiator or even a bigger scoring guard. Also, factor in that the entire Houston plays D like him and it seems that some of it is a product of the system.
On offense, he can run an offense and that’s good, but I don’t see a primary initiator or even a secondary initiator. Reliance on mid-range which might become more difficult in the nba for a short guard. Not a high-volume three-point shooter, mostly set shots off the catch, and in the games I watched he has sort of an aww-shucks reaction when it doesn’t go in. also in one of the games I watched, he waited until the game was pretty much decided to try be assertive, like Fox did.
His speed is nice. If he were on another college team, would he have showcased more, like Maxey? I am not sure. Maxey was a more highly touted prospect in high school and a better defender. Is he like Fox? No. Fox was way better attacking the basket, scoring and drawing fouls. Like Jrue? No. Jrue was a way better defender.
So in terms of nba role, I see a 3 & D point guard who can also run an offense but not as a primary initiator, but not really a lockdown defender and not really someone who can guard up the line. So maybe a late lottery grade because of supply and demand for that type of player.
I wonder if people are putting too much weight on the interviews.
Maybe I saw the wrong games. Does someone have one or two games for me to watch to try to change my mind? Not his best game when he scored 42, but a good game where he showcases
39% from 3, 85% from the line, 48% FG% overall, EFG of 52%, TS of 56%. So, an efficient shooter.
An almost 3/1 assist/turnover ratio.
Plus defensive player while being basically the same size as Acuff.
The heart and motor for the 7th ranked college team in the nation.
26% usage, so capable of involving his teammates without being overly ball dominant.
To be fair, I put more weight on his interviews than his wingspan. Past drafts are littered with guys that measured well but failed. The two things that are not measured at the combine are head and heart.
I sure understand why folks would be high on Acuff or Wagler. I apologize for failing to accurately convey why I am higher on Flemings.
I also see how offenses find the worst defender, especially an undersized player, and just exploit/attack them on switches so often. That’s what I see happening with Acuff. Put him in the PnR and watch him poorly navigate screens.
He would have to be so exceptional offensively to withstand the poor defense he currently has.
His PnR defense is really quite poor. It’s why they often tried to hide him in the corners.
This a hundred times.
It’s more about role. The appeal with Acuff is that he can be a primary initiator, and/or a #1 scoring option who also checks other boxes like playmaking for others, efficiency, and good assist to turnover ratio.
For sure at this point Flemings is a better defender than Acuff and most likely will remain a better defender. But part of my point was I don’t think his defense is elite. I think a likely outcome for Flemings is Tre Jones.
that player does have value, but in my opinion probably needs to be paired with a big wing initiator.
I would be happy to watch another full game of Flemings and if no-one suggests a particular game, I’ll randomly pick one that’s on YouTube.
I watched another Flemings game this morning. Houston Arizona in February (not the one in March when he went 3 for 12 against them in the conference tournament). Koa Peat did not play and Burries was not impactful.
In the second half, (somewhere around the 12 minute mark I think), 6’6″ freshman Alex Kharchenkov takes Flemings into the paint and shoots over him. The commentators use that as an example to educate the viewers at home as to what “targeting a mismatch” means. Two plays later, 6’5″ 190 Del Orzo takes Flemings into the paint and shoots over him for an easy bucket. Commentators take the time to explain to viewers that as much as we love Flemings, defense is not his strength at this point, and other teams pick on him frequently. Then they throw in a comment that there is no more Jamal Shead on Houston, as if to imply that Shead and Flemings are not even in the same ballpark defensively.
Not an elite defender and also mismatched when guarding nba shooting guards, and to be quite honest, he will be mismatched when guarding a lot of nba point guards also. Basically, he tries hard on defense. Everyone on Houston tries hard on defense.
so, not a plus defender, not a primary initiator, not a secondary initiator, not a #1 scoring option, not a volume shooter, overly reliant on the midrange, and he’s a point guard. That’s not a top 10 pick.
Macro > micro for me. His season’s work seems to be a more appropriate review than cherry picking games.
Again, I could be 100% wrong. But, looking at the entirety of the season, the baseline to baseline results, and the overall success of both him and his team, I’d take Flemings here. And again, I fully understand anyone preferring Wagler, Acuff, Brown or Burries. They all have their strengths & weaknesses.
I didn’t cherry pick. that was a random selection and I figured why not get another look at Burries at the same time. I’ve seen three full games now. Also the announcers said he gets picked on a lot in mismatches, which means it happens in a lot of games.
the Houston college team has been winning for years now. Actually, they finished higher in all of the previous three seasons. So it’s more a product of their coach and program.
what I am doing is pointing out flaws in logic. Your valuation of Flemings is partly based on an overvaluation of his defense. Even the commentators said it – in a randomly selected game.
My valuation of Flemings is based on looking at the analytical stats that were compiled over an entire season. And forgive me if I don’t give a lot of traction to the musings of in-game commentators.
To be fair, perhaps Flemings’ outstanding defensive rating numbers are somewhat system fueled. And perhaps Acuff was in a system where his offense was so important that he was not asked to apply himself defensively. Time will tell.
Very nice for context, thanks Rob.
The only size issue is the wingspan. Taller than Acuff, same standing reach, and actually weighs a bit more than Acuff. Flemings just has slightly narrower shoulders.
Flemings also has a better max. vert. and showed better lane agility and was better in the shuttle.
Again, I take these measurements with more than a grain of salt. Acuff is definitely the better scorer. But I think that Flemings may be the better player.
Always remember, I know nothing.
Well stated. If Acuff is Trae Young and Flemings is Jrue Holiday, give me Flemings.
Would you rather have Mike Bibby or Tre Jones because those I think are more realistic comps.
If that’s the comps, I’d roll the dice on the next best 3&D Big/Wing with length.
That would be Yaxel.
I wonder if the (my?) Flemings comp still holds up after the combine. Dru doesn’t lack for size.
totally different players. it’s like apples and oranges.
in response to the wingspan comment, I haven’t brought that up. If we are talking about why I don’t think Flemings is an elite defender who can guard up the line, length is part of it but also he lacks the wide base and ridiculous core strength that Jrue Holiday and Lu Dort have which enable them to guard the big dudes.
I think part of the reason why some people have Flemings ranked so high is because they overestimate his defense. Good defender, yes. Elite, I don’t think so.
if he’s not an elite defender, I think his type player can be found more easily. It’s not that I think Flemings is bad. I just think supply and demand is part of a player’s value.
Oh, you mentioned he was a “shorter guard”, so I put in the measurements.
All these guys are young, so there is still development that can happen. Their games can look different after a few years. Guess time will tell.
Sound logic. Jerryisms should be taken into consideration when picking a player.
I already had “Brayden Burries a 3!” on the docket.
I’d be happy if they got him at 7. Solid building block for a team that needs a PG.
Yeah, all these next few dudes are a wash for me. Hopefully things clear up over the next few weeks with some workouts and interviews.
Going to go with Wagler just because he has some size and he gives me Hali vibes.
Yeah, to most of us this group does appear to be a wash, but they are very different players. The most likely scenario is that one or two will excel, and one or two will crash and burn, and one or two will be meh. A handful of teams will probably be able to separate the wheat from the chaff and make a smart decision, but I feel like the success of the Kings choice will be mostly luck: who in this group of guards gets picked in front of them, and who remains. The Kings will be lucky if the teams picking in front have no more insight than the Kings do, and the best player just happens to fall to them (like the Haliburton draft). But it does make me a little nervous that the Kings are behind Utah/Ainge.
Let’s take Acuff at five—
Hope a star will arrive!
For me, it’s the straggler
My vote’s for Wagler
Don’t join the lemmings,
opt for Flemings!
You know that I’m down
to draft Mikel Brown.
What stands out about pick 5 for me is that th Clips will likely try and get Vivek and Perry to bite and trade for the pick tp draft Acuff.
The clips may end up turning Zubac into 3 firsts and Mathurin.
Yes that’s the fear that they will make a stupid trade. I hope they stay at 7, draft the best player available and not do anything significant until the midseason trade deadline. At that point, I think a contending team or two will be interested in Zach LaVine on an expiring for the stretch run. Hopefully we can get a little draft capital for him or a young flyer.
This would also be the time to consider moving Sabonis for the right deal.
By this time next year, we will have seen this years draft picks in action, the awful contracts of LaVine and DDR will be off our books, and we will have some decent draft capital moving forward. Sabonis will be the one trade chip we have in our pocket and we need to use it wisely.
Acuff.
The second tier of talent is still incredibly promising and I think he is the only player left that is arguably expanding S tier talent in this draft to a player pool of 5. Considering the spectrum of BPA and team need, the choice is between Acuff, Wagler, Flemmings, and Brown. His style and game reminds me of equal parts Dame (fearless shooter with a quiet confidence) and AI (silky smooth with a little swagger). Potentially the best offensive player in the draft that was not held accountable by his coaches on defense. With the right coaching, he has the length and strength to be at least a good defender. Rare combo of high floor and ceiling.
Solid take
Acuff feels like the obvious pick for the Kings already, which means it probably doesn’t happen unless they trade up to 5. Given our trade hisotry under Vivek, I’d be scared we’d be giving up to much. I would not give up a first or a swap to move up two spots.
I would prefer to trade Domas for 14 and think we can give up less than Domas (or adjacent value) to move up from 7 to 5, but I would do 7 and Domas for 5 and Mathurin. Lavine is gone this year (hopefully) or next and extending Mathurin gives Acuff a solid rookie contract partner at Guard.
That’s the exact type of trade I fear. Just take the 7th pick, make your second round picks count, play the hell out of our young players and sit tight until the midseason trade deadline. Nothing else.
Add a little Kyrie into the mix and that is very close . Also , likely RookieOf Year for Brooklyn .
There is no need for the Kings to give up assets to move up higher in this draft. After 1-3, or even after 1, the draft boards are all over the place from the people watching this stuff the closest. Also the argument for Flemings or Acuff is really unnecessary, at 7 someone will make that decision for us and that might be a good thing for Kings management.
it’s pretty clear the Kings want Acuff and I’m fine with that. I think his defensive deficiencies are far overstated so I’m not concerned about that. What I am concerned about is they make a stupid trade and give up future draft capital to move up. I get the feeling someone unexpectedly will be available at 7 and I’m guessing that player might be Peterson and you’d have to take him at 7. Please just stay at 7 and don’t do anything stupid.
Lastly, It’s obvious the Kings really need to make this pick count big but it’s also important we obtain value with our 2 second round picks. It would also be nice if the Kings can find an undrafted free agent much like how OKC obtained Dort. My pick is Jordan Pope from Texas. Former PAC 12 freshman player of the year not appearing on any draft boards but he can really shoot it and plays solid defense.
I agree. Stand pat at 5 and take whover is left of the guards.
I think Acuff has the highest ceiling.
Acuff is my pick because what he accomplished on the offensive side is remarkable.
I think concerns on defense are crazy overblown. When I think of defense, there are two things – do they have the physical tools to compete on defense? Or is it an IQ issue? When looking at Acuff, he’s not exactly a stick out there, as he is pretty well built for a PG. He is also fast, so that’s not an issue. At 6’2″, he is about average size for a PG. So, that’s not really a concern. He has the physical tools to be at least average on defense. So, if it’s an IQ issue, that tells me it’s just going to take some teaching and he’ll be fine. Things that can be taught can be improved – and defense IQ is mostly just picking the right spots and when to switch. It’s not like he has to develop a 3 point shot or something that would take a long time to develop. He just needs to be average or below average on defense, not abysmal.
If Kings pick Acuff, it really shows that nothing has changed. Not that I need evidence…
They (Vivek) are just enamoured with prolific scoring guards that are questionable floor generals and only pay lip service to defense (if they are undersized, it’s a plus). From Monta Ellis, to Jimmer, to Buddy Hield, McLemore, Sauce Castillo, Fox and LaVine, Acuff is just the type of player Vivek lusts for.
#SelltheKings
not to squabble (too much) – but Fox was (and is) a decent defender. He was also the best choice at 5 at the time (remember, GM Vlade gave the #3 away in a pick swap dropping the Kings down 2 spots). Also, The Jimmer was a Geoff Petrie/Maloof pick in the 2011 draft.
Your main point – Steph Curry they ain’t – Monta as Vivek’s dream is solid. Acuff also has the Scott Perry connection and for Vivek, the Calipari connection, which Ranadive treasures. Those are some HUGE red flags.
Sorry, but Fox was a turnstyle for many years and only started playing D consistently 3-4 years ago. I remember vividly (hundreds of times) him running into a screen and just standing still, leaning into his opponent, as if catching a break.
Yeah, my bad, Jimmer was earlier, but what a Vivek-type he was.
Agree about the Calipari shine. It’s Vivek’s pick to make, and Perry is just his mouthpiece, spouting his six pillars nonsense in the process. What a tool. And the we have Doug Christie…
Other than Vlade and Luke Walton, did we ever have a GM-coaching duo that commanded less respect?
There was much frustration with Fox defensively for many years here. Even as a “good” defender now, the lack of consistent effort on that end by him is still there.
He isn’t good enough offensively to be an inconsistent defender. I feel the same will happen with Acuff. People want to overlook the bad defense now, but come November/December, the talk will shift to how bad he is defensively and questions about building around him will be there.
First, Fox wasn’t and really isn’t a good defender. I remember at STR that we were continuously complaining about his tendency to get beaten at the PNR and also get blown by, despite being one of the fastest players of the game. What made him a “decent” defender was he had a tendency to go for a steal or a swipe behind when the player beat him, which resulted in a steal once in a while so it was decieving to see.
Second, connections are awash with this dismissive little chap. Remember how high our hopes were about getting Luka because of the supposed European connection and familiarity by Vlade of the Doncic family, and that the chap himself went to Europe with the FO to wine and dine Luka. We were calling it at the one yard line back then (ooofffff).
Voted Wagler. Reason/Ceiling: What if Tyrese Haliburton and Side Show Bob had a child?
Lobbying to add Ebuka Okorie. Reason: ACC scoring leader as a freshman. 1st team All ACC with Boozer and Caleb (see Kings Herald Draft Board).
Ceiling: Our next Bobby or Isaiah.
I believe that Acuff has the numbers, stats and media presence to be a very good offensive player – and when it comes to the NBA, offense is tops.
We’ve seen the strong defense of an Off Night (Davion) and to me, that doesn’t hold enough water compared to the leadership (yes, leadership) that a strong offensive player has in The Association. Brunson, Kyrie even Trae, LaMelo, Harden, Garland, Spida, Maxey and Mitchell – teams are described by their leading scorers and if they are guards, they aren’t described by their defense.
Can we dare to go Darius? It is very tempting and would be a solid choice.
Having said all of that, I am oddly enamored with Keaton Wagler. That he has a keen eye for the game and make his game without athleticism appeals to me. He brings high BBIQ, pure shooting, keen passing and size (he’s 6’6″). He won’t need to be hidden on defense either as he has high marks for guarding the PnR. For Sacramento in particular, I think he is the strongest fit.
I had a tough time deciding between Acuff, Wagler, Flemings, and Mikel Brown, Jr. I’d like to go with Wagler at the 5 spot. Differently than Acuff, he is a hit or miss prospect as far as star quality goes. Of these 4 PG: I rank them Wagler/Acuff, Acuff/Wagler, then Flemings then Brown, Jr (which means he is the most likely to succeed as I have him last). Brown has an oft described wild side which makes me think of LaMelo and also Malik Monk – players that play to the audience and not the game first. No thank you.
And 1 more thing –
As this is a Kings draft board, along with Vivek (Acuff), there is Six Pillar Scott Perry (SPSP or SP²). He has made clear that he is dead set determined to acquire RJ Barrett (likely at the cost of Domantas Sabonis and Jakob Poetl).
A backcourt of Keaton Wagler and RJ Barrett is more appealing to me than Acuff/Barrett.
Just a thought.
I agree with you on the RJ Barrett thing. The Kings moving off of Sabonis almost seems inevitable at this point. He’s not a Perry guy and vibe in media seems to be bringing Maxi to the front.
When it comes to Poetl, he had better come with draft capital and/or CMB. His contract has to be one of the worst in the league. I don’t know who his agent is but damn, that dude deserves a bonus.
I can squint and see him and Maxi sharing the C duties, depending on matchups, and maybe even having them play together, but unless they find a cure for aging, I don’t see how Poetl can be productive beyond a year or two.
I’m not hearing anything that suggests the Kings will move off Domas. I’d say it’s much more likely that he’s a King on opening night. Especially with the new lottery odds, Vivek probably wants to see what the team looks like early on before making trades.
I think the NBA is going to see a lot of movement this offseason, however I don’t see the kangz being a part of it.9
I’ve now added Burries into the tier of guards you are talking about. Is he pure PG? Maybe not, but neither is Wagler. The fact the Burries shared the backcourt with a good senior PG limited his playmaking abilities, but I feel he can be that combo type guard in the same vein as Booker.
Burries seems to have a sprinkle of all the good qualities of the other guards. He can shoot like Acuff, defend like Flemings, has good size akin to Wagler, but didn’t get to show his playmaking at Arizona. I could see him being a Jamal Murray type lead guard in NBA, which is not exceptional at any one thing, but still a top 15 PG in the league.
I’ve watched a ton of AZ and I’m 100% sold on Burries.
Like others here it’s very close between Flemings, Acuff, and Wagler. Based on my extensive YouTube analysis (shout out to Big12 Network!) I’ve gotta go with Keaton. He has a silky game that’s just so fun to watch. I’m all in on the Illini Guy.
Looking at the King’s expirings after next season- Lavine, DDR and Hunter will be a total of $100 million off the books.
If Perry can figure out a way to trade Domas for expirings, that’s another $45 million off the books. And I’m assuming Monk opts out for a long term deal elsewhere, that’s another $20 million. We’re talking a potential almost $170 million off the books come next offseason.
With the new lottery odds, the Kings will have to prioritize FA more than they would otherwise. The priority should be a clean cap sheet for next offseason.
you want to trade Domas for Cap Space?
Perry said in a recent interview the the Kings WILL NOT pay the luxury tax. They are currently over the tax line by a few million before they’ve added the #7 and filled out the rest of the roster. They project to be an apron team, which will make trades all the more difficult.
He is going to have to do something by the next deadline or they will be paying the tax the end of next season.
only $10 million of Demar’s contract is guaranteed, right? That would be $15 million less than your number.
The #7 pick is guaranteed over $6M, they would then need to add 3 more rostered players to get to 14. Even at vet minimum that’s around $6M more in salary. It comes out nearly a wash.
Plus, cutting a perfectly tradable contract should be an option of last resort as his deadline date, which I believe is Jan. 10th. Keep in mind, if they cross into that apron territory, they cannot aggregate players in trade.
They may have to cut DDR, not to get below the tax, but just to operate below the first apron. Good times.
well, that’s better than trading Domas for Cap Relief.
I think I’d prefer to trade for cap relief, because it likely comes with other assets, then simply cut DDR and get absolutely nothing in return but a $10M cap hit.
Yes I’d take cap space and I’d hope to get a first which would likely be a mid to late first, given bad teams aren’t trading for him.
He’s on a bad contract, hence why he hasn’t been traded.
“hence why he hasn’t been traded”? are you assuming a couple things there?
Of course.
You’re talking about draft picks in a manner as if you can extrapolate their NBA career from some college games, but on this topic assumptions are an issue?
Someone says in a comment that the team has been shopping Domas and that other teams don’t want his contract, and I ask if those are facts or assumptions and the person says yes they are assumptions and somehow that’s my bad?
Well, there were reported talks between the Raps and Kings at the deadline for Sabonis.
Do you really think Domas was not shopped? I’m positive he was, but a deal is difficult given how much money he makes and he needs to be on a very specific team given his skillset and limitations.
That’s it in a nutshell.
if the Kings could trade Sabonis for Barrett, Dick and the Raptors #19 this would also bring in 11 mil. I would do this in a heartbeat.
Exactly, clean up the payroll and acquire as much draft capital as possible.
Indeed. It’s not rocket science. Clean the books for next offseason and accumulate picks.
Wemby, Castle and Harper are under 22, they haven’t even gotten started. The Kangz aren’t winning anything meanigful anytime soon. So, rebuild, amass picks and cap space
game 7 in 30 minutes, Spurs Thunder. who’s watching?
What a marvelously captivating series – each game is a momentum shift.
It all comes down to now. The advantage goes to the Champs, #1 seed, playing at home.
Hope to see a battle royal. I want both teams to win. It is difficult for me to root against Wemby, (and Fox/Castle/Harper)
and take away the usual officiating complaints, OKC is one heck of a team.
What say you?
Rooting for the Spurs, mainly so we can see Coach Brown and Fox go head to head in the Finals and the hope the national telecast will shine an ugly spotlight on the Kings past dealings.
Don’t forget Barnes as well, our downward spiral started started with trading Barnes
I’m just curious, but, has Chet been underwhelming these playoffs? Please don’t burn me because I am just using the eye test per game, not involving advanced stats. He is making minimal impact, maybe a block here or two, but maybe he is also sacrificing a bit of his game in pushing Wemby out of his comfort zone? If Chet was available to trade, who would you give up?
Chet is mentally screwed against Wemby, lol. He won’t even try to attack him on offense. Just gets it and passes right away.
Also, Chet looks malnourished. He needs to spend some of that $$$ on food.
Lots of sportswriters and fans, including myself, though that Chet vs Wemby was the key match up. It was a one-sided affair, as Wemby simply dominated both him and Harty. I don’t think a healthy J-Dub would have made a difference. Spurs just too deep at this point, and will only get better.
Hartenstein played well, Chet was awful.
Wemby makes Chet look like the token end of the bench White big most teams have. It’s pretty wild.
Shawn Bradley 2.0 this series LOL
They’re gonna have to change that to 8-0 now.
So now, either Mike Brown wins a championship or Fox and Barnes win. And Vivek just continues looking like an idiot.
What an obscure stat, but interesting. Harrison counts as two people!
And 10 years apart!
I’ve changed my draft choice to whichever prospect has a birthday at the end of May. We are guaranteed a Finals appearance
.
I’m semi rooting for the Knicks given how much success the Spurs have had the last quarter century and knowing Wemby is going to win multiple ships anyways.
And I like knowing the two HCs Vivek fired both went on to win ships.
Chet at 5/$250 mill kicks in this coming season.
Game 7 stats: 4 points and 4 boards.
Presti is going to be working hard this offseason to find an answer to counterint Wemby, Hartenstein and Chet aren’t it.
And Chet’s contract has a poison pill provision. Team acquiring him will be hit with 42 mil i think, while OKC gets only a 13 mil reprieve. Plus since OKC is over the apron, they cannot aggregate contracts to match. Presti is gonna have his hands full, indeed.
I think Giannis is their best bet to nuetralizing Wemby. Bucks will be able to ask for as many firsts as they like, especially if they take on chet’s contract on top of it.
Hartenstein was pretty good, actually. The Spurs were just better.
He doesn’t look like an Idiot….He Is.
Plus , he’s a world class asshole.
Yay, freakin’ yay! Two people that Vivek unceremoniously discarded last season are going against each other in the finals. Hopefully this gets a lot of coverage from the national media – it deserves it.
To add, that was a very impressive performance by the Spurs. I thought OKC was gonna run away with this game.
Dudes that were integral to getting their teams to the Finals not long after Vivek shoved them out the door:
Michael Malone
Haliburton
Fox
Mike Brown
So there should be suitors lining up for LaVine, Sabonis, and Monk now, yes?
And Christie for sure lol
Any truth to rumors that with the coaching vacancies in Chicago, Dallas and Portland that these teams asked for permission to talk to anyone from the current Sacramento coaching staff?
As long as they don’t go to the Lakers
This one’s tough for me, and I’m not sure I’m sold on my pick Acuff. I was on the Fleming‘s train for a while even over Peterson. I like his leadership I like his defense. The measurements were a little concerning, but there’s something about a cuff that I think he can just be a scoring machine at three different levels, but we’re gonna need to figure out defense somehow which means we need to either get rid of Levine or Sabonis or find that unicorn because I don’t know that we will be able to stop anyone
Yeah, having Acuff and LaVine as your starting backcourt may get you to 130 points every night, but you’d also likely be giving up 135, especially if Sabonis is your starting 5.
It sort of reminds me oh how the Warriors had Monta and Curry for a few seasons before saying, “yeah, this isn’t going to work,” and they shipped off Monta for an injured Bogut.
I’m not making my draft pick with consideration of anyone currently on the roster, full stop.
It’s like Vlade not taking Luka because Fox was already on the team or moving on from Hali because was already on the team.
I think you just reinforced the the point of Kings going full Kangz. They are just as likely to build around a core of Acuff, LaVine, and Sabonis just so Vivek can see the team score a shit ton of points every night, regardless of the win/loss column.
But back to my point of the Warriors, they were right to build around Curry. Remember how they got booed by the fans for sending off Monta for an injured Bogut? That’s akin to the Kings possibly selecting Acuff and selling off everyone else to build around him. Its what they are likely NOT to do, because you know…Kangz.
Oh, Vivek can make this worse. Vivek ships LaVine for Morant, and then gives up a future first or a pick swap to trade up to #5 for Acuff. LaVine would come off the books at the end of the season, and dealing for Morant kicks that overpriced salary down the road for another season, for a guy who is more likely to be injured, quit or in jail than he is to play.
Morant accomplishes nothing, limits salary flexibility for an additional season, and the Kings lose a draft pick, or a potentially catastrophic pick swap in the process, extending the misery even further into the future.
Why does Vivek do this? Well, he’s dumb, for one. But he sees it as recreating the Beam Team. Ja Morant is “Fox but better,” Acuff “replaces” Huerter “but better” and they still have DeRozan, so Beam Team “but better” and that team doesn’t win 30 games.
I’d probably go with Mara. I just feel like the league trend is toward super-sized bigs. I liked what adding size did for the team last season once Max and Dillon emerged, and I would like to see Perry take it up a notch. I realize you’ve got to take the best player, but if I’m not sure, (and I’m not) I’m taking the guy who adds a dimension on defense, can make plays, and as a bona-fide freak, I know he has a role in the NBA. It would be contingent on the interview, like always, but I’m not as adamant about working him out against men as with the guards. I feel confident his best skills,(size, passing, and vertical spacing) will translate.
I’ve come around on Westbrook and I see a window to build continuity around his leadership, he’s a culture setter. Even though his skills aren’t top-notch anymore the experience is real, he can still contribute, and there will be opportunities to add talent, even in this draft with the 2 second rounders. . DeRozen I would let go. Let the front-court line-up sort itself out this season. Then let the roster draw a proven PG once it’s established itself as a force.
I’m going Burries here. He’s the most complete player and people are underestimating his ballhandling and playmaking. He’s a plus defender that can score on three levels and initiate an offense. If Arizona wasn’t so stacked he would’ve been a 20+ point scorer. If they didn’t have Bradley, he would’ve been their PG. He wasn’t the star player in every AZ game, but he didn’t need to be. Krivas, Mo Johnson, Bradley, Koa Peat…the team was stacked. If you look at his combine numbers you’ll see solid measurements and pretty elite athleticism. I get arguments for Wagler and Acuff, but Burries has the highest floor and people are underestimating his ceiling. A lot of these guards in this range have pretty comparable risk/reward ratios. What I wouldn’t want to do is trade up for anyone at 5. Take any of Wagler, Acuff, Brown, Philon, or Burries at 7. Pretty solid group.
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