First, here is the reaction taken by Andrew Nicholson as he gets Geoff Petrie’s reaction to the pick of Tyreke Evans:
Throughout the draft process, there were doubts all around the prospects that worked out for the Kings. There was debate as to who was not only the better player but who was also the correct player to grab with the fourth pick in the draft. Essentially, that decision came down to four possible players – Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, and Stephen Curry. And at times, it felt like it was simply going to come down to Tyreke Evans and Ricky Rubio (if he fell to four) after the Memphis point guard dominated his last two big workouts (in Minnesota and Sacramento).
And Thursday night, that’s exactly what the decision came down to – Ricky Rubio or Tyreke Evans? The two picks couldn’t have been more different than what the Kings decided to choose between. Rubio was the international phenom who had been playing professional ball since he was 14 years old. He was crafty with the ball, a proven passer, and a guy that had proved himself against the top point guards in the world during the Beijing Olympic Games. Evans on the other hand was the slow talking, non-flashy point guard from the University of Memphis. He was big, powerful, and imposing. He was tough, strong, and forceful on the court. He wasn’t a proven point guard by any means but he was quite possibly the best overall player available to the Kings.
And that lead to the philosophical question of do you draft for need or the best player available? There is never a clear-cut answer. Sometimes the need is so great that it’s the right way to go. Imagine Chris Paul on the Hawks instead of Marvin Williams. And sometimes the better player is far more successful than the needed position. Imagine Ron Artest with Kevin Garnett instead of William Avery. So the Kings had to decide if a purer point guard in Ricky Rubio with a flair for showing flair and the potential to be a great leader and distributor was a better option than a powerful, big combo guard who could create matchup problems for the defensive team thanks to his physical prowess and style of play.
The decision was made with Tyreke Evans as the newest member of the Sacramento Kings and it brought about mixed emotions and feelings. I honestly thought that Ricky Rubio was the best-case scenario for the team. He seemed to be perfect for guys like Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes to develop. He seemed to be a great guy to put alongside Kevin Martin to get him open, easier shots. He seemed to be the smartest business decision with instant national exposure surely to come and international interest after that. But in the end, the Kings didn’t feel like he was tough enough and that Tyreke Evans was the best player now, five years from now, and ten years from now.
And you know what? Geoff Petrie is probably right about all of this. The Kings biggest problem for years was having a glitz and glamour squad that made offense look easy and fun while defense was the great divide. Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, and Mike Bibby were fantastic to watch for 46 minutes until it came down to the last two critical minutes of the game in which a defensive stop was rarely seen and a metaphorical punch to the mouth was usually taken without retaliation. The Kings were soft both physically and in spirit. When the team began to deteriorate and Ron Artest was brought aboard, he tried to bring toughness to an organization that wasn’t ready for it and ill equipped to support such bravado.
So the team was pieced together here and there, fell apart do to some softness and questionable coaching and it resulted in a 17-win season with the fourth pick in the draft. The Kings clearly decided it was time for a change in philosophy and culture. They grabbed a veteran coach who has been there before. And now they’ve grabbed the player to match the toughness and offensive attack that go along with that coach. Tyreke Evans means no more moments of the Kings point guard being abused on either side of the ball. From now on, the Kings are the enforcer at the point for 48 minutes. From now on, the Kings are going to be tougher and more physical with their opponents. Shots to the mouth will be responded to. There will be no complaining to the refs like in the Brad Miller era. There are only retorts.
The Kings are now about creating havoc for the other team on offense and being able to take the opponent’s best shot on defense. I definitely was disappointed after the pick was announced. I thought it was a missed opportunity to bring some life back into the franchise with another Jason Williams-type of leader. But that couldn’t have been a more correct decision by the Maloofs and Petrie. They’ve had that style of basketball before. They’ve had the glamour and the show. This is a new era of Kings basketball. This is no longer a Vegas show on the hardwood. This is tough, hard-nosed basketball.
And Tyreke Evans is the posterboy of this new brand in Sacramento. Grade: A
Thanks to Kings Connect, we have the complete video of Geoff Petrie and Paul Westphal speaking about the Kings big draft night.
Now whether or not you agree with the pick of Tyreke Evans over Ricky Rubio, you’ve got to love the confidence that Petrie speaks with in regards to the moves made on Draft Night. The Kings are headed in a different direction than what everyone assumed. They aren’t just building a team, they’re building a tough team and the team definitely got tougher Thursday.
Here’s the video:
Some thoughts from what Petrie said:
- He mentions a few times that Tyreke Evans was the best player left in the draft and I think that’s important. Personally, I thought Ricky Rubio should be the pick at the time but the more I think about it, the more that I’m on board with this thinking. If you feel Evans is the best player after all of the scouting and workouts, then you should definitely take him.
- He mentions possibly posting Tyreke Evans against the smaller guards and this could be a dynamic part of the offense that set him apart from the rest of the field in this draft. If you can create mismatches with him all over the floor, you’ve suddenly added something to your offensive attack that can not only create open shots for guys like Spencer Hawes, Francisco Garcia and Kevin Martin but it can get the other team into foul trouble.
- Evans was upfront with the Kings about the whole drive-by shooting incident. That kind of character, honesty and accountability probably began to sway the momentum in his favor.
- Kings feel like they got the second best player in the draft. They probably did as of right now. But will it be in five years? Something that will be looked at time and time again by all of the nay-sayers.
- I wonder if he feels like the restricted free agents are ACTUALLY part of the roster for next season or if he’s just toeing the CBA company line?
Notes from what Paul Westphal said:
- I know a lot of this could just be smoke blown up our orifices but you have to feel good about hearing the confidence in the way they speak. For some reason, it doesn’t seem fake here and seems to be worthwhile.
- Was EVERYBODY on the same page with this decision or did the Maloofs want Rubio and Geoff talked them into Evans?
- He called Evans the most well-rounded guard in the draft. For a guy that can’t shoot and isn’t a great ball-handler, what does that say about the strength of this draft?
- Sounds like he’s going to be the full-time point guard and it sounds like they’re happy with that. He has to be the guy right away and this is smart to throw him in the fire like this. It’s the best way for him to mature.
- They keep mentioning his size. If he’s legitimately fast and quick enough against point guards, he’s going to be a complete problem on the court.
- His quickness guarding the smaller point guards is going to be the key to this experiment working with him as the point. If not, do you move him to the shooting guard and play small with three guards?
- The toughness seems to be ringing throughout these talks. I think that’s something the Kings and their fans have been craving. This could be the start of a new attitude in the organization. That’s a good thing.
- Brockman is one of the top three rebounders in the draft? I don’t know how I feel about that. I don’t necessarily disagree with it; it’s just kind of an odd truth about this class.
- Paul Westphal just seems like a fun guy to be around.
So here we are, the 2009 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings haven’t had a pick this high since 1991 and the whole Billy Ownes debacle that eventually led to the Mitch Richmond era, which begat the Chris Webber golden age of Kings basketball.
So now with the fourth pick, the Kings have to decide not only if need is the biggest… well… need for this roster or if they should go after the best player available regardless of position OR if they should trade the pick for a veteran presence, much like the Wizards just pulled off. Not to be some drama queen about the whole situation but this is pretty much a turning point in the organization’s tightrope walk between obscurity and mediocrity or a path back to the playoffs. It’s not a completely dire straits situation where it’s make or break but if the Kings draft Jonny Flynn or Tyreke Evans with Ricky Rubio on the board, these guys have to not only be Rookie of the Year candidates but they have to show the potential to be All-Stars and franchise leaders. There’s no guarantee that Rubio will be a star but he’ll bring in national exposure that brings the franchise to the forefront of the NBA conversation again.
A Rubio selection means Wednesday night games on ESPN, Thursday night games on TNT, and maybe even a Sunday afternoon or two on ABC. It means potentially having a point guard that guys want to come play with. It means drawing the attention of the entire basketball world and not just the occasional onlooker from inside our own state. It means embodying the idea of putting team first with a pass-first point guard. It means the potential express progression of Hawes and JT with a point guard that can feed them perfectly in the post, on pick and rolls, and pick and pops.
But what if he’s not there? What if Minnesota moves up to grab him or the Thunder decide to piss off Russell Westbrook? What if the options are Tyreke Evans, Jonny Flynn, or Stephen Curry?
Are those acceptable “consolation” prizes? The hearts of Kings fans were broken when they didn’t land a Top 3 pick. But landing a player with the fourth pick who doesn’t pan out would be much worse. It would be like breaking the will of a wild horse. Sure they can ramp up whenever they want to and stretch the old legs in a majestic gallop but there’s a part of them where trust in the way of life they used to know is completely gone. If Kings fans had to suffer through the sudden end of their title contention during the Rick Adelman era, only to endure through Eric Musselman, Reggie Theus, and a 17-win season that seemed completely foreign to a city that had tasted sweet success and become addicted to it and have to settle for a busted fourth pick, that could very easily bring down the future ceiling of enthusiasm for this team’s eventual resurgence.
And at the same time, the Kings could hit a jackpot. No one thought that Jason Williams or Peja Stojakovic or Kevin Martin would turn out as well as they did. Tyreke Evans could turn out to be an unstoppable force that is capable of obliterating the immovable object. Jonny Flynn could become the next Tim Hardaway without the homophobia. Stephen Curry could be Gilbert Arenas 2.0 and an unstoppable 25 points per game force that gives the Kings a certain swagger of invincibility. And that’s the beauty of today.
The NBA Draft Day is my favorite sporting day of the year. To me, it’s better than the first day/weekend of March Madness. It’s better than any All-Star game. It’s better than the Superbowl and it’s better than opening night in the NBA. It isn’t like the NFL Draft that drones on and on for two days. There are certainties about the NBA Draft that we’ve all come to know and love. We know there are going to be a multitude of trades that bring about new hope to a franchise. We know that the Knicks fans are going to boo whomever they select that isn’t a small combo guard from Davidson. We know that Blake Griffin is about to be cursed and Chris Wallace is too scared to pull the trigger on a deal that nets them two draft picks instead of one because he’s afraid of being wrong. We know that the Clippers are trying to pass Zach Randolph around like the yellow Starburst that nobody wants to eat.
The NBA Draft brings about a new energy to every fan in the NBA. Whether it’s a nervous energy or an excited energy or an energy of wanting to throw up into your division championship wall pennant, there’s still an energy and electricity in the air. When David Stern sidles up to the podium, everyone waits with bated breath. He could be announcing a trade, the next great pick for your franchise or the next pick for your team that you get rail against for the decade and say, “I told you so.”
So here’s my expert analysis and predictions for the day based on everything I’ve heard and read (that sounded like I’m a lot more connected than I actually am):
- The Kings will take Ricky Rubio if he’s available. There’s nothing that has been mentioned to me about this; it’s just a feeling. Well, in the words of Boston, it’s more than a feeling. It’s an understanding that I feel like I have with the basketball world. The most likely reason for the comments to leak out about Tyreke Evans being the guy no matter what seems to be posturing in my opinion. It’s the only way to avoid having to trade up to get Rubio.
– With that said, I think the Thunder take Rubio and either make Russell Westbrook like it or deal Ricky for some much-needed assets.
– I think the Kings will take Tyreke Evans if they can move the 23rd and 31st picks to get into the middle of the first round. Otherwise, I think the pick will be Stephen Curry. Personally, I think Jonny Flynn should be the guy but there’s something really intriguing about Curry as a point guard in the same backcourt as Kevin Martin. If they can add a veteran backup point guard via free agency to complement Curry, then they’ve created a very nice guard rotation.
Whether you have a pit in your stomach right now or butterflies, just remember that anything can happen on draft day. Kings fans and fans all across the NBA should be excited about the possibilities.
There are definitely worse things than having Geoff Petrie deciding the future of your franchise. Right, Clippers fans?
Well, with draft day upon us, he decided to focus on the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh picks with their respective bloggers from the THN to see what the best, worst, and most likely scenarios will be on draft day.
Hey, the Kings have the fourth pick! Matt discussed the fourth pick situation with a Kings blogger from the THN.
Hey, I’m the Kings blogger from the THN!
Yep, Matt and I discuss the Kings situation in the first 10-ish minutes of this podcast before he turns his attention to Patrick of Howlin’ T-Wolf and Mike from Knickerblogger.
Be sure to give it a listen, subscribe on iTunes and leave a 5-star review if you can.
Your support is much appreciated. And don’t forget about the biggest LiveBlog this internet has ever seen around 3pm PST as the entire TrueHoop Network settles in for the entirety of the NBA Draft and then some.
Plucked this from Henry Abbott from ESPN’s live draft buzz post that is being updated whenever news becomes available. Henry is in New York for the draft and is part of the huge WWL team covering the next 48 hours.
Henry Abbott: There have been rumblings and suggestions that if things get extremely complicated with Ricky Rubio’s Spanish team, DKV Joventut, he might not be able to afford to play in the NBA. Depending on where he’s drafted, it’s conceivable that his NBA salary will approximate the buyout he owes his original team. In other words, he might play in the NBA without making a penny.
Rubio says that wouldn’t bother him. “I have a dream,” he said. “I want to play in the NBA.”
The point guard, who presumably could make some money from sponsorships, could not have been clearer that it’s not about the money. If his rookie contract nets him zero, he says, “I don’t care.”
In a video that will be on TrueHoop shortly, he also was asked to react to various NBA cities. His gut reaction to the word “Minnesota” was: “Too cold.” Oklahoma City earned a “My best friend lives nearby.” And when Rubio thinks of Sacramento, the first thing that comes to mind is: “Nice weather.”
It’s nice to know that he WANTS to come here. He loves the potential of playing time with just Beno Udrih battling him for Sacramento point guard supremacy and now he loves the weather as well. It couldn’t be a better fit!
UPDATE: Here’s the video mentioned below and in Henry’s quote
I’ll post that video later on when TrueHoop makes it available but for now, how about some video of him critiquing his own game?
The G-Man, Gary Gerould will be interviewing Fat Lever of former Denver Nuggets player and current Kings Director of Player Development fame about the upcoming draft. The focus will be on breaking down the point guard prospects to give Kings fans a better idea of what to expect with the available guys.
I wasn’t around for this last year because I was busy holding my own live blog/instant update post on Talkhoops.net but Matt Moore and the gang at Hardwood Paroxysm held down a marathon Draft live blog last year that lasted 8 hours and 4 minutes.
This year? It’s about to get bigger and better.
The ESPN TrueHoop Network is going to be holding a network-wide liveblog that you can follow from any and every site affiliated with Henry Abbott’s baby. You’ll be able to get the same great talk about the draft on Hornets247, Daily Thunder, Hardwood Paroxysm, Cowbell Kingdom, Beyond Bowie, Truth About It and more. We’ll have the CIL program embedded on every network.
You’ll get the same comments from the down-trodden fans at ClipperBlog, the hopeful small market fans at 3 Shades of Blue, and the die-hard tough fans from Knicker Blogger. You’ll get to interact with the best bloggers and best readers across the internet through this mega-LiveBlog.
So show up on this or any website on the TrueHoop Network to participate. It will start around 3:30 PST. It will be the first of its kind and the start of a great Draft night tradition.
For a little preparation of what’s to come, check out the TrueHoop Network Podcast Episode 1: Fear and Loathing in the Top 3.
Don’t worry, everybody; this isn’t another Kevin Martin trade idea article.
The #23 I’m thinking of seems to be the forgotten Kings draft pick due to all of the interest surrounding the fourth pick in the draft. The Kings have three of the first 31 picks in this year’s draft and can do a lot in adding talent to their roster by using these picks wisely. They’ve been successful in the recent past by selecting Francisco Garcia with the 23rd pick in 2005. Other notable 23rd picks of the past 10 years are Wilson Chandler, Josh Boone, Travis Outlaw, DeShawn Stevenson, Devean George, and Tayshaun Prince.
That has to be an extremely encouraging for the Kings, knowing that the odds are in your favor in not only acquiring talent but also in acquiring a player who can be a significant contributor. The 23rd pick over the past 10 years has played in dozens of big playoff games, contributed early as a key bench player, and won numerous championships as a key contributor/starter. In fact, the only guys at this draft slot over the last 10 years who haven’t been significant are Sergei Monia and Brandon Armstrong with judgment being reserved for last year’s pick, Kostas Koufos.
The key for the Kings is deciding in which direction this franchise is going. There have been rumors of the Kings selling this draft pick in a Robert Sarver type of cost-cutting move and I think that would be a huge mistake on many levels. For one, it would really hurt the morale and trust of the fans. Selling the 23rd pick in a supposedly weak draft class probably isn’t the worst thing in the world, especially when you’re getting $3 million in return. But to show your fanbase that you’re committed to fixing a situation that hit rock bottom last year (in terms of league-wide standings), it can do wonders for the city’s morale to keep a pick like this year’s #23 and try to improve the team by adding some young depth.
If they keep the pick (which I’d almost guarantee they will), they have to decide which area of the team needs the most depth. They have intriguing options at small forward on their roster. They’re likely to settle their point guard issue with the fourth pick on Thursday night but are they comfortable trusting Beno Udrih with the full-time backup point guard position? Do they feel the need to add a solid outside shooter to complement Kevin Martin off the bench? Do they want to add some frontcourt depth?
Here are some of the rumored selections from around the internets. I scoured the majority of the mock drafts from ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated, Draft Express, and Real GM. I took down every mention and backup pick for the 23rd selection to come to a general consensus. And I narrowed it down to seven players who are the most likely selections on Thursday. Here they are in reverse order of whom I think should be taken by the Kings along with John Hollinger’s Draft Rater score:
7. B.J. Mullens, Ohio State (10.81, 28th)
Mullens is an intriguing prospect at center because there are next to no good center options in this draft and his measurements at the pre-draft camp solidified him as one of the bigger players to try to develop. He measured up as 7’1” and 258 lbs to go with a 7’1” wingspan. He has all of the Kwame Brown strengths and weaknesses wrapped in an unassuming image. He’s a great athlete with a lot of good power inside and an explosive jumper. But he doesn’t show a great basketball IQ, isn’t aggressive at all (we all remember what Michael Jordan thought of Kwame’s physical prowess), and daydreams more than a flashback episode of Saved By The Bell.
What this pick would do for the Kings is provide them with another project inside to complement Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson. This trio would not be as good as the LaMarcus Aldridge/Greg Oden/Joel Pryzbilla combination but it could be managed in the same way. Personally, I think Geoff Petrie selecting Mullens would be a mistake that doesn’t address the Kings’ bigger needs off the bench. Mullens is a 20-year old big man project that won’t be a consistent contributor for four years if ever. If he ends up being selected by Sacramento, Kings fans should be hoping that a trade follows shortly thereafter.
6. Austin Daye, Gonzaga (14.24, 4th)
Two years ago, Austin Daye was a good freshman year away from being a Top 5 pick in the draft and starting his NBA dream early. Instead, he had a very average freshman year for the Zags and his stock plummeted. He tried to improve upon that with a better sophomore year but his four factors categories were very lackluster and he once again was questioned coming into the summer. His True Shooting percentage was a mediocre (in the sense that he’s expected to do much better at the college level) 56% despite shooting 42% from three-point range as a sophomore. His offensive rebounding rate was really poor, along with his free throw rate and his turnover rate was a bit of a problem as well. He’s never been particularly bad at anything but at the same time, he hasn’t wowed us like everyone expected him to.
During the pre-draft workouts, his toughness and effectiveness inside have been questioned. He was famously punked by Omri Casspi with an elbow. He clocked in at a rail-thin 6’10” and 191 lbs that left everyone praying he’d be as tough as another rail-thin small forward, Tayshaun Prince. In my opinion, they already have a shorter, tougher version of this guy with Francisco Garcia. Cisco will give you all of the attitude, toughness, and skill on both sides of the ball that you could ever want from Daye. Drafting him would be duplicating something you already have and potentially stunt the growth of Donte Greene as you try to split time between DG, Daye and Andres Nocioni.
5. Derrick Brown, Xavier (9.55, 45th)
Derrick Brown is a guy in this draft that you’ll never want to be a full-time starter for your team over his career. At 6’9” and 225 lbs, he’s extremely undersized for a power forward option in this league. But he’s very athletic, very quick, and a smart perimeter defender who could allow the Kings to go small with quicker teams and have the confidence that he can stick with three-point shooting forwards. On the offensive side of the ball, he’s good finishing at the rim and can step back to hit long-range jumpers. However, he isn’t an aggressive player at all and almost waits for the game to come to him to his detriment. He’s a poor dribbler and will struggle to make solid moves to the basket against NBA forwards.
For the Kings, he would not only give them a nice backup forward but also allow them to save their money by passing on a move like re-signing Ike Diogu in free agency. He’s adequately active on the offensive boards and would complement someone like Spencer Hawes and/or Jason Thompson nicely when paired with either guy on the court. The Kings wouldn’t win any expert over with this non-sexy pick but the same thing happened with Jason Thompson last season and that seemed to workout for everybody. Brown would be a solid pick and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s near the top of Geoff Petrie’s board for the 23rd pick.
Two Warnings: 1) Audio NSFW and 2) You may feel the urge that I’m trying to recruit you to attend Xavier. I’m not.
4. Sam Young, Pittsburgh (9.34, 52nd)
Sam Young is a really intriguing prospect at the small forward position that should be able to score with ease in the NBA. He has a fantastic mid-range game and showed his worth as a top scorer over his final two years at Pittsburgh. He’s a good rebounder and a strong athlete. But he’s already 24 years old and in danger of being this year’s Al Thornton. Now, Al Thornton is not a bad player by any means. Both of these guys are good scorers and were prolific scorers in college. But at the same time, they were practically the equivalent of grown men playing against young college kids and should be able to score with relative ease.
This quote from John Hollinger is pretty alarming to me when he was explaining why he rated so poorly in his Draft Rater system:
Pitt’s Sam Young also graded out extremely poorly. He had the worst pure point rating of any wing player, and the other thing that hurt him is that he’s one of the oldest prospects in the pool. How old? He’s 19 days older than six-year vet Darko Milicic and a full half-decade older than Holiday.
With Young on the Kings, he would provide them with some solid scoring off the bench and allow the second unit to never skip a beat on offense. But there are two very important questions: 1) Can he ever be a competent defender? He is not very apt to shutting or even slowing down the guy with the ball in front of him. And 2) is he ever going to be better than he is now? It’s very possible that Sam Young is actually at his apex and will never improve. That could mean that the best that you ever get from him at an NBA level is roughly 12 points per game. Petrie will have to decide with Young whether it’s worth taking what you know you’ll get as opposed to someone with better potential.
3. Omri Casspi, Israel (N/A)
Omri Casspi is the most intriguing international prospect outside of Ricky Rubio because he could easily end up being a Top 10 guy from this draft. He has good size (6’9”, 211) and is a Matt Harpring clone in the sense that he is great at cutting towards the basket, moves well without the ball and can score a little in the post. He’s shown some toughness in his workouts so far that has kicked the typical Euroleague player stigma. He has a terrible jump shot that resembles a mix between a 12-year old girl and Shawn Marion. He’s suspect on the perimeter, both defensively and offensively. But all of his negatives could easily be fixed with some seasoning in Europe.
If the Kings decide to select him, he’s clearly a pick that you stow in Europe, Peja Stojakovic-style. He needs to figure out how to diminish his weaknesses while maximizing his strengths. He could do that here, developing in the D-League and in practice with pros here in Sacramento. But when you look at the development of guys like Rudy Fernandez and Peja, Casspi is probably the type of guy that needs to play more meaningful minutes in order to hone his craft. If he goes to the Kings at 23, it will be more of a rebuilding pick for a couple of years from now than immediate help but that might give Sacramento the best player available.
I chose this video simply because of the song choice.
2. Ty Lawson, North Carolina (16.34, 1st)
This is maybe the most interesting option for the Kings due to the simple fact that they’re probably already drafting a point guard with the fourth pick. So why draft Ty Lawson? Because having depth at the point guard is not a bad thing in this league and having two young players who can fly up and down the court for Paul Westphal could create big problems for the opposing team. Beno Udrih doesn’t appear to be a good enough option at the backup in a fast system because he’s not very good at creating on the secondary transition sequence. Lawson on the other hand is always a threat and having him coming off the bench means that you can stay with the pedal to the floor on offense and retain the confidence you have with your starter.
Lawson does everything well, despite his small stature (6’0”, 198 lbs). He proved this year that he can shoot the three with great efficiency (47%) and had a fantastic assist to turnover ratio of 3.5:1. He takes care of the ball, sets up teammates, and can score in the open court as well as anyone in this draft. He’s projected to be the top college contributor in John Hollinger’s Draft Rater because of his outstanding turnover rate (under 10, best in the draft) and his great True Shooting percentage (65%). Kings grabbing him might look redundant and turn Beno Udrih into another Kenny Thomas situation.
1. Nick Calathes, Florida (13.66, 6th)
Don’t let the fact that he looks like an offspring of Pete Chilcutt fool you; this guy is really good. This is a best of all worlds for the Kings if Calathes can fall to them at 23. He already has a pro contract to play in Greece so you can choose to either buy him out for relatively cheap or let him play in Europe to get some of that all important seasoning (like Saffron). Drafting Calathes would give the Kings the option to save a little money in this year and possibly the next while keeping one of the top talents that possesses such great versatility. Calathes has done a nice job in workouts defending bigger and quicker players while also showing everything he can do on offense. He’s a great shooter, a solid distributor, and uses his height perfectly against smaller point guards.
At 6’5”, he can play multiple positions and give the Kings a ton of options with either going big or going small. He’s one of the smarter players in the draft and does a great job at finding angles to get his shot off from all spots on the floor. He has great range that extends easily to the NBA three-point line. He’s a better athlete than he appears. He can get to the basket and is strong enough to finish after contact. Grabbing Calathes appears to be the savvy type of Geoff Petrie move that Kings fans seem to expect. They can’t risk him falling to the 31st pick and if they select him at 23 and add him to a backcourt of whomever is selected at number four and Kevin Martin, then you have a very good core at the guard rotation to build upon to get you back to the playoffs. For me, Calathes is the steal of the draft at 23.
Pretty interesting stuff by Sam as he catches Rubio at the airport to find out how he felt about his Kings workout. It seems like nothing went all that well (but not all that bad either) and the Kings could be even more confused about whether or not they’d take him if he’s available.
At the same time, it could all be posturing to keep Memphis from feeling like they have complete control with the second pick.
Mills and Douglas did a tandem interview with the media after their six-guard workout on Sunday.
Two quick notes about their comments:
- I love that Toney Douglas takes such pride in his defense. I think that’s what separates him from the Wayne Ellington’s of this draft. He’s competent on offense at wost and he’s really solid at pressuring the ball.
- I found it interesting that Mills said he thinks he can be like Tony Parker. He’s not nearly as good of a penetrator/finisher as Tony but they do attack the defense with the same mentality. But what he lacks in getting to the basket, he more than makes up for with his shooting ability. He could easily be one of those late first round success stories.
So here we are, the 2009 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings haven’t had a pick this high since 1991 and the whole Billy Ownes debacle that eventually led to the Mitch Richmond era, which begat the Chris Webber golden age of Kings basketball.
