We are now just a week away from the NBA Lottery. In Sacramento Kings land, one can only assume the Basketball Gods shall not look down upon us favorably, and even if they do, one can only assume what the Kings do with that pick will not end up favorable.
But, hey, we’re here for it, right?
Let’s take a look at the latest national mock drafts.
With the 5th overall pick, the Kings select Mikel Brown Jr. The 6’5” guard out of Louisville averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds last season. He shot 41% from the field and 34% from three. Brown Jr. has had injury issues but is creative with the ball in his hands and is skilled with pull-up jump shooting.
The Athletic: Kingston Flemings
With the 7th overall pick (ouch), the Kings select Kingston Flemings. The 6’4” guard’s stock has fallen since the tournament ended, but he still averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He averaged 47% from the field and 38% from three. He is a good floor general and quick but how consistent his shot will be is a concern.
With the 5th overall pick the Kings select Darius Acuff Jr. The Kings need a point guard and Acuff is arguably the best one available in the draft. There are questions about his defense, but his 23.5 points and 6.4 assists last season with Arkansas, combined with his rise among draft experts during the tournament, point to his potential as an impact player.
Another prediction has the Kings landing Flemings. This mock has Acuff Jr. going 7th to the Atlanta Hawks.
Another round of mock drafts with the Kings selecting no higher than 5th.
If when the Kings draft have these 3 PGs as BPA, I’m going with Flemings. No more matadors on defense, please. The kid has the best defensive numbers of any guard in the draft. I saw a video that said he has an offense like Fox and a defense like Rondo. Yeah, I’d take that.
Of the three that are expected to go early, Flemings is the one that I think would be best for the Kings.
Yeah, even though his offense isn’t as outstanding as Acuff, his offense is still really, really good. That defense makes up for slightly worse offense.
Vivek certainly wouldn’t mind if we dropped to 7th. 😉
LOL, May 21, 2013 he was just days into owning of the Kings when he posted about Curry and Barnes of the Warriors. Curry was drafted in 2009, a year before Vivek became a minority owner of the Warriors. What a nincompoop.
Kings landed at #7 in 2013. He ignored the advice of outgoing Petrie to draft that greek kid (Giannis) and after they worked out CJ MCCollum and promised to draft him at #7, they drafted Ben McLemore, who is currently serving 8 years in prison for rape.
Lucky #7, indeed.
At least McLemore isn’t serving 7 years…
Acuff for scoring, Kingston for defense, Keaton for highest ceiling
Is Wagler a 1 or 2 in the NBA? He seems like a guy who’s best suited to play off-ball on both ends. I’m not sure where he’ll end up positionally, but I’m hoping for a guy who can play point.
From some of the tape I’ve seen on Wagler, I have to admit I get Hali vibes from him. I don’t think he’s a true PG, but could function as one in a Devin Booker/Derrick White type of way. It wouldn’t surprise me if he goes top 5.
I see the physical comparison to Tyrese, but I don’t see the same play-making skills. The shot is legitimate and that can keep defenders honest opening passing lanes. How composed will he be against NBA level defenders? There were times at Illinois when he made some embarrassingly bad decisions, a lot of over penetration. If he struggles to control the ball he becomes a two guard. He also becomes easier to hide off the ball on defense, but his size is less impressive at the two. As a shooting guard it could be hard to find minutes for him, especially with the current roster, and I’m much less intrigued.
Agreed. I just see him as a straight up elite three point shooter. His ceiling is dependent on other skills like developing his passing or ball handling.
I do worry about his lack of athleticism. Can he create enough space to get his shot off against NBA talent? Is he strong/quick enough to get past defenders?
The Kings don’t have anyone that can really create shots or space for him, so the fit would be questionable. Team for him will be paramount for success, imo.
Hmm…back on Apr 23 I clicked the Tankathon Draft simulator button and came up with the Kings getting Caleb Wilson at #4. I just clicked that button for the first time since then and got Caleb Wilson at #4!
They literally cannot pick fourth, so I think something is wrong. Lol
Sure they can. They have a 45% chance of landing in the top 4.
The lottery determines the top 4 picks in the draft, and then the rest fall in line after that.
Just from seeing AJ and Acuff in a few games they seem to have the most star power . Both fit position needs and star needs . Just a thought based on very little info .
I’d pick Acuff over the other guards and not think twice about it. I know his defense is a weakness, but his offense is so much better than the others and they aren’t lockdown defenders either.
I would begin working guys out with little preference for anyone as the NBA is such a step up from college, but I think Flemings has the potential to be a very high level defender. I’m not sure a “lock-down” defender exists in the NBA but he reminds me a bit of Jrue Holiday.
Ohh, nice comp. Jrue isn’t a super-star, but the dude is a winner. If Acuff Jr has the offensive and PG skill of Trae Young (a comp I’ve heard) and Flemings is more Jrue Holiday, then I’m taking Flemings.
Great comparison and I’ve heard Acuff compared to Kyrie Erving . If true, can’t miss but remember Bagley compared to Larry Nance sr. .
On the defensive side, I see more Derrick White than Jrue, but a strong POA defender either way. On the offensive side, he reminds me of Mike Conley or FVF, a steady calming presence who puts everyone in the correct position and will make the proper pass or play, while off-ball will float along the perimeter to hit the occasional open 3.
Acuff is definitely Trae Young 2.0 and for me is behind Flemings and Brown. I don’t have Wagler in the top 10, I basically have no interest in Acuff or Wagler.
I love Flemings two-way game and would be thrilled if he were heading to SAC, but if we need to find that PG who is also potentially a star player, then as long as the medical is clear, I’d be extremely happy with Brown.
The fact that after this miserable season we are talking about who to pick of these guys instead of one of the consensus top three when we were the worst team for a while near the end of the season goes to show how incompetent this organization is.
Yeah it’s just another organizational failure in decades of them. On to the next one. They’ll draft someone, they’ll probably be fine, and they’ll trade them for peanuts in 6-7 years as we’re a decade into our next playoff drought. Rinse and repeat.
Thanks, I hate all of it.
Yeah, I can’t even be bothered to check out the prospects.
The Kings will either:
Rinse and repeat.
“not develop the guy”: although the Celtics were eliminated, there is no doubt that Neemias Queta is a genuine NBA rotational player, even a starter on some teams. I thought he played well (but confess that I don’t see or understand the game as well as most on this site).
Yeah until there’s some meaningful change at the top of this organization which seems to be either an ownership change or Vivek being lobotomized, I just don’t know what there is to get excited about. The speed and stupidity with which Vivek destroyed the beam team has broken me.
Nobody is talking much about Mikel Brown Jr. He looks like a player to me. Plays with aggression and plays above the rim.
The Thunder have a 7% chance of getting a top four pick.
Why is it, that even if we somehow end up with the #1 pick and should draft AJ Dybantsa, I feel like we’re going to trade down and end up with Darius Acuff and Kyle Kuzma?
If that indeed did happen, then the league would need to step in and do something. I also probably would stop being a Kings fan until the Ranadive ownership was gone, including any family members. I’m already the most apathetic I have been, like ever, as a Kings fan and that would be the nail in the coffin for me.
Hawks have 40% chance of a top four pick.
Can you imagine enduring the abomination of a season we just did and NOT having a top 3 pick. FML KANGZ
Now imagine a team like the Thunder or Warriors jumping into the top 3 because supposedly tanking is a problem.
Or the Hawks?
Kings have a 2% chance of picking 5 and the chances of pick 1-4 and 6-7 are about equal. My gut says if they jump it’s to 3 and if they don’t it’s 7. I guess that makes me an optimistic pessimist.
Also, if anybody remembers me, I have ended my STH after 38 years. Half my life.
i will be happy with the 8th pick if somehow Zack, as Comey would say, is 86 8.
wait, ElRon is still alive? (just kidding)
Otis, your turn next.
Careful, you call for an Otis and might receive a Pookey!
And then get stabbed!
I think the better question is Was I ever alive?
Liar.
Then why is your signature under the Declaration of Independence?
You’re thinking of Liestothegirls
Did you forget I invented the flux capacitor?
Must be a fan of GM Perry
I am going to vent: Kings could not find a way to lose one more meaningless game. Kings lost the coin flip. Now Kings at #5. Not bad at all considering this is where all the needed PGs are BUT- the danger lies in getting jumped- could be 4 jumps or 3 or 2 or 1.
Flemings, Wagler, Acuff, Brown and then Burries. in that order
We’re at the point in the wasteland that remains the Sacramento Kings where I wonder if, no matter who we select, will they pull a Billy Owens on us?
Or do agents more or less handle that pre-draft these days?
I just can’t imagine any young player near the top of the draft wanting to literally throw away their career in this cesspool.
From Ricky O’Donnell on SB Nation:
Truth. They were even bad when healthy. 3-16 when Sabonis played and 5-18 when Keegan played.
Yup, just plain bad this year. I heard lots of people on other sites/Youtube say how the Kings were the epitome of tanking this season. They didn’t really do any (blatant) tanking this season. They tried the first few months and just sucked.
In a season where they would have been more competitive (record wise in the early season) Domas, Zach, and Keegan may have played through those injuries. But the writing was on the wall early, the team was bad from the get go. They played their vets heavy minutes and were still getting blown out.
Four more days.
until Vivek sells?
If only.
That would really be winning the lottery!
Badge Legend