2016 NBA Draft Discussion

[ParniValjak]

Ryan Anderson at 3 is a pipe dream. While it would be nice to have Anderson on the roster, we do have more pressing needs. SG is our biggest needs but most recent events with Collison could impact our decision making going forward and PG might become a position of need.

I am quietly confident that one of the guard spots in some way, shape or form will get addressed at draft night.

I think the Kings are hoping for one of Dunn or Hield. Nothing to go on other that my logic. With Dunn, we get a PG of the future who apparently according to some scouts could start for a good NBA team in his rookie season. Personally, I would prefer to bring him off the bench his rookie year and see him split some time between PG and SG. If we draft Dunn, I suspect Rondo's time as a King are over and we move forward with Collison and Dunn with possibly some Seth Curry added to the mix.

If we draft Hield, I then think what we are liekly to see is Rondo re-signed if it is a reasonable deal and Heild getting pushed as a 3rd scoring option on the team. His game reminds me a little bit (not a great deal) of Rip Hamilton with a greater range. Not a great handle, not great at creating his own shot but a good shooter with his feet set or coming off the screen. Rip was exceptional at moving without the ball. Hield shows shades of that. With his weaknesses in mind, a creative PG is probably a better fit so I suspect we re-sign Rondo with that in mind and with the rest of the money we try and add a stretch 4. Not sure Anderson will be possible at that price but Teletović might.

I also wouldn't we surprised in the slightest if Memphis don't pick up Stephenson's option and he ends up in Sacramento.

I know this is not going to be a popular choice amongst many but if Rondo is not re-signed and Collison is our PG next season, one player I would love to see us trade for is Tyreke. Now people will say how he is a horrible fit, can't shoot, yada yada yada BUT his jump shot has improved a fair bit in his time in NO. Last season he was 38% shooter from 3 on some 3.5 attempts a game. Most of that is as a set shooter which I am fine with. His off the ball game has improved in NO as well. He can create for himself and others and he would instantly be our best perimeter defender EASILY!

If Rondo is gone, ideally the SG would need to be a good ball handler and creator to take off some off the pressure off Collison and I would be very happy with Collisons/ Evans backcourt. Tyreke will not need to be a 20/7/7 guy for us but if he can give us 15/5/5 in his 30 minutes a night along with some good defence, I would be stoked with that production from SG after 3 years of disasterous production.

 

[Big Cuz 15]

tyreke is a nice player to have but the roster would need to have some serious shooters at the 2, 3 to provide room for him to operate. having him off the ball negates his strength getting to the rim. its a love hate kinda relationship. i hope joerger brings in adelman in coachie role.

i'm liking poeltl in a ryan anderson role. the latest dx vid has him moving very fluidly, hitting 3s. he doesn't seem allergic to d.

 

[Gilles]

For those that have watched Chriss play, could he develop into a full time SF in the NBA both offensively and defensively or is he a PF?

He just doesn't move like NBA SF as he's always too upright, or maybe it's just a lack of agility. BTW when you look at Chriss and Brice Johnson, you think, they should be good defending outside, but they were absolutely clueless. In contrast, keeping perimeter guys under control is, surprisingly, one thing Sabonis does well on D.

The fouling issue doesn't concern me a ton. Not much different than international bigs who come to the NBA and have a major adjustment with fouls. It's something that can be cleaned up with good coaching and effort.

Chriss is a rare freshman in the NBA draft in that he was relatively lightly regarded coming out of high school. Usually one-and-done guys come in as blue chip recruits. He certainly has the physical gifts to be a successful NBA PF. It's really going to come down to what's between his ears and his desire to put in the work and improve.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Kings gamble on his potential but I'd much rather see him climb up the draft boards of the teams ahead of the Kings and possibly push Dunn to Sacramento...

Thing is Chriss played in absolute junk defensive system: Washington basically led D-I in TO forced and blocks (bigs were often out of position to rebound) and also fouls committed, and they were only around #100 defensive team as a result, so steals and blocks being a decent predictors of defense instincts just don't mean anything here. Chriss definitely has some skills and he looked better as the season went along, but I don't think, I'd gamble on him.

Ryan Andersen cannot play the three, that would be disastrous. I think he's over-valued, and that his very poor defense is not what this team needs going forward. We can get a cheaper version of that in Marvin Williams and a few other guys who are above average defenders as well. I'm hoping we swing a deal with Phoenix that includes Gay and another piece for Knight and #5 and if we're lucky we snag Hield or Dunn. The situation with Collision is too shaky so I think we should plan to cut our losses and shore up PG. Outside of that we should push hard for Fournier, Bazemore or Crabbe; I most likely think we'll end up with a declining Lee for the next few years though. I'm a huge advocate for trying to get Lance Stephenson here to come off the bench as well. I think he would do great, maybe package Belli or Ben in that Phoenix trade to make room.

I think, NBA is catching up on this fact, and M.Williams won't be far of from Anderson in terms of salary.
P.S. Don't want Kings to get Anderson due to massive defensive issues, but people are really underestimating his abilities on O as Ryno is a legitimate 20 points per 36 min scoring threat off the bench.

 

[swisshh]

Anderson can carry a bench unit's scoring. He is streaky though. If you just want a stretch 4 then I think Trevor Booker is cheaper with more upside.

As for the draft, my estimate of the rankings with the Kings based on what people have said and my feel for the players is this:

1. Heild
2. Dunn
3. Murray
4. Brown

2/3 being close and switchable

 

[CelticsFan]

Horford may leave ATL, they may head into a rebuild. Would it be wise to move the Kings pick for Milsap? Man it would be a gamble, Milsap is signed next season with a player option for the following. Milsap is a good player I really like him. I don't see many superstars in this draft but what do I know. Try and resign him if he fits well, good locker room guy. At the very least you could flip him to a contender at the deadline if it doesn't work.

 

[twslam07]

Horford may leave ATL, they may head into a rebuild. Would it be wise to move the Kings pick for Milsap? Man it would be a gamble, Milsap is signed next season with a player option for the following. Milsap is a good player I really like him. I don't see many superstars in this draft but what do I know. Try and resign him if he fits well, good locker room guy. At the very least you could flip him to a contender at the deadline if it doesn't work.

I think you have to consider making that trade as a Kings fan. Unfortunately, I don't think Atlanta would let him go for just that pick and it's a huge gamble considering Millsap can easily walk the next year. But on the other side, Cousins/Millsap/Cauley-Stein would be the best frontcourt in the league.

If I'm the Kings, I would be patient and look to find a star player that is a similar age to Cousins. Bringing Millsap here is great, but you're just going to have to replace him when it comes time to actually get serious about competing for a championship. Might as well hold onto the pick to use in another trade to bring a younger star or to hopefully develop one.



EDIT: For instance, I'd rather do a trade that was more along the lines of Gay & #8 for Gordon Hayward. He's a good playmaker, scorer, shooter, & plays within the flow of the game. He's an unselfish player who puts winning above everything else. Also, he's the same age as Cousins so they can be at the peak of their careers over a good stretch of time.

That's the type of player I'd prefer to steal if we're moving #8.

 

[206Fan]

@stevekylerNBA

I have not found a team that's in love with Bender... some teams have him outside the lottery on their board.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

@stevekylerNBA

I have not found a team that's in love with Bender... some teams have him outside the lottery on their board.

Uh-oh. I think we were kind of counting on Bender taking one of those top spots...

 

[dude12]

Kings need to keep draft pick, trade for better fitting role players but by not creating another hole and then lets give the new staff and Vlade a chance to sign a FA....a good FA. Players may start looking at Sac as an option now that we have a top young coach in place and with Vlade stabilizing things...... And furthermore, it appears our fans think less of Gay than maybe other teams. This guy still has good value, especially on his contract with other players going to get longer and bigger deals this year.

 

[beb0p]

@stevekylerNBA

I have not found a team that's in love with Bender... some teams have him outside the lottery on their board.

I too, have a hard time trying to figure out why he is a high lottery pick; but hell what do I know.

It's all good as long as a big man moves up the board to take his place (lookin at you Poeltl). On that note, it better not be us who draft Bender.
.

 

[206Fan]

18 yearold Dragen Bender 7'1 220lbs 7'2wingspan

Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv regular season (28 games)
13.5minutes

• 5.4pts 56.8% 2pt 40.4% 3pt 73.3% FT
  
• 2.7rebs
• 0.9blks 0.6stls
• 0.8 asts 0.6tos

per 36 numebrs: 14.4pts 7.2rebs 2.4blks 1.6stls 2.1asts 1.6tos

Dragen Bender is the youngest player in this draft. He will turn 19 in November. He's from Croatia, but plays for a very good Maccabi Tel Aviv team in Israel. However, there was a bit of turmoil this season because they fired their coach a few games into the season. People call them a "disappointment" for not making it all the way... The league isn't as good as the top guys, but is by far better than the NCAA.

Strengths:

• Physical standpoint, he stands at 7'1 with a 7'2 wingspan. He has above average athleticism, and good agility/mobility for a big man. However, he's not much of a leaper, so it does limit his above the rim play
• Great basketball IQ on both ends
  
• Good, but not great shooter. Shot 40% from 3pt in Israel league, but ended up around 37% for the entire year. His biggest problem is his shot release. It's slower than most, and he takes quite a bit to gather himself up. Not an elite shooter yet, but drastically improved from last year to the point where his shooting is definitely a strength of his. Can score in PnP(pick n pop).
  
• Good passer. While stats don't indicate so, Bender has the ability to make great reads and find cutters or shooters. It ties directly with his high bball iq, and this makes his offensive versatile even more unique. He can use his playmaking ability in both the high and low post. He has great vision and make all the right passes when needed.
  
• Decent ball handler. He does a good job putting the ball on the floor out from the perimeter and using his his hook shot. However, he seems to shy away from contact too much sometimes. His ball handling and passing ability has been displayed throughout his career. He's a good passer in transition
• Transition offense. While not an explosive athlete or leaper, he's really light and quick. He can get ahead of the field in transition.
  
• Displays a potential hook shot. Not a go-to move yet, but he has it in his pocket for post moves.
  
• Good perimeter defender who can potentially switch on some guards. The combo of his size, length, quickness, agility, and bball IQ help make him a good perimeter defender. He's quick enough to keep up with all the bigs, and his length allows him to contest and contain. He has a pretty good defensive stance, with his strength being the only issue. When he gets beat, he can recover using his length and altering shots. He also has a knack of being able to step out and really contest shots because of his length. He uses his length to bother shooters.
  
• Decent shotblocker. While not a good shot blocker yet, he has all the tools and fundamentals to be a nice shot blocker. A lot of his blocks are because of great timing and instincts. He'll need to adjust once he gets into the NBA, but it's there.
  
• Unfazed on defense. He's not the strongest player, but he plays with a lot of aggression on defense. He's not afraid to put a body on players, despite his lack of strength.

Weaknesses

• Only 18, and a lot of untapped potential, which means he'll need to get his entire game and body adjusted for the NBA. It may take a while, or it might take a few months (NBA rotational player)
• Lack of strength hinders him a lot. He's going to get bullied in the post until he puts on more weight.
  
• Foul prone. Extremely foul prone because of minor defensive mistakes and inability to contain in the post against bigger players. I think this will be a problem in his first 2 years because he likes to go for steals a lot, as you can tell by his stats. He'll get in trouble if he attempts a lot of those in the NBA.
  
• Lack of post game. Not a great post offensive player, but he does have his hook shot. However, this isn't going to be a big problem especially if he becomes a stretch 4. He currently can close out and attack from the perimeter.
  
• Defensive rebounding. He gets out muscled for rebounds, and sometimes he doesn't put enough effort in them. Will definitely need to get stronger so that he can contest on the boards.
• RAWNESS. Extremely raw, and will need to get his body ready for the NBA.

 

[206Fan]

I too, have a hard time trying to figure out why he is a high lottery pick; but hell what do I know.

It's all good as long as a big man moves up the board to take his place (lookin at you Poeltl). On that note, it better not be us who draft Bender.
.

Yes, it'll be us who will draft Bender!

 

[funkykingston]

Uh-oh. I think we were kind of counting on Bender taking one of those top spots...

Well, we ARE getting into the land of smokescreeens. Could be that teams DO like him and are hoping he'll slide. In fact, one of my hopes for Dunn slipping to the Kings is Bender being there at 5 and the Wolves seeing him as a really nice fit between Kat and Maple Jordon with his ability to spread the floor.

That said, I can also believe that teams aren't in love with Bender. I think the prevailing wisdom is that he'll ride the wave that Porzingis' success created but they are fairly different players. Bender is by far a better passer but beyond that there's nothing I can point to as evidence that he can have the same impact as Porzingis. Both will enter the NBA with the potential of being stretch fours but neither was super consistent from outside. But with Porzingis he also had a great midrange game. I can't think of another 7+ footer that came off curls and pin downs to catch and shoot from 15-18 feet as well as he does. And Bender has some potential as a shotblocker but not as much as Porzingis. He moves more fluidly but that's almost expected given the height difference as Porzingis is probably 3 or 4 inches taller and with a 4 inch wingspan advantage. Bender is pretty mobile guarding on the perimeter but he's struggled quite a bit guarding stronger post players.

Like Porzingis I think a lot of how successful Bender will be depends on his mindset and desire to improve and be a good NBA player. Porzingis has a passion for basketball. I don't know enough about Bender to say if that's the case for him as well. But he's also a year younger than Porzingis which complicates things. Most of us that saw film on Kristaps saw a lot of talent but also thought that he would probably take a couple years to be an impact player the same way it took Dirk a couple seasons. But his ability to contribute immediately puts that same pressure on Bender who is even younger and possibly even further away.

We'll see.

But I'm still hoping for

PHI - Simmons
LAL - Ingram
BOS - Chriss
PHX - Brown
MIN - Bender
NOP - Murray
DEN - Hield
SAC - Dunn

 

[206Fan]

Well, we ARE getting into the land of smokescreeens. Could be that teams DO like him and are hoping he'll slide. In fact, one of my hopes for Dunn slipping to the Kings is Bender being there at 5 and the Wolves seeing him as a really nice fit between Kat and Maple Jordon with his ability to spread the floor.

That said, I can also believe that teams aren't in love with Bender. I think the prevailing wisdom is that he'll ride the wave that Porzingis' success created but they are fairly different players. Bender is by far a better passer but beyond that there's nothing I can point to as evidence that he can have the same impact as Porzingis. Both will enter the NBA with the potential of being stretch fours but neither was super consistent from outside. But with Porzingis he also had a great midrange game. I can't think of another 7+ footer that came off curls and pin downs to catch and shoot from 15-18 feet as well as he does. And Bender has some potential as a shotblocker but not as much as Porzingis. He moves more fluidly but that's almost expected given the height difference as Porzingis is probably 3 or 4 inches taller and with a 4 inch wingspan advantage. Bender is pretty mobile guarding on the perimeter but he's struggled quite a bit guarding stronger post players.

Like Porzingis I think a lot of how successful Bender will be depends on his mindset and desire to improve and be a good NBA player. Porzingis has a passion for basketball. I don't know enough about Bender to say if that's the case for him as well. But he's also a year younger than Porzingis which complicates things. Most of us that saw film on Kristaps saw a lot of talent but also thought that he would probably take a couple years to be an impact player the same way it took Dirk a couple seasons. But his ability to contribute immediately puts that same pressure on Bender who is even younger and possibly even further away.

We'll see.

But I'm still hoping for

PHI - Simmons
LAL - Ingram
BOS - Chriss
PHX - Brown
MIN - Bender
NOP - Murray
DEN - Hield
SAC - Dunn

Main stream media keeps comparing Porzingis to Bender when they're nothing a like... Porzingis had ridiculous athleticism and bounce for a 7'3 player........I compared him to AD-Lite.... Elite shooter with a Curry-quick like release. Could kill you from the 3pt and mid range J. Had a very nice looking post game. He was also a very good shot blocker too...and actually you know... contributed on his team in a better league. However, he was a pretty sucky passer and playmaker..something that Bender excels in.

Imo, Bender has the higher ceiling, but he's a much more bustable candidate than Porzingis was. I thought Porzingis was a sure fire coming into the NBA. I don't feel the same way about Bender.

If Bender can add weight, I think he'll be better than the Nuggets' Jokic.

 

[miltonap]

Well, we ARE getting into the land of smokescreeens. Could be that teams DO like him and are hoping he'll slide. In fact, one of my hopes for Dunn slipping to the Kings is Bender being there at 5 and the Wolves seeing him as a really nice fit between Kat and Maple Jordon with his ability to spread the floor.

That said, I can also believe that teams aren't in love with Bender. I think the prevailing wisdom is that he'll ride the wave that Porzingis' success created but they are fairly different players. Bender is by far a better passer but beyond that there's nothing I can point to as evidence that he can have the same impact as Porzingis. Both will enter the NBA with the potential of being stretch fours but neither was super consistent from outside. But with Porzingis he also had a great midrange game. I can't think of another 7+ footer that came off curls and pin downs to catch and shoot from 15-18 feet as well as he does. And Bender has some potential as a shotblocker but not as much as Porzingis. He moves more fluidly but that's almost expected given the height difference as Porzingis is probably 3 or 4 inches taller and with a 4 inch wingspan advantage. Bender is pretty mobile guarding on the perimeter but he's struggled quite a bit guarding stronger post players.

Like Porzingis I think a lot of how successful Bender will be depends on his mindset and desire to improve and be a good NBA player. Porzingis has a passion for basketball. I don't know enough about Bender to say if that's the case for him as well. But he's also a year younger than Porzingis which complicates things. Most of us that saw film on Kristaps saw a lot of talent but also thought that he would probably take a couple years to be an impact player the same way it took Dirk a couple seasons. But his ability to contribute immediately puts that same pressure on Bender who is even younger and possibly even further away.

We'll see.

But I'm still hoping for

PHI - Simmons
LAL - Ingram
BOS - Chriss
PHX - Brown
MIN - Bender
NOP - Murray
DEN - Hield
SAC - Dunn

How in the world is criss projected 3 now?

 

[funkykingston]

How in the world is criss projected 3 now?

I have no idea. To be fair, only Draft Express has him anywhere near that high in their mock draft. He's probably the biggest boom or bust prospect in this draft and I guess DX is thinking that it's exactly the type of gamble Danny Ainge would make. They certainly could be right.

Anyway, seeing Chriss go before the Kings pick is a good thing IMO. He could potentially be a nice stretch four that could mesh with Cousins and WCS but he just scares me too much. The Kings don't need a home run in this draft (it'd be nice sure) but they DO need to nab a player (or make a trade using the pick) that improves the team.

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

How in the world is criss projected 3 now?

Every pick after 2 is basically a pick betting on upside. Chriss, despite being very raw, carries tremendous upside. He runs the floor like WCS, has great lateral speed/movements, and can hit 3's. He would be my pick at 8 if we didn't already have WCS on the roster, who I like better anyway.

Regardless, Chriss going high is great for us. The dream is he and Bender go before Murray, Brown, and Hield.

 

[ockingsfan]

My gut feeling is that Buddy Hield will be the one that slides to the Kings at #8.

Seniors that may be too polished (i.e. hit their ceiling) tend to slide in the draft. GM's at the top of the draft tend to pick on upside, according to long term potential (i.e. 3-4 years down the road) and Hield would seem more like the finished product.

My gut feeling is Hield will slide to the Kings at #8 and Vlade and the Kings fans will be ecstatic with the pick.

 

[Gilles]

Every pick after 2 is basically a pick betting on upside. Chriss, despite being very raw, carries tremendous upside. He runs the floor like WCS, has great lateral speed/movements, and can hit 3's. He would be my pick at 8 if we didn't already have WCS on the roster, who I like better anyway.

Regardless, Chriss going high is great for us. The dream is he and Bender go before Murray, Brown, and Hield.

Actually, while possessing excellent coast-to-coast speed, Chriss is pretty meh moving side-to-side and not very agile.

My gut feeling is that Buddy Hield will be the one that slides to the Kings at #8.

Seniors that may be too polished (i.e. hit their ceiling) tend to slide in the draft. GM's at the top of the draft tend to pick on upside, according to long term potential (i.e. 3-4 years down the road) and Hield would seem more like the finished product.

My gut feeling is Hield will slide to the Kings at #8 and Vlade and the Kings fans will be ecstatic with the pick.

Yes, Buddy can slip, but not because of being too polished, but rather due to the fact, that if his shooting is very good, and not great, he doesn't do anything else well to be more than a borderline starter, and he'll be 23 by the start of next season.

 

[206Fan]

Actually, while possessing excellent coast-to-coast speed, Chriss is pretty meh moving side-to-side and not very agile.
Yes, Buddy can slip, but not because of being too polished, but rather due to the fact, that if his shooting is very good, and not great, he doesn't do anything else well to be more than a borderline starter, and he'll be 23 by the start of next season.

How is Hield not a great shooter? 45.7% from 3? 88% from ft?

That doesn't happen by chance Gilles...I think a lot will depend on what the Pellies do.

Chriss is extremely agile..I guess he's too agile to the point where it looks deceiving..almost effortless..

 

[Gilles]

How is Hield not a great shooter? 45.7% from 3? 88% from ft?

That doesn't happen by chance Gilles...I think a lot will depend on what the Pellies do.

Chriss is extremely agile..I guess he's too agile to the point where it looks deceiving..almost effortless..

Hield really improved his shot last summer, but in the second half of the season he was 39% shooter after dropping 52.5% from 3 in November-January. It could've been a slump, or maybe teams adjusted to his new quicker release, and he was still shooting only .369 on non-rim 2s over the whole season, so my bet is on the second part. Now given the amount of unassisted shots, Hield took, even 40% would indicate a very good shooter, but that's the only + in Hield's game, so it better be a huge one for Hield to be a very good player.

Chriss might be agile, but I did not see that in games, where he's not very good changing directions. He does it well in the post, where it's scripted movement, but when Chriss needs to react, he can't change his movement rapidly: Kanter, for example, looks absolutely different movement-wise on D and O.
P.S. Korver had 48/91 shooting percentages as a sophomore, Redick was 92% career FT shooter in college, so Buddy was still a step or two away from perfection. Redick averaged more FTs than Buddy as a college senior btw, in fact, in his junior year as well, and with A/TO ratio above 1, not 0,66.

 

[funkykingston]

I could see Hield slipping simply because while he has a high floor, his ceiling is likely as a role player as a decent starting SG or a good shooter off the bench with very little shot at being much more.

That might sound harsh, but I like Buddy Hield - I just see him as a guy who will be a contributor and a safe pick. I'm pretty sure in three or four years we'll look back and wonder why he was taken ahead of guys who went on to be much better players but I also strongly doubt he'll bust.

He would be a bad pick for the Kings who need a consistent shooter at the off guard and who would be in keeping with what Vlade did last year - grabbing an older player where you have a pretty good idea of what you'll get and not as much risk as with other picks.

 

[206Fan]

I could see Hield slipping simply because while he has a high floor, his ceiling is likely as a role player as a decent starting SG or a good shooter off the bench with very little shot at being much more.

That might sound harsh, but I like Buddy Hield - I just see him as a guy who will be a contributor and a safe pick. I'm pretty sure in three or four years we'll look back and wonder why he was taken ahead of guys who went on to be much better players but I also strongly doubt he'll bust.

He would be a bad pick for the Kings who need a consistent shooter at the off guard and who would be in keeping with what Vlade did last year - grabbing an older player where you have a pretty good idea of what you'll get and not as much risk as with other picks.

The other thing about drafting someone like Buddy Hield is that if he's not making his shots, he's not contributing in any other ways. We also can't bank on his shot being consistent in his first year. McLemore and Stauskas were considered elite shooters coming out of college, but both shot the 3 ball around 32% in their first year.. The league has changed so much that 32% has become near-abyssal for a SG, regardless rookie or not. Plus, we'd be drafting a senior in Hield because we'd be expecting him to crack the rotation immediately to help our SG problems.

I won't mind the Hield pick at all if he's there at 8.

 

[Folsomkingsfan]

Regardless of what happens in the draft, I just don't want any part of Bender. I have no idea how he is ranked in the lottery at all. If he's the one that is there at 8 I say just take a gamble on Malachi Richardson or Dejounte Murray. Bender's game just looks soooo bad to me.

 

[funkykingston]

Even though Ingram is a better fit with the current roster, I do expect Philadelphia to take Simmons #1. And if that's the case, I wonder if they'll look to move Okafor?

A Noel/Okafor front ourt didn't work at ALL last season and slotting Simmons at SF is just going to make that worse. Given Boston's rumored interest in Okafor at the deadline I wonder if the Phillies would essentially do an Okafor for #3 (maybe with a sweetener like RJ Hunter thrown in) and draft someone like Jamal Murray?

Murray is a tweener/combo guard but he makes a lot of sense if you are going to put the ball in Simmons' hands. I suppose they could also look for a stretch four like Bender or possibly Chriss with Noel shifting to center but where they really need help is in the backcourt, particularly in the shooting department.

One thing is for sure though, if the Sixers take Simmons they are going to eventually have to make moves to balance out that roster. And if Embiid ever does eventually come around that's even more of a logjam upfront. I think Colangelo is wanting to change course from what Hinkie was doing and make moves to improve the team immediately. We'll see how that works out.

 

[funkykingston]

Regardless of what happens in the draft, I just don't want any part of Bender. I have no idea how he is ranked in the lottery at all. If he's the one that is there at 8 I say just take a gamble on Malachi Richardson or Dejounte Murray. Bender's game just looks soooo bad to me.

It's funny you say that. I still need to watch more film of Bender but right now I'm far from blown away and he doesn't tick any boxes in terms of shoring up Kings' weaknesses either. But on the other hand one of the guys in this draft that I want no part of is Malachi Richardson. I like his measurables in terms of being a long athletic wing but I really don't like his game at all.

 

[206Fan]

Regardless of what happens in the draft, I just don't want any part of Bender. I have no idea how he is ranked in the lottery at all. If he's the one that is there at 8 I say just take a gamble on Malachi Richardson or Dejounte Murray. Bender's game just looks soooo bad to me.

What don't you like about Bender? I'm genuinely curious. It's ironic you bring up Murray... who's just as raw as Bender... and Richardson? What does he honestly do good at?

 

[bajaden]

Anderson can carry a bench unit's scoring. He is streaky though. If you just want a stretch 4 then I think Trevor Booker is cheaper with more upside.

As for the draft, my estimate of the rankings with the Kings based on what people have said and my feel for the players is this:

1. Heild
2. Dunn
3. Murray
4. Brown

2/3 being close and switchable

Dunn is a legit PG, and Murray, whild a good passer with good court vision, lacks the handles to play the point consistently. Murray is the better shooter at this point. Also, I think when were talking about upside, neither Booker or Anderson should enter the conversation. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[bajaden]

Even though Ingram is a better fit with the current roster, I do expect Philadelphia to take Simmons #1. And if that's the case, I wonder if they'll look to move Okafor?

A Noel/Okafor front ourt didn't work at ALL last season and slotting Simmons at SF is just going to make that worse. Given Boston's rumored interest in Okafor at the deadline I wonder if the Phillies would essentially do an Okafor for #3 (maybe with a sweetener like RJ Hunter thrown in) and draft someone like Jamal Murray?

Murray is a tweener/combo guard but he makes a lot of sense if you are going to put the ball in Simmons' hands. I suppose they could also look for a stretch four like Bender or possibly Chriss with Noel shifting to center but where they really need help is in the backcourt, particularly in the shooting department.

One thing is for sure though, if the Sixers take Simmons they are going to eventually have to make moves to balance out that roster. And if Embiid ever does eventually come around that's even more of a logjam upfront. I think Colangelo is wanting to change course from what Hinkie was doing and make moves to improve the team immediately. We'll see how that works out.

All the rumors are that their trying to move Noel, which makes sense if they draft Simmons. Simmons best position is PF. I don't think they move either Okafor or Embiid until they know what they have in Embiid. If he turns out to be what they hope he'll be, then maybe they move Okafor. So I think it would be more likely for Philly make some sort of trade with Boston involving Noel and the third pick, and then use that pick to draft either Murray, or Hield. They need perimeter shooting and if they could add a Buddy Hield and Simmons, the team would be more balanced.

 

[ParniValjak]

If Bender does slide to 8, I have very little doubt that we would pick him. He is not like Porzingis. It a classic, "the dude is a 7 footer, Euro so he must be like the last 7 footer Euro that was drafted!"

Bender is a talent. The issue for us would be that he is not ready to contribute next season and whether or not he would be coming over straight away or staying in Europe for a couple of years to develop his game. I would be surprised if Bender is available at pick 8.

I am still hoping (blindly) that Dunn falls to 8. In terms of high potential, he is the only one I can see developing into an all-star level talent outside of the top 2 picks. Brown is another one who could get there eventually. In terms of fit, as the team is currently constructed, Hield is a solid pick.

If in fact we are going to be bringing back some of he Princeton sets that coach Joerger has alluded to in his introductory press conference, then I can see a lot of plays that we used to run for Peja getting introduced for Hield if in fact we do draft him. He is perceived to have a limited ceiling but I am not going to bet against anyone with that work ethic and his steady improvement throughout his college career suggests that the kid will work his ass off even when he gets to the NBA.

Plenty of seniors have come into the NBA and taken their game to the next level since then. A consistent, long range shooter is much needed for this team and has been for a while now. It makes things easier for Boogie and the rest of the team. For the time being, we don't need Hield to be the #2 on our team. We need him to be at best #3 who plays off Boogie and Gay and knocks down his open shots that he will get.

I still get the feeling that we have a specific group we are targeting at pick 8 (I suspect its Dunn, Hield, Murray, Brown) and if those guys are not around, I would not be surprised in the slightest if we trade our pick for immediate help or trade up to get one of the 4 players I mentioned or trade down to get more assets to add to the roster and go shopping for proven vets to fill in the holes while the youth develops.