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Kings Pulse: 2021 NBA Draft Prospect Profiles – Josh Giddey and Ziaire Williams

Our next draft profiles cover two talented young wings in Josh Giddey and Ziaire Williams who may need more developmental patience than the playoff hungry Sacramento Kings want to give.
By | 61 Comments | Jun 30, 2021

We continue our 2021 NBA Draft previews by taking a look at Australian star Josh Giddey and Stanford’s Ziaire Williams, two of the more popular wings in the Sacramento Kings draft range.

Giddey, standing 6’8 with a 6’8 wingspan, is one of the youngest players in the draft class while averaging 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.3 turnovers on 42.7% shooting, 29.3% from deep, and 69.1% from the line. He led the Australian NBL in assists and showcases excellent playmaking instincts and vision, becoming one of the better initiators in the league despite still figuring out his own offensive weapons. Giddey needs to tighten up his handle and drastically improve his funky looking shot to truly unlock his offensive abilities. He’s also very much figuring himself out on the defensive end of the court, but he also averaged the 6th most rebounds in the NBL this season, so he’s not a youngster who shies away from contact.

Ziaire Williams spent his single collegiate season at Stanford playing in Santa Cruz and living out of hotels, as Santa Clara County banned all contact sports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. All players we discuss in this class had their lives and development impacted by this terrible year, and Ziaire is certainly one of them, having lost two family members in the middle of the season. Williams’ statline is extremely ugly – 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.9 turnovers on 37.4% shooting, 29.1% from deep, and 79.6% from the line. Given that the 6’10 Williams is a stick of a player, weighing in at just 188 pounds on the combine, every part of his evaluation starts with a need for an NBA weight training program – something he very much didn’t have living out of hotels last year. But in the midst of his messy season, he showcased some fantastic pull-up shots, some highlight drives to the rim, and moments of excellent awareness on both ends of the court. He’s a massively risky prospect, the true eye-of-the-beholder gamble of the class, and it’s understandable to have Ziaire in your top 10 or off your Kings board completely.

In this episode we discuss:

  • Josh Giddey’s outstanding passing ability and offensive awareness
  • How Giddey can unlock the rest of his offensive skillset
  • Ziaire’s statline at Stanford, and why it doesn’t immediately disqualify him from consideration
  • Would the Kings be patient enough to gamble on a developmental project like Giddey or Williams?
  • An update on Brenden’s 2021 Big Board

Would you select either Giddey or Williams for the Kings? Let us know in the comments!

The Kings Pulse podcast is available on all major listening platforms.

 

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WGriffith
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June 30, 2021 12:07 pm

Very excited to yell at you both for your opinions on this one!

Kosta
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June 30, 2021 12:32 pm
Reply to  WGriffith

comment image

BasketballHella
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June 30, 2021 12:08 pm

I will fully listen to your takes guys and appreciate the content. But the kings are not the place for developing talent. They have zero ability to not take anything other than sure things.

Any successful name we have on this roster or in the past wasn’t developed they just were good enough talent wise to thrive as soon as they got to the league.

Hali had zero training camp and he wasn’t developed at all. Fox is just a more comfortable version of the player we drafted. He’s developed on his own and in spite of this team.

WizsSox
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June 30, 2021 2:07 pm

I don’t disagree with some of this, but sometimes I question our own narrative of the Kings can’t develop their players.

The Kings have had a terrible draft history in the last ten years. Jimmer, T-Rob, McLemore, Stauskas, Willie, Skal, Giles, Jackson, Papa G, Richardson all never developed to become players for the Kings. But NONE of those guys went on to develop anywhere else into anything meaningful either. And they have had chances. If the Kings were so bad at development wouldn’t at least a couple of these consensus lottery talents have broken through somewhere else? So are the Kings really bad at development or just historically bad at identifying lottery talent?

I’m not going to argue the Kings have always put their picks in ideal positions, but I’d push the much larger problem is identification of lottery talent. At least Monte is 1 for 1 thus far in that department.

Last edited 2 years ago by WizsSox
Jman1949
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June 30, 2021 2:57 pm
Reply to  WizsSox

With the Kings having added the likes of Rico Hines and Stacey Augmon to their Player Development staff over the last couple of years, you would think that their player development results should have improved substantially. Unfortunately any improvement in that area was likely obscured by how the in-game coaching staff used their players.

BasketballHella
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June 30, 2021 3:03 pm
Reply to  WizsSox

I also totally agree with this. My thoughts always go to the foundation though. Like the muscle memory of putting in work to develop as a pro. I think in Kangz land they just let the players €œbe€.

Bbmuteman
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June 30, 2021 4:14 pm
Reply to  WizsSox

I agree with your assessment save giles. He never really got to play much with portland. He had some decent per 36 stats up until he reinjured his knee playing backup for kanter.

richie88
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June 30, 2021 10:52 pm
Reply to  WizsSox

While I mostly agree w/this, IT became even better when he was playing in Boston.

WizsSox
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June 30, 2021 10:59 pm
Reply to  richie88

I mean the fact it was his 6th/7th year in Boston vs his third year with Kings probably has more to do with it than anything. Natural progression. Plus he averaged 20 pts on efficient shooting last year with Kings.

Last edited 2 years ago by WizsSox
rc50cal
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July 1, 2021 8:24 pm
Reply to  WizsSox

I started out ready to argue with you , but by the end, you had convinced me!

murraytant
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June 30, 2021 5:13 pm

Kings have been poor in player development in the past. I believe that they recognized this and have started to change that with Hines and Augman.
Poor drafts are the basic culprit.
Liked the podcast. Agree that Williams and Giddey are too much of a reach. Moody and Wagner are safe choices. J. Johnson is a risk- high ceiling but….
I am still on the Alperen Sengun train.
K. Johnson is tremendous athlete- LaVine? but a risk.

richie88
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June 30, 2021 10:55 pm
Reply to  murraytant

Keon Johnson’s a lot different from LaVine. He should be good defensively, but he’s raw offensively.

Kosta
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June 30, 2021 12:30 pm

Williams’ statline is extremely ugly – 10.7 points

Jeebus, that is pretty damned ugly, actually. How is that even possible?

Own-goals?

Last edited 2 years ago by Kosta
RobHessing
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June 30, 2021 1:19 pm
Reply to  Kosta

I always think about Gerald Wallace in these instances. He was an absolute top recruit out of high school but saw his stock plummet after a very tepid freshman season at Alabama (less than 10 ppg on 44% shooting).

Wallace was raw, and needed time to develop his body and his game. Williams may be similar in that regard. And if that’s the case, he might become a fine player, though that probably becomes less likely if he is drafted by the Kings.

Kosta
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June 30, 2021 1:31 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

I remember being extremely excited about/looking forward to coming back the next year, after the Kings were bounced from the WCF by the L*kers, because I assumed a 2nd-year Gerald Wallace would help us defend/slow Kobe.

I guess in that case, Gerald Wallace would be joining a veteran winning team, alongside Webber/Divac/Peja/Christie/Bibby/Jackson, whereas Ziaire Williams would be joining our “Not-so-super Team, Just Not Young”.

A commenter in another thread suggested we need people who can contribute sooner than later, probably with regards to the Fox timeline. Not sure if we can get someone like that at 9, though. Even if Scotty Barnes drops to 9, he’s not a sure thing and will probably need development, which like you said, becomes less likely if he is drafted by the Kings.

Anyway, I’m still perplexed at how a player can average -10.7 points. I mean, I’m sure Papagiannis would have, but we gave up on him too soon!

Last edited 2 years ago by Kosta
RobHessing
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June 30, 2021 1:42 pm
Reply to  Kosta

All signs point to the organization trading the pick, but man, you just never know what they’re going to do. My suspicion is that they do not know what they are going to do, either.

Kosta
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June 30, 2021 1:45 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

I’m guessing even if they knew what they are going to do, they don’t know what they’re doing. 😛

Oh, and for the record, I’d love to draft someone that could eventually turn out like Gerald Wallace at our number 9 pick. So don’t mind my long-winded comment!

KingOfTheMonsters
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June 30, 2021 2:06 pm
Reply to  Kosta

They know EXACTLY what they are doing this week.
Next week, they’ll know exactly what their doing, but it likely will have nothing to do with what they did the previous week.
The week after that …

WizsSox
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June 30, 2021 2:19 pm

If you are a bad team, with the 9th pick in the draft and YOU KNOW EXACTLY what you are doing with that pick one month before the draft€¦then you are doing the team building/draft process wrong.

Last edited 2 years ago by WizsSox
andy_sims
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July 1, 2021 8:24 am

Yes, adapting to changing circumstances over time is…bad?

KingOfTheMonsters
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July 1, 2021 8:59 am
Reply to  andy_sims

JFC.
My comment was directed at the shifting philosophy of the organization. Not a comment on their plan for the pick.
They let Bogdan go to create cap space.
They trade for guys that clog up that cap space.
They are building for the future.
They are going for the play-in.
They don’t seem to be doing anything that bodes well for the future.
Do you need proof? When’s the last time this team has been in the playoffs?
You could go all the way back to when Vivek hired Malone and said they are not worried about losses but about building a good team over time.
What happened to that plan?
Adapting to changing circumstances is an astute move.
I would not call Vivek’s actions astute. Dude adapts to any tingling feeling in his ego.
Ultimately, the comment was a fucking joke about a joke organization.

Adamsite
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Nostradumbass 14
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June 30, 2021 2:10 pm
Reply to  RobHessing

I really think they are hoping for the right phone call, to the right GM, at the right time, that makes their decision a lot easier.

If I were McNair, I’d have zero interest to draft another lottery player to this roster that might make a difference a season or two from now.

andy_sims
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July 1, 2021 8:26 am
Reply to  Adamsite

I agree with you. I don’t object to keeping the pick, but the notion of exchanging it for two lower picks just doesn’t work for me. The team is young, and two more raw teenagers doesn’t strike me as the right move.

Kosta
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June 30, 2021 12:35 pm

I’d rather gamble on Jalen Johnson than Ziaire Williams at #9.

RobHessing
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June 30, 2021 1:49 pm
Reply to  Kosta

I’d rather Johnson on Kevin Gamble.

ArcoThunder
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June 30, 2021 3:50 pm

Giddy!

I’m all in on Giddy at 9. He has a very high Basketball IQ. One of the highest in this draft class!! He’s also one of the best passers in this draft class. Those two things GO A VERY LONG WAY. He averaged an assist and a half MORE then LaMello Ball did in the same league Ball became a top draft prospect in and eventually won rookie of the year. Ball is a PG, his assist numbers make some sense. This dude is a wing.

the reasons we love Haliburton will be the same reasons we love Giddy. IQ!!! Passing ability!! Amazing instincts/ feel for the game.

sign me up, then trade MBII and buddy in a package deal for a something that fits the roster needs and allows you some savings to re sign Holmes.

murraytant
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June 30, 2021 5:19 pm
Reply to  ArcoThunder

Giddey is a fine prospect. The thought of him and Hali together is exciting. However, with Moody and Wagner there, hard to take Giddey. I like Sengun myself- high risk , high reward. If J. Johnson can be screened and vetted by real evaluators ( maybe hire the Spurs people for a consult), he would be better as well.

andy_sims
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July 1, 2021 8:41 am
Reply to  murraytant

I was leaning toward Sengun a bit, but then I saw this, and I think that we pretty much have to take him.

https://twitter.com/CerebralTakes/status/1410073936663097346

RAP87
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July 1, 2021 9:44 am
Reply to  andy_sims

He must be a fan of Karl Malone! I’m on the draft Sengun train for a couple of months now. I’ll be ecstatic if we drafted him.

BestHyperboleEver
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July 1, 2021 12:42 pm
Reply to  RAP87

Thought you might like this if you haven’t seen it yet:

KOC on Sengun

RAP87
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July 1, 2021 12:59 pm

Thanks! Yup I just saw the video on YT like 10 minutes ago. Great take by KOC on Sengun. Makes me want to draft the guy even more. Plays with a lot of energy and that fire which I think is missing with the Kings.

eddie41
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July 1, 2021 9:11 am
Reply to  murraytant

I like Sengun also. The main question is how his defense translates to the nba. But there are flashes of good mobility on that end which makes me optimistic he can adjust to the nba. It might not be in his rookie year. So I don’t see him as an immediate Holmes replacement. I think he can thrive in a backup role now with a lot of upside depending on how he develops.

BestHyperboleEver
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July 1, 2021 12:44 pm
Reply to  eddie41

He’s probably ultimately a PF, or at least matched with another rim-protecting big (however you want to describe them). Defensively, he’s probably an Ingles type. A guy that isn’t a great 1v1 defender, but is smart and skilled enough to contribute positively to the overall team defense.

eddie41
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July 1, 2021 6:58 pm

Interesting.

eddie41
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July 2, 2021 6:50 am

there could be some interesting possibilities with him and Holmes on the floor together.

BestHyperboleEver
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July 2, 2021 7:45 am
Reply to  eddie41

There could. Though personally I don’t expect Holmes to be a King next season.

andy_sims
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June 30, 2021 5:21 pm

What I’d like is for the Kings to select the available player who has the most potential upside, and is a wing or big, unless one of the consensus top four or five guys is available.

There are some reasonably safe choices available, but Sacramento should swing from the heels, and take the guy with the best theoretical chance to be an all-star, even if there is bust potential.

Go big, I’m already home.

LesJepsen3pointer
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June 30, 2021 7:50 pm

Ideally, professional basketball players should be demonstratedly adept at playing basketball. Touch, IQ handle, defense.

All 18 year olds may improve. Draft the players who have performed well at a high level. No?

LesJepsen3pointer
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June 30, 2021 8:04 pm

Increased rookie scale contracts make it financially unappealing to draft, raw, non-players in the lottery. 9th pick makes $12-16M guaranteed over three to four years. Most teams do not want to pay that much for a guy to sit in the G League for very long. Raw players are excellent financial gambles in the late first round and throughout the second round. 

Few 18 year olds check every box, but count me out on project players at 9. 

Lastly, the knock on Trae Young was he couldn’t defend a stick figure. Welp, it turns out someone has to guard him too! 

WizsSox
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June 30, 2021 8:26 pm

Ehhh…The 9th pick makes 3,4,4 and probably about 5 million in final year of contract. A pittance in terms of NBA salary if they become a valuable player by year 3 or 4.

If you thought there was a reasonable chance of that player being a starter/high end reserve by year 3, teams would jump at the chance to pay them those salaries the first 2 years, even if it meant some G league time. The restrictive rights at end of year 4 is what makes those contracts valuable.

There may be other reasons to not gamble on big upside players, I don’t think rookie scale contracts is one of them. I’d argue, quite the opposite. It is a reason to gamble.

Last edited 2 years ago by WizsSox
LesJepsen3pointer
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July 1, 2021 4:34 am
Reply to  WizsSox

I’m not going with someone like Ziaire at 9, paying him $4M per year to play catch up. He has a long way to go. His second team will likely benefit. I’m not paying him to develop for another team later on.

Lots of guys should not need two or three years of major development to be somewhat playable. Moody, Wagner, Sengun, etc. They will need growth, but it’s not exponential to get on the court.

In a long term process tank? Sure, but Kings are clearly NOT doing that.

Who know, maybe Ziaire is MJ in year one, but that’s a very low probability outcome. Play the odds.

WizsSox
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July 1, 2021 7:49 am

I like all those guys better too. All these are reasonable reasons to not gamble on the pick.

Just saying that the size of the contract still isn’t one of them, which was the original point you made. They aren’t sucking up significant cap space IF you decide to gamble and give time to develop.

LesJepsen3pointer
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July 1, 2021 10:27 am
Reply to  WizsSox

Thanks for the comment, we disagree, but I see your point.

eddie41
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June 30, 2021 8:49 pm

No for both. First hot take on Giddey was that he lacks nba athleticism (you guys noted him being €œupright€). For a while after that, I really liked his offense, passing with either hand, court vision, but I’m sort back at the starting point. Might not be able to guard anyone ever. Add that he can’t shoot yet and has an unrefined handle, and it’s not something I’d consider at 9. Ziaire is just a plain no for me at 9.

AnybodyButBagley
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June 30, 2021 9:40 pm

Just don’t pick someone that no other NBA team would pick in that spot.

It is a gamble, so gamble on someone who at least is considered a decent choice by the other NBA teams.

If the Kangz find themselves having to justify a pick then they have repeated the problem.

WizsSox
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June 30, 2021 11:11 pm

I mean they have pretty much done that every year other than Papa G and Bagley to different degree (he was still a top 5-6 pick by most mocks). Where did that get them? Didn’t seem
to improve their odds at landing a decent player much.

Almost all the other failures ( T-Rob, McLemore etc) got A/B grades from people after the draft. Guarantee a pick like Peja would have been roasted here in 96 and roundly considered a reach. I know my 15 year old self was pissed the Kings passed on John Wallace.

Its a crapshoot regardless. You hired Monte to do the job. Your only hope is to trust him. Pick who he and his team think is the best player, whether deemed a reach by the mocks or not.

Last edited 2 years ago by WizsSox
Milkman
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July 1, 2021 2:18 am

Too many “Ifs” with these two and not sure if their potential ceiling is worth the time. Rather place my bet on Sengun at 9.
Shameless lobby: Yves Pons reminds me of Gerald Wallace and worth a 2nd round pick.
Unlike Giddy and Ziaire, Pons is built like a S@#$house and ready right now, a DPOY, 1st team Defense, and he’s been working on his shot.

BestHyperboleEver
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July 1, 2021 8:28 am
Reply to  Milkman

Pons is an awesome physical specimen. And that’s about it. There’s a pretty good chance you can have him as an UDFA if you really want him.

kings4ever
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July 1, 2021 5:56 am

We are not drafting Josh Giddy. A passing wizard who has shaky handles? He would have piqued Vlades interest but fortunately hes no longer in charge. One of the podsters said Josh Giddy was like Lonzo Ball on offense. So he sucks, then?

Just like Giddy is a no-go, so is Jalen Johnson, so is Franz Wagner, so is Moses Moody, so is Jonathon Kuminga, so is Scottie Barnes. McGenius ain’t having it. I could elaborate on all these pretenders but suffice to say none of them have the star quality, the ability to exert their will and skill on a game.

I tried to warn y’all before the trade deadline and before the DET rumor that Barnes and Buddy were staying put, and the real guy we were going to try to move was Bagley. That is how it played out then and now I am alerting you to whom we will likely draft (narrowing it down by the day) so you will not be disappointed again when your favorite gets bypassed.

It is a combination of fundamentals and physical profile and discernment (the mental side) that amount to a star and it is easy to see who is not capable mentally or physically to live up to this lofty standard and projection.

The biggest joke of all is Scottie Barnes!

Jerry Reynolds had the right idea and so did Leo Beas over at Basketball Zone with his plan to add Ben Simmons (w/o trading Fox or Ty) and Alperen Sengun, though his trade proposal was far fetched. And Jerry had the solid idea to trade for Hayward and Miles Bridges, likely reliquinshing Buddy, Bagley and the #9.

Tony X said something similar too, that is taking a swing at guy who projects as a future star, who has something elite to his game in context of areas for improvement to enable stardom. It is ludicrous to say something like “I can talk myself into Player X…” because you can talk yourself into anything with irrational and illogical premises and suppositions. That is how you draft guys like Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas.

There has to be a foundational basis upon which to make proper evaluation and projection, a lot of the time independent of stats. Primarily, it amounts to agilty, reaction time, creating space, making reads, good hands, good feet, and attention to detail, and traits and qualities reminiscent of those players who have exceled in the league.

And this is why there needs to be more attention and focus on Isaiah Jackson, who I have dubbed the Unicorn. Jackson is a bad ass player, raw but fundamentally sound. Admittedly, I was not impressed with the way he thinks the game when I listened to his Film Session with Mike Schmidt. But unlike Kuminga, it does not prohibit us drafting him.

Instead of a draft board, which I find tedious and dull, I present my Top 5 players, subject to change. When I do not like a player, I do not move him down my draft board, I move him off! Also, we already know Suggs, Cade, Mobley and Green are going to be off the board, those guys are locks, so all you have to do is present a Top 5 in order of preference (or not) and you know at least one player will be available at #9.

(1a) Isaiah Jackson
(1b) Alperen Sengun
(3) James Bouknight
(4) Ziaire Williams
(5) Davion Mitchell

Honorable Mention: Kai Jones

My heart is set on Sengun. My head says Jackson. The common element all players on my list share is the aforementioned star quality. The bums I excluded above don’t have it. Ziaire is a longshot unless he dazzles in private workouts, Bouknight and Mitchell are guys I am sure our GM likes but would necessitate draft day trades.

It is important to note that Terrence Davis and Mitchell have overlapping skills. We cannot afford the luxury of drafting a duplicative player when our wing depth is so barren. We need
an agreed upon trade that would result in us adding Bouknight or Mitchell that would help balance the roster, likely sending out D Wright or Davis in a S&T.

As I stated in post season review recap, our GM needs to retain TD and Holmes, and add two combo forwards (SF/PF; PF/SF) and one combo center (C/PF). That is the mission and that is with presumption Bagley and Buddy will not return and used to meet our needs. We need our team to be able to match ATL personnel and talent on as many fronts as possible, that is the obvious template for extraordinary success.

We can match ATL at PG (Trae v Fox) and C (Capella v Holmes). That is a good start for us because these are the two most important positions on the floor. Ty is better player than Bogi, or definitely will be but it starts to get real dicey when you compare the wing depth and quality: Huerter, Gallinari, Hunter (#4 pick), Collins, Okongwu (#6 pick) are all versatile and long. What do we have? Barnes, Metu and Louie King.

The reason ATL survived and thrived is because they are able to challenge and compete in the paint and on the glass long enough for Young to catch fire or one of their complementary dudes to become a pivotal role player. Another name for a pivotal role player is interminent star, as compared to a perpetual star. We don’t have enough intermittent stars, though adding Metu and Davis and Wright provides reason for optimism.

We need more intermittent stars who can potentially develop into the perpetual star. These are the guys like Huerter and Collins, and in the last game, Bogi who provided the necessary support to your dominant player (or the latter case, absence of dominant player). This is the template, dominant star plus intermittent stars (key role players) plus your standard rotational players who play their role without harm or gripe.

Without going into it into greater detail, the success of a team can often be boiled down to the rise or fall of the pivotal role player, his success or failure. This is because the dominant player is fairly consistent with his production, that is why he is dominant. But there is more variance to the second tier, and their play can be instrumental to making the playoff or the lottery, advancing playoffs or elimination.

For example, a primary reason the Nuggets got bounced is because Michael Porter Jr was not his best self to support the dominance of Jokic. The reason the Mavericks got bounced is because Porzingis could not be an intermittent star to support Luka. The reason that the Kings failed to make playoffs is primarily because (1) Buddy could not provide intermittent star play and (2) Bagley could not even establish himself as an intermittent star.

One more example, the 76ers failed because Ben Simmons could not an intermittent star to support the dominance of Embiid. To the extent they did have playoff success, Seth Curry did a better job filling this role.

Anyway, the Top 5 list above is an effort to identify the intermittent and potentail perpetual star we need.

WizsSox
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July 1, 2021 8:03 am
Reply to  kings4ever

Without going into it into greater detail

Im not sure those words mean what you think they mean€¦

andy_sims
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July 1, 2021 8:49 am
Reply to  WizsSox

Could you elaborate a bit, Wiz? Six thousand words ought to clarify it for me.

WizsSox
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July 1, 2021 9:16 am
Reply to  andy_sims

You got me curious…it is actually 1200 words. Hahaha.

Someone get this man on the front page with these in depth dives.

Carl
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July 1, 2021 8:12 am
Reply to  kings4ever

Barnes and Buddy were staying put, and the real guy we were going to try to move was Bagley. That is how it played out then

What world do you live in? They’re all still on the team, and there were rumors about all of them.

andy_sims
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July 1, 2021 8:50 am
Reply to  Carl

Those three, especially, but damned near everyone was probably fair game for the right deal.

TheGrantNapear
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July 1, 2021 11:23 am
Reply to  kings4ever

Rec’d for longest comment of all time 👍

Carl
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July 1, 2021 12:50 pm
Reply to  TheGrantNapear

Kingsguru used to be famous for this, but his actually made sense, and you could get through them without giving up in the second paragraph. No disrespect.

Last edited 2 years ago by Carl
BestHyperboleEver
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July 1, 2021 9:22 am

Williams, like Jackson, is a guy with some really intriguing aspects to his profile, but they both strike me as guys that are probably unlikely to be impactful on their first contract/for their first team. I’d love to see both of them go back to college/G-League/Europe for a season or two before my team drafts them.

Want-to-be-gm
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July 1, 2021 1:39 pm

Just saw your post on your trip to Incline Village. I actually live 2 blocks from burnt cedar. Yes the weather can be erratic and unfortunate you caught a bad day but there are endless amounts of great things to do. If you make another trip here’s a bunch of options for you.

– you can hang out at burnt cedar or ski beach and picnic. I launch my kayak and my wife her paddle board from those beaches. You can take a great kayak ride to Sand Harbor or Crystal bay or both from those two beaches.  We sometimes go down to burnt cedar with a group and barbecue and play corn hole.  Pool is being redone and won’t be available until next summer.

– If you can’t get into the private beaches go to Sand Harbor, the best beach on the entire lake. 

– If you like to golf, two great courses, the short beautiful executive mountain course or the beautiful and more challenging championship course. You can tee off at 4:00, get a reasonable rate and get 18 in with no problem. Beautiful time to play. 

– If you like to play tennis or pickleball the Incline tennis club is open to the public for a $10 fee for the entire day. Several great tennis and pickleball courts are nestled in the pines. Once a week a big group of us pickleball players have a pickleball tournament and barbecue right at the clubhouse. On weekends in the mornings, Anika Sorenstam and her son Will play there often. She is the nicest most unpretentious superstar you can possibly imagine and a very good pickleball player.  I’ve had the pleasure of playing with her several times.

– the recreation club near the tennis center is open for daily rates. Great indoor olympic pool, exercise classes, work out equipment, basketball court, ping pong and more. 

– several great hikes near or in Incline. You can pick up the Tahoe Rim trail right where the old ponderosa ranch was. A short walk and you can get some great views of the lake and Sand Harbor.  Several longer and great hikes branch out off the Rim trail. You can also drive to Spooner lake and take a great 5 mile hike to beautiful Marlette lake only accessible by foot.

– Several bocce ball courts are available. One great one right at ski beach and 4 nice ones outside the rec center. I play once a week with a big group and we all throw in $10 in the pot to make it interesting. Open to the public.

– Bunches of great places to eat. For a nice casual lunch or dinner, I recommend Austin’s right across the street from the Hyatt. If you want something more formal and pricey, you can go to Big Water near the Diamond peek ski resort or to the Hyatt beach (very pricey but incredible scenery). You can also just walk down to the Hyatt beach, sit on a lounge chair, have a drink and enjoy the scenery. 

– Lastly, just a walk down Lakeshore is a great time or relax with a book at Ski beach from my favorite author and pickleball friend Doug Keil who lives in Incline. Read Deadline, available on Amazon.

Hope you can make it another time and get great weather. I’m playing the mountain course today. Have a great day.

BestHyperboleEver
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July 1, 2021 3:25 pm
Reply to  Want-to-be-gm

Thanks for the tips. Sand Harbor is spectacularly beautiful but every time I’ve gone (or tried to go) it’s been absolutely mobbed. Of course, I’m only up there in the peak seasons, so that’s on me.

rc50cal
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July 1, 2021 8:28 pm

I’m going to say this a lot this month, but I kind of like all these guys. They all have some talents but need to develop.

Inthestarz
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July 2, 2021 1:15 pm

Giddey is who I want

BBIQ and tough/gym kid ad 6’9. BPA. Can you have those three ball handlers? Hali isn’t high usage

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