With 56.2 of the vote, Evan Mobley got the 2nd spot on the Kings Herald Draft Board. He joins Cade Cunningham.
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 Monte McNair 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.
This poll ends at 5 AM tomorrow. The next one will begin shortly thereafter. We will go roughly 20 picks deep.
Jalen Suggs, come on down!
I’m going with Barnes. We need all the Barnes. Drafting for fit again, but he has been my guy since Day 1. Kuminga seems awfully raw and Suggs is good but at our strongest position. We need length.
This process is still confusing to an old man. Green, duh.
Jalen Green this time. Close with Suggs.
Moody or Bouknight next up on the list.
I think Barnes is more in the Kings’ wheelhouse, but I chose Green. I think he’s a 20ppg guy in his sleep, and he’s looking like a solid defender.
I found Suggs pretty underwhelming against Baylor in the NCAA one game final. It was just one game but given his physical profile, he shouldn’t be able to be taken out of his plan by a guy barely six feet tall in Davion Mitchell.
That is why Davion Mitchell should be picked at #9!
Nice pick, if he’s still available at 9.
Would be fun to see him on the Warriors also with pick 7.
I don’t really want Mitchell at nine if he’s available. He’s going to be routinely giving up half-a-foot at his position, and that’s going to cause him problems at both ends against NBA players.
He can definitely have a nice career, but I don’t think you burn a top ten pick on him or Wagner.
I think the actual impact Mitchell will have on nba games will be top 5 in this class. His stocky build makes him look shorter than his true height. He’s actually taller than Mike Conley who has been an incredible defender his entire career, including on Kawhi in the playoffs. Taller than Van Vleet. It’s fine. Just put him on the floor.
I see Jrue Holiday when I look at Mitchell and he has the toughness, work ethic, and athleticism to project as a starter at the next level. I feel more confident in Mitchell reaching his ceiling than most other players in this draft.
I think Mitchell will find a way to be a better pro than all but 3 or 4 guys in this draft ! Has a lot on Donavan Mitchell in him and 1 inch shorter !
I wouldn’t draft Mitchell at #9, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I consider Wagner BPA at #9 (though I also wouldn’t be surprised if there were trade opportunities that I’d prefer to drafting Wagner).
I agree with you that Barnes seems like the best roster fit, but we aren’t at that point in the draft where we can take fit over BPA. Suggs and Barnes are in my 2nd tier.
Green should be a great scorer, but I worry about his defense & the other aspects of his game.
Legit concerns, all. Realistically, he’ll need to put at least twenty pounds of muscle on his frame before he can reach his potential as a scorer and defender. His handles are good, but can improve, and I like that he’s over eighty percent from the free throw line. He doesn’t play a position of need in Sacramento, but at three, he’s BPA, and assets are always good to have in-house.
I’d be very happy if Green falls to #9 (though I’d be incredibly shocked if that happens), but my concerns about him make me rank Suggs #3 & Green #4.
OT
Other teams create paper losses for tax purposes.
The Kings need capital calls…
Not surprising. This is the American way. The wealthiest Americans have never wanted to pay taxes and will do almost anything it takes to avoid it. It’s been this way since…well, the American Revolution. The truth is the founding fathers were some of the wealthiest individuals and presidents in American history. Until Trump came along, Washington and Jefferson were #1 and #2.
Given the business backgrounds of NBA owners it’s not surprising. It’s nevertheless sad.
I was told there would be a trickle down? Umm when can we expect this to be happening? Asking for a friend.
You can’t compare Vivek money to Ballmer money. Of course, the money they both have is obscene, but that’s the America we are supposed to be so proud of.
That’s the point.
The fact that Walton is still the coach is likely a result of that.
I feel like we’ve all underrated how bad it is that McNair provided cover on this, if that is indeed what happened.
If the decision was Vivek’s, McNair either makes the best of it, or he quits.
Are you suggesting that he, or any other GM would resign as a result of this entirely common circumstance?
But absolutely, we must assign as much blame as possible to McNair for the head coach that he wouldn’t have hired on a bet, and his tactical decision to be a company man.
I thought McNair was smart for actually putting the onus on him to improve the roster. God forbid an adult act like an adult. We certainly wouldn’t want that. And we certainly wouldn’t want the GM to actually behave in a responsible manner taking responsibility for a hire that wasn’t actually his. While, perhaps, trying to keep everyone in the organization on the same page as opposed to a dysfunctional disorganized mess.
But nah, we can’t have nice things. So Monte McNair must be stupid doo doo dumb as opposed to a professional trying to succeed. And God forbid the Sacramento Kings have any of those. Because that certainly has never proved to be successful, ever.
I honestly can’t tell whether you’re agreeing or disagreeing with me. Options C-Z are also open.
It would be so nice if somebody who has worked with Vivek would come out and tell the truth about his actions behind the scenes .
Not to defend Vivek, but no other owner in the league has Ballmer money. Clippy money. Zune money. Vista money.
Yeah. You and I and everyone on this site is closer to Mark Cuban in value than Cuban is to Ballmer.
That’s how stupidly, egregiously obscene the gap is.
If I was single I’d probably put that on my Tinder profile:
“Closer to Mark Cuban in value than Cuban is to Ballmer.”
Also, I think you’re overestimating my bank account. 😛
I bet if we all pitched in, we might be able to afford a set of the plumbing fixtures from one of the G1C’s bathrooms.
Count me in!
You knocked it out of the park with that one Rik.
Green. He is the last of my top tier. Cade, Mobley, and Green in that order. Suggs will lead off my second tier.
Before some folks may say he is redundant with the likes of Buddy, Halli or any of the off guards on the team, the Kings can’t afford to be choosy. It’s BPA in this lottery. Figure out roster fit later or trades later.
This franchise lacks young talent, BPA is the only option.
Put Hield and Hali into 2nd unit…
with Fox and Green in starting lineup
I like Green as an undersized 3 next to Fox and Hali (not that this is going to be something we have to consider)
Yeah, talent is more important than fit to me. I’m not sure how well Suggs would fit on the Kings, but I chose him because he’s clearly the BPA to me.
Worth noting that Suggs is only an inch or so shorter than green. He does give up a couple inches in wingspan though. Of course, his advantage in strength probably levels that playing field.
I’m not sure how well Suggs would fit on the Kings, but I picked Suggs since I think he’s clearly BPA.
Jalen Green for me – I trust his scoring more than Jalen Suggs, and in many other years he’d have been locked in my top 2.
Jalen Green again. I had him barely ahead of Mobley, with Suggs after Mobley. I just think that his skillset has the potential to translate into a star player in today’s NBA.
Green would seem the best at pick 3 due to star potential ! In today’s game wing scorers seem extra valuable !
This is starts the string of three Jalens for me. Green, Suggs and then Johnson.
Put all of ’em in a band and call it Van Jalen. Might as well jump.
Man, after the six that have been listed here, I’m not sure who should be added to the ballot next. Sengun, Giddey, K. or J. Johnson, Moody, Mitchell, Kispert, Wagner, Bouknight, Jones, Z. Williams – that’s 11 guys that could go anywhere from 6 to 20. I’m sure that I missed at least a few others.
Agreed. After my for sure top 5, it’s Kuminga by a hair then BPA gets very cloudy. Hopefully more info and workouts come out on players in that range in the coming days to make things clearer.
That might be difficult. Heard the Kings are keeping it quiet as to who they are bringing in for workouts.
I’m pleased to see it. No point in tipping their hand to other teams as to what they’re considering.
If you feel excluded because of this, I’m sure someone has scrawled McNair’s intentions on a white board someplace.
I’m surprised agents haven’t leaked any info about their clients working out for the Kings. I mean, if a player is projected round #15, wouldn’t it behoove the agent to leak the info that they worked out for a team selecting in the top 10?
I can’t imagine that having a player associated with the Kings, even ephemerally, is going to help an agent bag a larger commission.
LOL, excellent point.
Of that group, I think only two guys come with no major weaknesses (Mitchell as a combo guard and Moody as a SF). The others seem to have a major flaw.
Totally agree with that assessment ! Kings probably do not have a need for Mitchell but afraid that he can will become a real pain if he is drafted in the west !
Green. High level scorer, would be focal point of offense. Potential star
I have cade, mobley, kuminga, Barnes, garuba as the guys I want in that order. I just look at kuminga and can imagine him being the second coming of jaylen brown. He has that same body type. Hope everyone’s having a great day.
Jalen Suggs – a steal at 3!
Bouknight should be next on the list
While I’m not sure how well he’d fit on the Kings, I think Suggs is definitely the most talented prospect available.
Trade Buddy and then he’d fit.
I’d be more concerned about his fit w/Fox & Hali (though the 3 of them are so talented that I think they’d find a way to make it work if Suggs was somehow drafted by the Kings).
I chose Suggs at 2, but I hella wouldn’t be mad at getting Mobley at 2. I like that some of you are using tiers. Although in the Kings world, maybe we should spell it ‘tears’.
I’d be a little disappointed if we chose Green before either of those two.
I think it’s too soon for Scottie Barnes to be picked, even though I would love for him to be on the Kings if chosen at numbers 6-9. He seems to have more things to work on than the other guys being listed.
Green is up BPA is how I’m going this whole mock. Until the kings are .500 again this is the way.
I love greens scoring but he also seems like he has a high bbiq with some of his decisions on the fly. Kinda reminds me of Hali like that. Like the game already has slowed down for him.
The D and size will come along¦mostly because he’s no relation to bagley and real basketball players can improve their bodies and defensive acumen thru the gym and hard work.
Scottie Barnes is a trash player. He’s a 2nd round pick. He makes Marvin Bagley look like a basketball savant. I am on a one-man crusade to expose frauds and this guy is one of the most pretentious wannabes to come down the pike in quite a while.
Clapping your hands and slapping the floor adamantly does not make you a good defender.
There is NO way McGenius would select Scottie Barnes. He’s awful at basketball. But I am all in favor of a team before us selecting him for obvious reasons.
I do not understand the prevailing delusion. Do some fans look at a guy who has a good physique, 6 pack ab envy, broad shoulder envy, and conclude he must be able to play? I hope not!
I watched the ACC championship game (link below), which was one of Barnes statistically best games, to make sure I was not overlooking anything, or being unfairly harsh….nope!
Barnes has nervous energy amounting to nothing. He plays ball denial defense when the man he is guarding is hardly a lethal threat. Overplaying passing lanes is going to open him up to getting burned backdoor. He actually has poor defensive awareness. And this is the side of the ball that is suppose to be his strength.
The idea of Barnes as a point forward is a collosal joke. Guaranteed, the offense will come to a grinding halt if he is directing traffic. He’s not a secondary or tertiary creator either. HB and Metu are better in this role for example and no one considers them floor orchestrators.
Barnes cannot cannot get into the paint and kick, he cannot run pick and roll. He cannot exploit his size advantage. He can see over the top but his reads are slow and telegraphed.
Barnes will get shredded by quick guards too. He actually does not change directions that well. So projecting him as a 1-5 defender is seriously misguided.
At the 45:20 minute mark, you can get an idea of Barnes running offense. He has a massive height and weight advantage and instead of punishing the defender, he retreats.
The objective of this possession is to make a post entry pass from the wing. Fair enough. But when the play breaks down, you can see how incapable he is to create.
Because his fundamentals are inferior, because he has NO alpha tendencies, because he readily defers to more fundamentally capable teamates, he does not dare try to get into the lane to make a play. The ineptitude is startling for a guy suppose to be a top prospect.
This is not an isolated example. Watch this game start to finish and you can see how poor of job he does getting teammates in position to score. He makes one good lob pass in the first half. The other plays are basic as they come, wide open teammates. Then you have a lot of misreads and eating up shot clock going nowhere. It is like he learned to play basketball one month ago.
Look at the 102:00 defensive play. He is pretending to be defensively aware, to have “his head on a swivel”. It is B.S. There is no such awareness. It is pseudo effort. He turns his back to the ball and leaves the paint wide open for an easy layup by a 6’0 guard. That shot should have been challenged or prevented.
At 106:40 mark you have a Bagley-esque defensive play. He sees the man in the corner with the ball. He is looking right at him. He is in a position to challenge this drive. I can tell you that Isaiah Jackson would have swatted this shot into the 3rd row!
This speaks to the “nervous energy” I mentioned. He’s bouncing around oblivious to the pending rack attack. This is a defensive swallwart?
The 109:30 mark is worth noting. You rarely see a pentetrator dribble into the lane and the defender (Barnes) completly has his back turned to him. What is he doing besides being clueless? I do not think this is being nit picky when he is suppose to be a elite defender!
So this is the guy fans are salivating for??? Be careful what you wish for!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnzEq0Y0tKo
There is no refuting this tape unless your subjective idea of Scottie Barnes is more relevant to you than the objective reality of Scottie Barnes.
Badge Legend