This last week has been quite the whirlwind for the Sacramento Kings. After jumping from the 7th to the 4th overall selection on Tuesday night, the Kings entered the draft combine in one of the most interesting and enviable positions of any of the lottery teams. With Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero projected as the first three selections on draft night, the Kings will likely be the first team up with a world of opportunities ahead of them. If they keep the pick, they could swing for the fences with Shaedon Sharpe, the mystery box of the 2022 NBA Draft. And according to James Ham of ESPN 1320, the Kings have already conducted an interview with Sharpe, as well as having attended his private one-on-zero workout.
At first glance, Sharpe seems like a logical pick for a team like the Kings, if one ignores the contractual situation of the current General Manager. He’s a guard-wing who can fly above the rim, knock down shots all over the floor, and his near 6’6″ frame and 6’11” wingspan could develop into the tools of an effective or elite defender down the line. His ability to play off of the ball would pair well with De’Aaron Fox, while the prospect of Sharpe cutting down the lane to sky for a dunk off of a Domantas Sabonis high-post lob should leave fan salivating. However, the lack of film and in-game competition for Sharpe is a wildcard for anyone considering his selection, especially Monte McNair.
As is well-known throughout the league, McNair is entering the last season of his contract, with no extension in sight, and Sacramento’s playoff mandate is perhaps the worst-kept secret in the NBA. Taking such a gamble on a player who has very little in-game experience against high-level competition may seem like an easy pass for a management team fighting for their jobs and reputations, but Sharpe is also the prospect with the highest ceiling available, assuming the top-3 goes as expected. If Monte McNair views Fox and Sabonis as a pair of Robins still in need of a Batman, Sharpe could represent that franchise-altering hope. Pairing Sacramento’s two fringe or lower tier All-Stars with a true cornerstone could accelerate the rebuild exponentially, and the Kings could even find themselves in the playoffs as early as next season.
There is also the Minnesota Timberwolves dynamic to consider, a team the Kings are apparently comparing themselves to internally, according to Marc Stein:
“Candidates were told that team officials are counting on a Minnesota-esque surge in the standings in Year 1 after a league-record 16 consecutive seasons out of the playoffs. The Wolves went 46-36 in Chris Finch’s first full season on the bench to secure just the club’s second playoff berth in an 18-season span.”
Interestingly enough, the Wolves made two major changes prior to their surge in the Western Conference. They found a coach who could both create a sensible defensive game plan and get his team to buy in, something the Kings are hoping for with Mike Brown, and they went out and drafted a dynamic, above-the-rim, confident off-guard who changed the chemistry of the stagnant Wolves, who were led by a score-first guard and a dominant center. It’s entirely possible that the Kings view Shaedon Sharpe with the same lens.
Of course, the Sharpe interview also shows that the Kings are doing their due diligence on every available player. In an era of smokescreens, fake promises, and moving up and moving back in the draft, showing a high level of interest in Sharpe could convince another team, perhaps the Indiana Pacers or the Detroit Pistons, to move up to the 4th pick to snag Sharpe before the Kings do so, putting Sacramento in an advantageous negotiating position.
No matter what happens in the next few weeks leading up until the draft, fans can expect the Kings to be linked to just about every reasonable name, trade, and scenario until Adam Silver announces their selection on June 23rd.
Reminds me too much of Bagley. Too much of an unknown against top competition plus the Side Show Bob hairstyle. We don’t need to be drafting any more clowns. Hopefully he moves into the top three and we get whoever falls.
Bagley was actually much more known than Sharpe is, as in “we know he has no right hand, can’t guard a corpse, and never meets an injury he can’t acquire–but man that second jump!” Does Shaedon Sharpe have a second jump? Because that’s the most important thing here.
Idk about his 2nd jump, but I’ve read that Sharpe unofficially has a vertical of 49”.
I unofficially do not believe it.
I’d need to officially see it on video to believe it.
at 1:49, Sharpe jumps up and taps the rim with his head.
Okay, I want that.
I love the sequence. I as well.
Sharpe, to me, looks/feels like a potential star. This is an opportunity to build a real/contending team.
Why get Murray-just solid-when you can maybe get a future all star type. id rather the Kings trade for a vet then take Murray.
if Vivek didn’t have his head up his ass w playoff shit and extend Monte the Kings could take advantage of this opportunity a potentially build a team long term with a young player better than Fox.
He’s far more developed physically than Bagley and that’s very apparent. Already has an NBA body. Bagley was and is still a stick in comparison.
This Bagley comparison is odd and inaccurate
.
I know you weren’t the one throwing out the comparison
I think Mathurin can touch the rim with his head, or at least get very close (see TCU dunk). Mathurin also has college stats comparable to Ivey’s.
I would put Mathurin in the same tier as Ivey. But that, for me, means moving Ivey down to Mathurin’s tier, rather than moving Mathurin up to Ivey’s. For the Kings, specifically, I would draft Mathurin ahead of Ivey.
I’m not going to buy 49 inches, but it’s clear from the film we DO have that he just extremely high and extremely well of both one and two feet. At that point, the difference between “record-breaking” and merely “elite” doesn’t really matter, IMO.
That’s what she said.
Literally, the only similarities are having moderately big, natural hair, being exceptional athletes, and being ranking #1 in their class before decided to join the earlier draft class are the only similarities. Their games couldn’t be more different.
Are you actually judging a player based off of his hairstyle? He’s a “clown” because of his hair? Now I hope the Kings draft him so you get to see it every other night!
Hear hear!
or Hair hair, if you will.
i liked Fox’s old haircut. Samson’d.
But seriously how long are his leg hairs? That’s the important metric here.
I like Fox’s old haircut too.
Umm, yes definitely. I do love the Simpsons though. Thank you for sticking up for clowns though. We should not make fun of clown hair.
The player doesn’t scare me. An acceptable risk. Drafting someone at 4 who will never be the lead dog on this Iditarod out of basketball hell scares me. If they blow it it will only cost another 4 years of misery. That’s nothing. I could pass that time like I’d just locked myself in the warden’s office to play opera music.
This is where I’m at and why I favor Sharpe based on nothing more than Youtube highlights. Which is 95% of TKH commenters scouting at this point.
Sounds stupid, but Sharpe just has the look/body and possible variety in game to potentially be a franchise cornerstone player. Last couple of picks have been pretty safe (not wrong picks in my mind), but little chance either Hali or Mitchell would ever become the #1 option on a playoff team. I think it’s OK to swing for it here. I’d rather take 30% chance at a franchise player, than an 80% chance at a high end starter. Which is how I see Keegan Murray….again based on Youtube scouting. I don’t know how to feel about Ivey.
You never know when you get another chance at a Top 5 pick…which is your most likely spot to land one of these guys if your an undesirable free agency location. I have zero issue taking a big swing here
I agree with all of that.
Well put Wiz.
Hella!
Come on, Monte. Show us you’ve got balls!
Kings in perfect position to screw this up. Here are the obvious options..
Pass on Jaden and he becomes the most exciting player in league.
Choose Sharpe and he might become the second coming of Donte Greene.
Choose Murray and he might become a poor mans Harrison Barnes
I have no idea what they should do, but I wouldn’t want to be Monte.
If the Kings pick Sharpe & he fails for some reason, he’d probably be the 2nd coming of McLemore.
Yeah, I was actually thinking about that yesterday when people were debating a Ivey/McLemore comp. IF we were looking for worst case outcome comps, McLemore suits Sharpe more than Ivey. When it comes to recent disappointing high picks, Ivey would look more like Dennis Smith Jr.
Outta curiosity, but where do you think Ivey’s best landing spot is? I think it’s Detroit personally, but maybe I’m missing something.
I think Detroit is a good call. Mostly because basically anybody can fit with Cade and they have holes everywhere.
The best highest spot is probably OKC, but I don’t see them taking him over two of Chet/Paolo/Jabari. NOP is another decent fit. In both those cases they would probably prefer a better shooter, but at least they have openings at his position and other guys that can take the primary ball handling roles. Actually, the Wizards might be the best fit, but it’s hard to imagine him falling that far.
Agreed on OKC, and the Bullets could be his best ‘landing’ spot.
Hard to imagine a better outcome for the Kings at this point than OKC drafting Ivey.
Yeah, no doubt. Still think Detroit makes the most sense for Ivey.
I don’t understand this take. I take that back, haven’t watched a lot of the top 3 guys. But Ivey has the handles and elusiveness to be a true NBA talent. Reminds me of Ja Morant. The other two guys in the conversation don’t even come close. The only downside seems like the fit with the Kings roster. Wouldn’t affect my decision if I was Monte, but I don’t even think he’ll make it to #4.
Detroit definitely seems like his best landing spot.
So, you’re not really one to step up and make a big decision, eh?
You get as much information as you can, surround the decision with due diligence, and you live with it.
Predicting what an eighteen year old is going to be like in two, five, ten years is the most inexact science possible. You have consensus #1 guys, ones that any GM would have taken in that given year, and they don’t always pan out. The #1 pick should, theoretically, always become ROY, but they don’t. Cade is going to have a nice career, but is not at this point, and may never be, the best player in his class. (I preferred Mobley, but Toronto sure looks smart with Barnes.)
None of this lets anyone off the hook, it’s a results-oriented business. Strong cases can be made for all of Ivey, Murray, and Sharpe. McNair could potentially draft a player who gets into the Hall of Fame one day, but if he misses a bunch of time in his rookie year, or adjusts slowly to the pros, the GM’s ass is on the line.
McNair has had a lot of shit dumped on him, including Luke Walton, and VD’s cap mess, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the organization is better run today, despite ownership’s meddling. The smart move would be to have McNair’s contract synced with Brown’s, now that McNair has finally been permitted to hire a head coach. They should be allowed to sink or swim together.
I’m confident that McNair will do everything possible to put all of the potential Kings under a microscope, and that his choice will make sense at the time, and hopefully in retrospect. A lot of people scratched their heads about Davion Mitchell, and all that selection has done is make it possible to acquire an all-star rebounding machine, and lose Hield’s contract. Incidentally, Mitchell looks like a guy who absolutely deserves to be in the league, and no sensible person doubts his resolve to become as great as he can be.
If Haliburton becomes a repeat all-star, will that mean that it was the wrong decision? It could be argued, and I might even join in. All I can say for certain is had that deal not been made, the current situation in Sacramento would be much gloomier. The Kings are now one difference-maker, and not two, away from being able to make some noise.
If we keep the pick, the guy most likely to be the third piece is Sharpe. I think that Murray is all but a lock to be a very good NBA player, but I don’t know if that would be enough. Syncing up Brown and McNair would make it easier to weigh the long-term against the chance to strike gold. And even if that happens, he may still take Sharpe, if he’s available. I’m still on the fence, but if SS comes in for some workouts and looks like the real deal in scrimmages, the rest may be academic.
I hate it when you make logical, sensible arguments Sims.
At least you have a lot of company.
On a more serious note, do you have a favorite whom the Kings should take at 4?
I love what Murray already does, and he sure reads like a Haliburton/Mitchell-type player: Smart, good instincts, busts his ass at both ends, and versatility for days. I don’t think a team that drafts him is going to deal with a lot of regret about it.
On the other hand, Sharpe may very well be that guy. He offers versatility on defense at 1/2/3, he’s absolutely fluid in his movement, has pretty shot mechanics, and handles the ball like a point guard. I do think the Kings will have an opportunity to test him and will have a much clearer idea of what Sharpe is/could be by the time of the draft.
I wouldn’t be shocked if he was taken before the count of four, which still leaves a very good player for Sacramento. I don’t get bust vibes from any of these guys, and if I had to pick one, it’d be Holmgren, based on his ability to stay healthy while getting knocked around by gigantic humans with more athleticism.
If things remain static with the order for a month, I suspect that we’ll have locked onto who we really want, and one or two others who we’d still be lucky to get.
If we trade down to get an impactful player, and the draftee is Sochan, I won’t take issue with it.Should we take him, I’d feel better if his spot was a lot closer to ten than to five.
TBH, I think there’s a strong possibility the Kings end up choosing between Sochan and Sharpe and that 4th pick.
Then, they try to get John Collins with a future 1st in 2023 top 10ish protected or whatever for a couple of years and at some point it relays.
You get the upside of a Sochan/Sharpe type, an actual starter in the here and now with Collins.
Good points about Sharpe and overall Sims. Appreciate the thoughts.
No way in hell Sochan goes top 4. Have you watched Baylor play he has offensive limitations but mid first is appropriate.
I don’t watch basketball. Not even a little bit, actually. But Sam Vecenie and Kevin O’Connor do, and Vecenie has Sochan 7th in his latest mock and O’Connor has Sochan 10th in his latest mock.
So if 10th is mid 1st to you, then okay. But I’m sure you meant 13-18 range based on your comments.
And yes, I know Sochan has his offensive limitations. But he’s an interesting mix of floor and ceiling that you can’t typically say about every prospect.
Remind me when he gets drafted 4th. You can’t listen to all the noise you hear.
Sochan would’ve been fine if the Kings stayed at #7, but I’d be annoyed if the Kings pick him at #4. To me, he seems like he’s a tier below Sharpe, Murray & Ivey.
I’ve read some scouting reports that list Sharpe’s handle as a potential concern, so it doesn’t sound like he handles the ball like a PG. However, it sounds like he should be fine as a secondary playmaker & apparently he’s great at cutting to the basket.
Based on the 5-minute video package on Youtube, I would agree with the no-handle assessment. He is all high-flying alley oops and step-back threes. I don’t think I saw him take his man off the dribble once. That is very worrisome to me. Athleticism is overrated, we need ball handling and the ability to break ankles, I didn’t see either with this guy.
I think “no handle” is a pretty big overstatement. He definitely needs to work on his handle, but he has a pretty deep bag of dribble moves, and there are plenty of examples online, in videos provided in the past couple threads of him taking his man off the dribble. His handles are absolutely NOT NBA PG level, but very few non-elite PG type prospects are.
It’s also worth noting that I think handle is one of the skills most easily improved upon by players entering the league.
When it comes to his lapses on the dribble, I my concern is that it isn’t his handle that’s an issue. He certainly has things to tighten up (he tend to expose the ball on spins, he loses connection to the ball on direction changes at times, etc.), but those are all things that generally do tighten up with work in the pros. For me the bigger issue would be that he doesn’t always display great awareness of help defenders and blitzes when operating off the dribble.
There’s a lot of over statements both ways regarding Sharpe based on a few videos and it’s kind of comical. I remember how intriguing Papa G looked on those videos. I’ll reserve comment on Sharpe.
Wait. 19 year olds aren’t polished pro’s right out of the gate? My goodness! Stop the presses!!!!
He’s what, 19? He’s got time to work on it.
If your comment stopped after the first paragraph, that player evaluation would lead me to pick Murray. To suggest Sharpe over Murray, I think you’re having too much fun with the “jump to conclusions” mat.
And I should point out, I’ll be the first to jump on this chaos theory anyway, I think the Kings take Jeremy Sochan. I know he isn’t getting top 5 buzz…yet….but Sam Vecenie has him at 7 in his current mock. That’s way up from 12 like 3 weeks ago.
Sochan is the prospect that intrigues me most because of his youth, versatility (particularly on defense) and the potential to add offense via shooting. Plus he can handle the ball some on top of that.
He’s an interesting player. However, I think 4 is too high for him. His defense is good and he is switchable, but it’s a stretch to say it’s elite because he does not get a a lot of stocks. I also think a quick and savvy dribbler can time his hopping and get a jump on him. He’s also a good playmaker for a forward, but the shooting indicators are not there yet. His efficient midrange game however leads me to believe he will not be a bust if taken in the late lottery, and there’s a well founded hope for further development. And I like how he gets under the opponent’s skin.
I fully expect the reaction to Sochan being picked at 4 to be that’s ‘way too high.’ Is Sochan the right guy? Eh, who knows?
But I think his profile is interesting, and in ways this team could use. There’s much work to be done, I’m sure McNair will take who he deems best. Wouldn’t especially surprise me if that’s Jaden Ivey, even. Monte McNair seems to do what he thinks is best regardless of public reaction to it.
If he can hit the three, he’ll be an amazing player. but at #4, I’d try to not do too much wishful thinking for that type of improvement. As a floor, he’s a useful rotational forward, slightly better than Eduardo Najera.
Part of the problem w/projecting them is that Sharpe’s 18, Ivey’s 20 & Murray’s 21, so they’re theoretically at different stages of development.
I like the analysis. There is a theme to Monte’s picks: smart, gym rats, multi-skilled and BPA at the slot. (and PG’s)
I don’t agree with you conclusion though.
Murray is going to be a fine NBA player- has all the characteristics that Monte likes.
SS could be LaVine or B-Mac. I think more of the former. He will be a bit slow to develop but J. Green with a similar profile started slow and the exploded. SS did play at Kentucky in scrimmages.
But my conclusion about BPA, highest ceiling is Ivey. Kings need a guy who can go get a bucket. SS can shoot. JI can go get a bucket. Spread the floor and gone.
I think he has the best chance to be truly impactful. All 3 of SS, Murray and JI are good but Ivey is a difference maker.
Kings need that. Will probably not get a chance to get this high of a pick for a long time.
I was high on Murray for a few days and now- at least today- have settled in on Ivey.
This comment would make a great Roz Chast cartoon.
Totally torn. Seems like a #1 pick type player in this draft or next. My initial reaction to him not playing at Kentucky was a negative, but the more I thought about it…he basically spent his senior year of high school practicing with Kentucky right?
I know he graduated HS in October then enrolled at Kentucky. I may be wrong, but he seems more like a throwback straight out of HS #1 pick that got to practice with one of the best programs in college basketball. Still don’t like he didn’t get any actual college experience playing, but it’s an interesting case for sure.
Yeah, I was thinking that we basically have the same amount of intel on Sharpe that we had on guys like Dwight Howard, LeBron, Amare, McGrady, Kobe, Garnett, Sweet Lou Williams, etc. Or more recent guys that took an alternate path like Simons, Bazley, & Robinson, And, obviously, a list of guys that didn’t succeed.
All of those players had years of HS experience and AAU hype. Sharpe has very little of either . Does not mean he can not be great but just not much to go on . Lebron was on Nat TV as a soph !
What do you mean? Sharpe has played the same number of years of HS ball, EYBL/AAU, and National u_ teams as all those guys.
So where is all the game tape on him ? Plenty on all the others .
Here are articles w/some game tape on him:
https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/2022-nba-draft-profile-shaedon-sharpe-biggest-mystery-2022-class
https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/shaedon-sharpe-2022s-mystery-man?s=r
After reading the second of these, I would judge that the huge unknown with an 18-year-old is whether he will develop dedication to his craft like Kobe, Michael, and LaBron or will he be like so many others of equal or nearly equal potential who as adults simply didn’t want it that much. There seems absolutely no way of knowing.
You left out Kwame Brown, Darrius Miles, Jonathan Bender and several others. That Intel stuff bends both ways.
Did I? From he comment you’re quoting:
Though looking at the list of HS draftees, I wouldn’t say the hit rate is any lower than the college draftees. In fact, it may be higher. Due, obviously, to the sample bias that guys drafted out of high school tended to be the absolute cream of their high school class.
If I’m the Kings, I’m trading up to the #1 spot and drafting Kofi Cockburn out of Illinois.
Might end up being the greatest name in NBA history.
Would make a great jersey, wouldn’t it?
It would be nice to see that jersey raised to the rafters in some arena.
Sac on the front
cockburn on the back.
if Jersey sales are important than that would be my selection as GM
Coffee Cockburn.
Seems appropriate.
Well his nickname should definitely be “covfefe”.
If the requirement is to have a Minnesota type jump, one young draft pick won’t get us to 46 wins. Having said that, the Kings should draft the player they feel has the highest ceiling and the immediate short term should not be part of the criteria.
I’d still like to move Fox and see if we can somehow grab another top 5 pick. Houston, Detroit and maybe Indiana, are you interested. Or Maybe New York and Washington in a multi team deal. Houston, if you give us that third pick, we’ll take Wall’s contract off your hands and give you Fox, Holmes and a couple of second round picks.
I think Fox to NY for their pick and a few players to match contracts is a possibility. Seems like NY has had interest before. They signed a bunch of guys to contracts last year tailor made for a situation like this to trade for someone they deem to have star potential or to be a star.
I don’t see Monte trading Fox though. He’s the new Cuz. The FO deems him off limits for some weird reason.
If a deal is done with the Knicks, I want to get back Obi. Even playing for Thibs, who hates playing young guys, he’s shown real ability to rebound, and score efficiently.
I agree there. Kobe or Lebron didn’t have that impact in Year1. I see no route where this team makes a t-pups jump.
Unless, Fox is traded for a player like Jalen Brown. No trade involving Barnes, Holmes, Mitchell, Len, etc, etc is going to help the Kings. Not, in a healthy Western Conference. Kings have to make a Monster move to get into the playoff conversation.
Kings benefited from so many variables this past season. Portland, Pels, Denver, Lakers, and Clips with serious injuries to all of their key players. Kings won’t be so fortunate this year.
Actually Lebron Ave 21 a game and Cleveland improved by 15 games. Did you forget the 25 he put on Christi as an 18 year old rookie . You are correct about Kobe, McGrady and Garnett . None were very productive until year 3 .
Huh? That’s literally what Minnesota did – drafted one guy, Edwards, to play with Towns.
Basketball is the easiest sport to improve in overnight … just draft Luka when you have the chance, for example … so if we nail this #4 pick in addition to a full season of Fox, Mitchell and Sabonis playing with a much better coach, it’s not inconceivable to jump into the 8th seed conversation.
Don’t know much about Sharpe’s defense. If Ivey’s available at 4, pick him.
He’s known as a good on-ball defender, and his length is a strong factor in his favor, as far as being a good defender in the NBA.
Ivey just doesn’t have the high level basketball skills I’d like to see in a #4 pick. He’s an elite athlete, good finisher in the paint, and acceptable on wide open threes (but he’s doing to have to make relatively major changes to his mechanics to turn his 3pt pull up game into an NBA weapon). Honestly, if I’m set on drafting a SG, I’d much rather trade down and draft Jalen Williams and pick up additional assets, than take Ivey.
Ivey seems to me to be a more-polished Gerald Wallace type, the kind of player who could eventually be a terror on both ends. He’s third for me out of the three being discussed, but the idea of his ending up among the best in the class is hard to dismiss outright.
I just feel like he’s a typical “athleticism = upside” prospect and that tends to be a bit of a trigger for me.
1 advantage that Ivey seems to have over Sharpe is that Ivey seems to have a better handle.
I think overall that’s fair.
It’s a little hard to compare their handles for a few reasons. First and most simply, Ivey is 15 months older. Second, they use their dribble in very different ways. They both tend to over-dribble a bit (kind of a tendency of young guys that are their team’s primary scorers). But Ivey’s dribble is more direct. He’s trying to get to the rim and do it as quickly as possible. Sharpe uses a greater variety of dribble moves to go to a wider variety of shots.
For the way they use their dribble Ivey is a bit cleaner. So I think it’s fair to say Ivey has a better handle at present. That said, Ivey’s handle isn’t especially good. One of the really special things about Fox, for example, is his ability to keep his handle tight at crazy high speeds. Ivey’s handle, at times, has trouble keeping up with his speed. Which is true of other parts of his game. Sometime his skills and processing simply can’t keep up with his body.
I think Ivey has other advantages as well. I think the things that we can comfortably say Ivey has over Sharpe are:
I’m not sure why you’re so down on Ivey. I recognize he’s inconsistent but he fits today’s NBA and he has a plethora of skills. Great ability to penetrate and dish to spot up shooters, he plays unselfishly and he’s a pesky defender not to mention he will enter the NBA as one of the fastest players in the league.
Ivey looks like Fox lite to me… or heavy because he weighs a bit more… But the numbers are pretty similar. I think Ivey is a sophomore too so……
He’s great at penetrating to the basket, but playmaking isn’t a strength for him.
He isn’t great at dishing to spot up shooters. He’s willing, but it has to be an open line-of-sight pass. His vision and passing don’t approach NBA primary ball handler level. He probably tops out as a secondary ball handler in the NBA. And he’s a pesky on-ball defender when engaged, but he often isn’t engaged and isn’t very good off the ball or against team actions. Now, that second part isn’t uncommon for draft prospects. I think ultimately, Ivey will be a fine NBA defender overall, I just don’t think it’s a strength.
Really, I wouldn’t say I’m “down” on Ivey. I’m just down on him relative to his common ranking. I think he’s more of a mid-lottery guy than a high lottery guy. I don’t consider that an insult. If the Kings were drafting at 7 or 8, I still wouldn’t like the fit so I’d probably prefer someone else in the tier, but I think the value would be fine.
Sharpe is not likely to be NBA starter quality for 2-3 years. Not that that’s a problem, if you’re rebuilding, which the Fox retention/Halliburton trade says they’re not. What I don’t like has nothing to do with Sharpe, Ivey or any of them. It’s this: pick a lane and stay in it. Halliburton followed by Mitchell was a kind of ‘The Process’ move. Halliburton for Sabonis was a kind of ‘tweak the chemistry/playoffs now’ move. Which is it? These guys act like they’re playing three dimensional chess. Not seeing it.
My assumption is that you’re here because you follow the Kings, either as a fan or not. I ask this question over and over, and never manage to get a response that makes sense:
Based on the Kings roster at the time the trades were completed, were you under the impression that adding Sabonis would be sufficient to make a playoff run? I doubt that there are a dozen guys in the league who’d be capable of improving that team to such a degree that playoffs would be realistic.
I remain unable to get an answer from anyone who follows this team as to why they consider the trade a win-now move. Aside from Bill Simmons and a bunch of other guys saying so, none of whom could find their own ass with both hands and a road map, as it pertains to professional basketball in Sacramento.
Okay, I’ll bite.
It’s a win-now move because of Sabonis’ contract situation. If you don’t start winning, there is a high risk of losing him in two years.
Said every team in the NBA.
Clearly, we have very different concepts of “now” when it comes to “win-now.” It would never have occurred to me that “now” included the next twenty-four months in their entirety.
Not even for a minute, by which I mean the next twenty-nine years.
Now hold on for a
minutetwenty-nine year period!(said in Kip Dynamite voice) Your mom’s on a twenty-nine year period.
Like I said Andy, Sharpe looks good for a rebuild. So did Halliburton. I commented about half a dozen times before the trade deadline that I advocated a full rebuild. Keeping Fox, and leaking to Marc Stein that you expect to improve in 22-23 as much as Minnesota (with KAT and #1 Edwards) did this year is totally inconsistent with a rebuild. I don’t think Sabonis for Halliburton makes them a playoff team, but I think Vivek does think so. In the final analysis, if the Halliburton trade means they COULD NOT unload Fox, which I think it did, then they might as well go ‘playoffs or bust’ and draft Ivey and trade him for a veteran. Fox’s contract ties their hands. If they go for a prospect now, they have one foot on the dock and one foot on the boat. That’s what I dislike, not Sharpe’s potential.
As ever, the hometown discount lands on a very good Kings player. I’ve never lived anywhere where familiarity bred such contempt as it does in Sacramento. Half the teams in the league would be thrilled to have an opportunity to get a twenty-four year old who’s averaged 19 & 6, with no real help. Oh, and he’s the fastest player in the league.
If Sharpe or Ivey pan out, then I’d think McNair would be open to offers. What I’m certain of is that he’s not going to dump Fox for the first bullshit offer that comes in, any more than he did during the season.
For what is worth Brunson is better than Fox.
Talk to me when he comes to Sac for a workout. Until then it’s all smoke and mirrors.
I trust that Vivek will make the wrong choice. Beyond that, nothing is a given. NBA 3.0!
The interview went like this…
When the last time you played in an actual game?
Answer: Middle school.
We would like to see you on the court playing with other humans. Will you play against the ball boy?
Answer: Nah….I’m good.
Vivek tells Monte that Minnesota has a player that can jump. Monte drafts him……
Vivek: We all know he can jump…but can he jump twice?
Monte: Yes, he can.
Vivek: This is my kind of basketball 3.0 player!
Will likely trade Sabonis, Fox, and cash considerations to move up in the draft to get a player with a second jump.
I’m setting the bar low to not feel stunned/disappointed like 2018.
As long as it’s not Banchero I’ll be satisfied (I hope he doesn’t fall).
Starting to do some draft homework for the 2nd rd…
Lobbying for an invite for Fresno State’s Orlando Robinson
Here’s a trade proposal floating around. If Portland would accept this deal I would give up Barnes and Holmes for what Portland would give to Detroit in this deal.
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Jerami Grant, G Cory Joseph
Detroit Pistons Receive: G Eric Bledsoe, G Keon Johnson, POR 2022 1st Round Pick (Pick #7)
Absolutely. That would be a great return for those two. Obviously, it creates a short-term hole in the lineup, but I think that return value is just too good to not do.
Sidenote: Is Bledsoe’s contract guaranteed if he’s traded? I’m in either way, but it’s a nice bonus if we’re just dealing with Bledsoe’s 3.9MM guaranteed for this season.
And as we mentioned elsewhere, having Bledsoe on the roster does give some coverage if you choose to shop Fox or Mitchell.
Topically, I think Keon is a more well-rounded version of Ivey despite being two months younger.
Strength of character is an important part of what drives a teenager/young adult into performing under the bright spotlight and insatiable desires of franchises, celebrity and fans.
Shaedon Sharpe – of what little that has been exposed, portends focus and mental aptitude to graduate and attend university (did he attend classes?). It would seem that will drive success in his next phase of life more than anything. Will that translate to on court greatness? Who knows?
For another prospect, Keegan Murray, here is a nice piece from The Ringer
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/2022/5/19/23126315/keegan-murray-nba-draft
It’s fun, if a bit voyeuristic to delve into the underpinnings of these athletic stars, or the PR version. But an extremely important part of their athletic whole. IMO – “mature” should tip the scales for any prospect, especially so in SacTown.
On the entertainment side, It’s certainly a more interesting, if impractical, view as opposed to “just win, baby”.
Sharpe gets my vote, go big or go home, enough mediocrity.
Just because media declares he has the “highest reward” doesn’t make it true of course.
Noticing on reddit chatter about Sacramento essentially having a deal in place to move up in the order, but there are no other details, and no sourcing I could locate. In all candor, I didn’t actually look.
I’m not sure what the odds are of one of the consensus top three guys falling to four, but it wouldn’t be a gigantic shock. My assumption is if the Kings actually want to move up, it’ll be for Smith, since he seems like the least likely to be around at four. The question then, is, what would the cost be to get into the top two? Best guess would be something that included Off Night.
Kings are playing with house money. Instead of hoping AJ Griffin drops to 7 we get a shot at Sharpe, Murray, or Ivey. Go for the potential superstar instead of the PF version of Harrison Barnes.
Let’s Terquavion and Trevion to play with Davion.
I realize that I know less than the Kings scouting department (sometimes, in the past( I have known more)
A jump to #4 is significant. Unlikely occurrence- so they should take advantage.
Don’t get cute. Don’t go for fit. Go BPA
It is possible that one of Chet, Banchero or Smith drops but not likely.
Ivey is BPA at 4. Muray is solid, will have good NBA career and does remind me of Monte pick type. Sharpe has high ceiling and no experience.
I was trying to get cute- trade #4 (Ivey) to Detroit for #5 + something. Doubt they would give up a 2023 pick and Kings need to get something tangible now, not have a protected pick that conveys in 2029. Could they get Grant, just for the right to move up to #4? depends if Detroit is in love with Ivey or Sharpe and not so in live with Grant.
The Kings take the leftover. This is dependent on Kings not being able to decide if they want Ivey or Sharpe.
I think Ivey is the better player and less risk and I think Detroit sees this too.
Hence, I am off being cute and trading and right now just say- draft Ivey. Worry about fit later. That guys looks like Jalen Green or Morant.
the way the kings can mess this up is by being too cute- trying to orchestrate a trade or by taking a wild swing at somebody who is simply not ranked as 4 or5.
At 37 and 49 in second round, there are some possibilities- look for wings or in particular a guy with one special skill. – score, defend, rebound, hustle, shoot. The best second round guys tens to be great at one skill.
I say swing for the fences and take Sharpe.
Why not?
The One and Done/None and Done Era has produced an army of nameless, faceless, interchangeable players who will either spend most of their time in the GD League or rot away at the end of NBA benches for a couple of years before flaming out and moving to Europe.
Our one chance to land a true difference maker came and went four years ago, so the draft has been pretty irrelevant and uninspiring ever since.
Whether we make a “safe” pick or swing for the fences doesn’t really seem to matter … exactly two of our lottery picks – every year since 2007, minus 2019 when we didn’t have one – are still with the team, and the ones that are even still in the league anywhere you can count on one hand.
Point being, if we draft them, they suck anyway, so who cares, honestly?
I watched some high school tape on Sharpe. He’s my new draft crush. So what that we don’t have tape on him versus college players. LeBron, Kobe and KG came straight outta high school. Dude just has skills. Smooth easy shot, a step back. Legit NBA body, strength, height and athleticism. My early rankings go like this: Jabari Smith, Shaedon Sharpe, Paolo Banchero, Ivey, Holmgren.
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